Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Christmas Valley? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Christmas Valley, Oregon's most popular destinations.
Featuring panoramic views of the lava flows, cinder cones, and the desert landscape of the Fort Rock and Christmas Valley area of central Oregon, the Green Mountain Campground offers a remote camping experience perfect for photography, solitude and stargazing. Whether using it as a basecamp for exploring nearby attractions like Crack-in-the-Ground and the Four Craters Lava Field, or simply seeking an out-of-the-way site with stunning sunrises and sunsets, visitors willing to brave its rough access road will not be disappointed.
Open Season Green Mountain Campground is open YEAR ROUND. Four-wheel Drive Vehicles Recommended. Access is via rugged dirt roads that may be impassable at times. 6 primitive campsites with picnic tables and fire grates; first come, first serve. Vault Restroom. No Drinking Water available. Pack Out Your Trash. The Nearest Services are in the nearby towns of Christmas Valley Oregon. BLM___s Crack-in-the-Ground Trailhead located nearby.
There is an active fire lookout atop nearby Green Mountain that is staffed from June through October.
Crack-in-the-Ground is an ancient volcanic fissure over 2 miles long and up to 70 feet deep. Normally, fissures like this one are filled with soil and rock by the processes of erosion and sedimentation. However, because it is located in such an arid region, very little filling has occurred and Crack-in-the-Ground exists today nearly as it did shortly after its formation thousands of years ago. An established 2 mile trail along the fissure’s bottom offers a unique hike, where the temperature can be as much as twenty degrees cooler than at the surface. Know Before You Go: Open Season Crack-in-the-Ground is open YEAR ROUND. Trail Difficulty is moderate, with a 70’ elevation gain and sand and rock surface. Universal Access Restroom available. No Drinking Water available. Trail Open to foot travel only. Motor Vehicles, Mountain Bikes, and Equestrians are PROHIBITED. Access is via rugged dirt roads that may be impassable at times. Four-wheel drive vehicles are highly recommended. Facilities at the Green Mountain facilities include 6 designated campsites, a vault toilet, picnic tables, and fire grates. This is a primitive campground so please pack out all of your trash. The fire lookout atop Green Mountain is manned from June through October. The nearest services are in Christmas Valley, Oregon. Point of Interest: A trail along the fissure's bottom allows for visitors to hike the crack’s length - and cool off, due to a temperature up to twenty degrees lower than the surface. ADA Access: Restroom
Overview: The Christmas Valley Sand Dunes Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in south-central Oregon is the largest inland shifting sand dune system in the Pacific Northwest . It is a popular destination for off-highway vehicle enthusiasts with nearly 8,900 acres of the Sand Dunes site open to vehicle use. Nearby, the Lost Forest Research Natural Area is an unusual stand of ancient ponderosa pine forest, the remnant of a forest that existed in a cooler and wetter age. Another facet of the ACEC is Fossil Lake, the site of paleontological work for more than 100 years and where hundreds of species of reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals have been identified. Know Before You Go: Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs) are allowed only on designated routes or areas. Oregon ATV permits required Camping is Allowed in designated sites only. Sites are primitive with no facilities, water, or restrooms provided. Firewood Collecting or Cutting is PROHIBITED. The Fossil Lake Area is CLOSED to OHV’s. Collecting Fossils by the public is STRICTLY PROHIBITED throughout the Fossil Lake Area. The Nearest Services are located in Christmas Valley, Oregon, approximately 16 miles southwest. Point of Interest: Fossils found at nearby Fossil Lake range in age from about 10,000 years to as much as 400,000 years. Access to this special area is limited to walk-in traffic only.
