Best Campgrounds near Crater Lake, OR

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Campground was very quiet. Amenities close by.

Found the location to be good. Close to Crater Lake and other outdoor nature spots. The bathrooms and showers were clean. The laundry was reasonably priced and convenient. Will stay again.

It was first come, first served when I was there.  What you expect from free USFS campsites. Fire rings.

Google will take you down some crazy roads. Look at the