Upper Buck Creek is your destination for rustic seclusion in a high mountain setting. Located 35 minutes southwest of Silver Lake, Oregon, ponderosa, lodgepole pine trees, aspen, and willows co-exist with open meadows and marsh land. This quiet forest camp is a great place to relax, fish, walk along the creek, and enjoy nature. Upper Buck Creek features five campsites with picnic tables, and fire rings, and two vault toilets. Remember to park your vehicle at least 200 feet from the creek. There are no garbage receptacles, so remember to “pack it in, pack it out.” There no potable water. Visitors need to pack plenty of water.
At 35 minutes southeast of Silver Lake, Oregon, Farm Well Horse Camp is conveniently located along the Fremont National Recreation Trail. Farm Well offers five campsites, picnic tables, camp fire rings, one vaulted toilet, horse corrals, and room to maneuver a horse trailer. The forest-mountain setting affords views of farm and range land as well as a great vista of Hager Mountain. The cone-shaped single peak dominates the landscape and the look-out tower is visible atop the 7,200 foot pinnacle. Wildlife you may spy at Farm Well and connecting trails include deer, songbirds, hawks, and bald and golden eagles. It’s about a three mile ride from Farm Well to the Hager Mountain Lookout. This summit rewards riders with a panoramic view, including the Cascades to the west and Mount Shasta to the south. You can keep riding to Thompson Reservoir (five more miles), a popular fishing destination. Trout are stocked in the reservoir on a regular basis. This reservoir was created in 1921 and provides water for more than 2,700 acres of irrigated land. There is no potable water. Visitors need to pack plenty of water.
Two 8' x 12' covered shelters, approximately 300' apart on a north-south line, permit silent human observers to spy upon thirsty animals. Each blind has a small concrete basin that puddles water piped nearby water collection aprons and storage tanks. Veiled wall openings allow viewing and photography from a distance of 15-20 feet. A barbed-wire fence surrounds the lower site and a pole fence surrounds the upper site. Be sure to browse the registry for its decades-long, international record of human and wildlife visitors. There is a picnic area nearby. Caution: Such close proximity between observer and wildlife demands absolute silence, so keep your dog or cat away. Bring a filled water container to replenish the drink-basin in case the supply system is disabled. You can leave your fishing rod and boat at home because the "lake" dried centuries ago.
Deadhorse Lake is located one hour 20 minutes south of Paisley, Oregon situated on Deadhorse Lake, a high-mountain lake with grassy and pebble beaches. The lake, elevation 7372 feet, spans 31 acres and is stocked with rainbow trout. There are nine tent and trailer sites, all with picnic tables and fire grills. It also features seven group campsites; some larger sites are located further from the lakeshore. There is also a hand pump for potable water. Deadhorse Lake, great for fishing, swimming, and boating (non-motorized or electric motors only), features a boat launch and separate day use area. All camping is first-come, first-served, and weekends and holidays are generally full. Nearby access to the Lakes Trail System.
Scout
High camp with great views. Road from Christmas Valley is all washboard until Crack park, then it gets better. For BLM, it’s nice. Cold May morning at 17 degrees.
Ranger
Back in July 2019, my buddy and I rode our motorcycles to this camp/hot spring. I had heard of this place from another friend on Facebook & this was our destination. A wonderful ride to this easy-to-find site. Everything from full-service cabins to rent and RVs, down to what we used, tent camping. Beautiful but spartan tent camping area, portable toilets (clean), and cable spools used as tables. The hot springs were WONDERFUL, with both indoor (bathhouse) and outdoor pools. If I recall. clothing optional after 9pm. The operators of this facility are extremely "green" in thinking, with the re-use of most building materials, etc. Their website is excellent and gives more details. Highly recommend!!
Traveler
Beautiful lakeside camping. A light breeze during the day helps to moderate warm days. Quiet camping. This campground is best suited for RV's with fewer sites that work well for tent camping.
Guide
This is one of the better campgrounds I’ve stayed in. It cost $18 per night for a tent site. The site we stayed in was next to the bathroom and wasn’t too close to other sites, but it would’ve been nice to have some more space between sites.
The bathroom had a flushing toilet and a sink with water. Toilet paper was stocked daily as well. Very well maintained and kept clean.
Tent site was decent sized. We had a large cabin tent. There was no problem finding a spot big enough to set it up. We were also able to find plenty of trees to hang up our hammock.
The site had a picnic table that was in excellent condition. The fire ring was about half full of ash, but nothing to complain about.
The only negative comment I have is that the camp host wasn’t able to give change for fees. However they were polite about waiting for us to leave to the nearest store to obtain change.
GuideI tent camped here for 4 days w my family and 3 dogs in September during labor day weekend. It was a nice really decent size campsite with plenty of space and privacy from the surrounding campsites. The only negative experience was the irritating noise from the RV generators all night long, and the guy who wouldn't give up the bongo playing and go to bed. The camp host was helpful and friendly. I would stay here again, but not during a holiday weekend.
Guide
Great campground! Spaces are large, but kind of close together. Larger size campground on the lake, just across from the resort. Plenty of trees to hang hammocks! $18 per night for a tent site. Campground has a boat ramp and dock as well.
I took one star off due to the bathroom situation. For some reason their bathrooms are out of service at the moment. However they do provide porta potties.
LegendTent camping next to beautiful Paulina Lake. RV spots also available. Short walk to Paulina visitor center with fun exhibits and ranger programs.
Campground has flush toilets, boat launch. Great location to explore all around Paulina Lake including hiking trails and activities.
Camp sites spacious but most of the campgrounds at East and Paulina Lakes are often busy and can be loud with boats, RVs and general camp traffic.
Shoreline is not a beach, but more of a boat launch. There's better swimming nearby in other areas of the lake.
ScoutThe good: Dogs allowed, sites directly on the lake, huge site! The 5-yr-old had a great time and the geriatric dog thoroughly enjoyed the lake. Nice hiking in the park and not too far from LaPine.
The bad: The site is on volcanic land, and the campsite is are pretty heavy on fine, silt-like dirt that gets into everything. Ground vegetation is Sparse and full of ants, which is fine if you’re in an RV but not great for tent camping.
The Ugly: The lake allows motorized boats which are disruptive. The posted lake speed limit is 10mph but is not enforced. The park also ran out of annual passes (interagency) so we had to buy day passes.
Legend
Camping at Juniper Camp is free. Easy access to the sand dunes; somewhat rough road into nearby Lost Forest. Best access is from the west. One porta-potty for the whole area; pretty nasty, so best to bring your own toilet system. No designated campsites; set up camp anywhere. This is a popular OHV area. If you are into quiet, wilderness camping, this area is not for you. Very noisy, and you may have to tolerate drunken and behavior, and loud music at night. However, if you are into OHV adventuring, this appears to be a good area to explore on OHVs. Finding a level site for your rig may be challenging, but it's possible. Tent camping is definitely possible. Not enough trees together for hammock camping. No water. Some sporadic T-Mobile service, but good AT&T service.
Legend
With a general store, boat launch, beach and restaurant, this quaint little "resort" is a small collection of 1960s cabins along a simple gravel parking lot/road and most either on or with a view of the lake. If you want to swim, fish, boat and hang out with family and let the kiddos run all over and get sunburned and tired, this is a pretty fun, rustic place to do so.
Rates run from the low $100s for a studio up to the high $200s for a cabin that will sleep 8 or larger. It's also a popular place for people to swing by and eat/meet up so plenty of traffic coming and going.
No TVs/wifi etc. for those who care. There's also an RV area across the street run by the same resort that is relatively new. We saw a few tent sites as well but didn't inquire about them.
GuideSpent two nights in this great isolated spot- the first night we were the only ones there! The second night we were joined by several people who had car tents but we never felt like we were on top of one another. Wonderful flat area at the top of a hill that boast amazing views of the valley- gave us one of the best sunsets and moon rises that we have ever seen! There is a central pit toilet for all of the sites to share.
There is a fire tower a short distance away from the sites that you can walk up to the base of and hike around. Sites are also close drive to "Crack-in-the-Ground", which is a fascinating lava formation that makes for a good spot to hike around for half a day.
The road up to the site is washboard, so be prepared for a bumpy drive. There is a small store at Christmas Valley before the turnoff that has the essentials, including an emergency eyeglass repair kit when my husband was head butted by the dog. Oops!
Legend
We were headed to Thompson Creek reservoir, but opted for this lovely little FS campground. We had the place to ourselves the first night and another camper came in for the 2nd. Easy pull-through site, pretty level and fit both rigs. Otherwise plenty of room between sites.
It was a bit of a trek down gravel roads to get here. Took it easy, though, and no problems.
Lovely walks and hikes to be had. Beautiful stargazing. Clean pit toilets and clean overall campground. There were corrals at one end for horse camping. No cell service. (in 2020)
4 stars only because of the sometimes-washboard road to get here.
From here we visited Crack in the ground, Cowboy Dinner Tree, The Sand Dunes, Fort Rock and Christmas Valley.
Ranger
This location is primarily used for day hikes.
Ccoming from hwy 14 near Christmas valley the turn off for crack in the ground is a gravel road. When we took it was freshly grated, but as you go along there are some rough patches where it may be difficult to pass with a small car or a vehicle with low clearance. There are sparse opportunities to fit two vehicles on this road once you make the left up the hill.
The parking area is marked and well kept, including the restroom (basic vault toilet).
Trailhead is opposite of parking where there is room for maybe 10 vehicles.
This is a very dry and open area. As you travel down the trail maybe .25 miles there is a trail log box where you can sign in as well. Picnic benches are available here (2).
From here you can see the Crack in the Ground! Start your journey into the crack where it is nearly 30 degrees cooler. Quite nice on a 100 degree day!
This is a down and back trail through the crack, but you also may return on trails above ground level.
Scout
Was by myself on motorcycle. Clear directions, plenty of tables, leveled spaces for tent. Gets cold at night.
Road here was a graded packed dirt, so a but bumpy but 2WD would make it no problem. Enjoyed my stay
GuideNot a bad place, the ground is sloped but very doable for tents. The road is really nice and car worthy. I was on my motorcycle and went off the back south side which I would not recommend for a family car.
ScoutOregon is always amazing and beautiful, this one was just that and so much more!!!! So amazing and I am dying to go again.
ScoutGood campground in a remote part of Central Oregon. Despite being right next to OHV trails, we were the only ones there. Just me, the boys, and the flies.
ScoutEntrance is free. The sites are strung through the trees and overlook the Badlands of Central Oregon's high desert. Cool temps in summer
LegendEast Lake Campground is very popular because many spots, tent and RV, are available right on the shoreline. The trade off is that you are also right on top of each other with little privacy.
The beach is beautiful, and the lake fun to play in. A good location to all of the rest of the Paulina Lake trails and activities. Flush toilets, fresh water. Boat launch available.
One of the more popular campgrounds, it is often full due to its popularity.
GuideCamped three nights along with hiking the trails near by. Campground was very quiet with many open spots. Our site was very large and had a beautiful view of the reservoir. We had two eagles that were hanging out in a tree right next to us. It was a real treat to watch the eagles for a few days. I brought my paddle board and enjoyed the peaceful reservoir. The wind does pick up every afternoon so secure your tent. Fishing was amazing and we caught and released many fish back into lake. Bring your own water. There is a pump but it is out of order. We definitely will be coming back. All the near by hiking trails were amazing. Four days on the trails and we didn’t see a sole.
GuideIn other places I've seen this place reviewed as dingy. What someone expected from a privately run campground on the edge of a massive salt pan expected...I don't know. If you're not into the perfectly imperfect it ain't for you, then again very little in the Oregon Outback will be. There are a few rusted cars hanging around, but the cabins are clean and well kitted, the spring pools are absolutely pleasant, and the scenery outstanding.
LegendCampground Review
About 25 miles south of Bend, Oregon, Paulina and East Lakes are twin calderas located in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument area of the Deschutes National Forest that have an amazing amount of fun things to do including camping, fishing, paddle boarding, boating, hiking, biking and hot springs.
We pulled into the Paulina Visitor Center just before 5pm on the Fourth of July to scope out our walk-up camping options (we didn’t make reservations) and the rangers let us know that Paulina Lake Campground still had two or three spots open, or we could keep on heading to Cinder Hill on East Lake, which had several spots. The East Lake campground, they said, was pretty much always full, so no need to stop there to check.
We ended up grabbing a great spot at Paulina Lake Campground even though it was a holiday weekend. Large camp sites, lots of trees, flush toilets, and access to Paulina Lake all made this a great spot for camping.
There’s tons to do in the area. My two favorites were the hot springs near East Lake boat ramp (when facing the water, walk left about 8 minutes along the shore line…pass the first couple spots until you get to a good one around two bends) and the trail up Obsidian Butte. There’s also a lodge nearby with delicious food (homemade rum butter apple cobbler…yum) and the beautiful Paulina Falls day use area. We’ll definitely be heading back to spend more time here, next time maybe with some paddle boards.
The main down side to this site is there doesn’t appear to be specific hours for generators, so they can run loudly whenever.
Tips:
Parking. You’ll need a day pass ($5) to park at various day use areas at the lakes, but if you have a National Park Pass it will get you in for free. Ask at the Visitor Center and they can give you a holder to hang your pass from your rear view mirror.
Firewood: Unlike many national and state parks, you can harvest camp firewood for free here, which is pretty awesome. Check with the rangers at the visitor center, but the rules are pretty basic (pick up dead wood instead of chopping it down, etc.).
Other Area Campgrounds. If you’re looking for reservations and Paulina Lake is booked up, they hold many of their sites for “walk-ups” only. There’s also several other campgrounds in the area, both private and public, if for some reason Paulina Lake is full.
From West (at the Visitor Center) to East, campgrounds and cabins on the lakes include:
Paulina Lodge (Private I believe. All cabins, some right on the water).
Paulina Lake Campground (this campground review. No beach but does have a boat dock and water access)
Newberry Group Camp Site. Three group sites. $75-$100. Didn’t stay here but looked fun.
Little Crater Campground. Didn’t visit, but listed as one of the“most popular” campgrounds in the entire Deschutes Forest. Books up Thursday for most weekends.
East Lake Campground. Great lake views from most spots and flush toilets.
East Lake RV Park. Newer, clean but somewhat cramped and dusty.
East Lake Resort Cabins. (Homey in a good way).
Cinder Hill Campground, East Lake. Some sites are better than others. Amazing beach.
Product Review: Firebiner by Outdoor Element
On our recent trip to Paulina Lake we got to try out several products by Outdoor Element, including their Firebiner, in exchange for our reviews. The firebiner is a carabiner with a "spark wheel" that can start fires and also includes a bottle opener, screwdriver tip, and a very sharp tiny blade for cutting strings and other lines (like fishing lines):
https://www.outdoorelement.com/product/firebiner/
The whole concept is pretty cool, and we had extra fun with the "EverSpark" technology trying to get the fires started. Nearly every time we turned the wheel it sparked, but we quickly learned the power of having a good "tinder" (a dry bit of material used for starting a fire). When we tried starting fires with items such as dry moss, napkins, or small kindling, the sparks didn't catch. But when we used the tiny "Tinder Quicks" from Outdoor element, we normally could start a fire within 2-3 turns. We even tried other options for tinders...from corn chips to cotton balls covered in Vaseline, and as long as the tinder was good, the sparks caught quickly.
Overall, a fun addition to our camping packs. The carabiner itself is handy for keys and hanging on backpacks and probably the element we'll use most, while the Spark Wheel is a fun, handy back-up when we need to light something on fire.
Guide
I stayed here on the first night of the Oregon Outback. It is a very small simple designated camping area with a very clean pit toilet and a few picnic tables but nothing else.
A few loggers and Forest service trucks passed on the road, but mostly traffic was cyclists.
Listened to birds and coyotes and enjoyed being under the canopy of stars. Great little spot.
GuideSmall campground along the edge of the lake; every spot has a beautiful view of the mountains and the lake, and has quick access to the water. Spots on the eastern side of the campground are bordered by a steep hill or thickly forested area, great for providing morning shade and a fun area for kids to hike up and play "I'm king of the world!" Spots on the western side sit right on the lake and all have unobstructed sunset views. All sites have picnic tables and fire rings, nearby vault restrooms, & dish washing stations. The camp host sells firewood.
Campsites are a bit close together, with trailers and tents all in the same area. Some are much bigger than others, but each is unique. Sites near the boat ramp get more traffic, but it's not too busy.
Great for kayaks, paddle boards, or just floating. Hiking trail from the campground goes all the way around the lake, with natural hot springs on the way. There's also the nearby Paulina Lake Lodge, serving meals & cocktails.
GuideThis was fantastic. Biggest complaint was how busy it was and the lack of privacy between campsites. But I was there on memorial weekend so busy was expected. Lack of privacy is due to lack of trees, they're there, just not that thick. We set up our tent about ten feet from the water and had some friendly little chipmunks running about, but they never bothered us. Camp host and his dog were awesome. Made some new friends here. Soaked in the natural hot springs at dusk. Hiked to the top of Paulina peak the next day. Awesome area to camp and explore. Even though we were there on a holiday weekend this place didn't fill up and we didn't need a reservation. But it does have a day use area and another campground a shirt distance around the lake. There's a hiking trail that goes all the way around, and you can hike to East lake or up Newberry volcano. There is beautiful obsidian all over the place. The hot springs were full of people during the day but at dusk and into night they really cleared out.
TravelerWe keep most of our fave spots "secret" from others, as I've made the mistake of inviting some friends along to our family trip, swear them to secrecy (lol) they end up loving it of course , tell some friends inevitably, and then it gets harder and harder every year to book! We have a pop up camper, nothing uber fancy, but bring lots of toys (kayaks, paddleboards, bikes) and our kids love love it. Paved pathway for the kids to safely bike on while you're setting up or cleaning up.
Be wary of camping in too early of June (can be snow and very windy), or late August (smoke can settle here from fire season nowadays), but July is usually the sweet spot. It can get very windy on the water from midday-4pm most days, and as we learned one trip, don't attempt a paddleboard across the lake to the hotsprings..it's a BEE-yatch to make it back safely! My arms and legs nearly fell off from THAT treacherous paddle. We always bring tow lines for our younger kids when they tire out of paddling their kayaks too, and the best time on the water is morning until noon, then again between 4-6pm, when things usually calm down. Motorboats are allowed (lots of fisherman hit this lake early morning), so the parking area in middle of campground can fill up, but the views, the sunsets, the easy access to some fantastic obsidian hikes up the Butte to the right of the lake, the steep climb / big Paulina hike or bike ride (whew!) , and Paulina and East Lake lodge a hop skip jump away for when mama is tired of cooking ...this place cant be beat! Bring sunscreen! And a Shade Tent! Many campsites are not very shaded, and don't let the 75 degree and a lovely breeze fool you.
Scout
Great spot for cost effective camping just a few minutes from fort rock
Tent camping near Christmas Valley, Oregon, offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures, perfect for those looking to escape into nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Christmas Valley, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Christmas Valley, OR is Green Mountain Campground with a 5-star rating from 4 reviews.
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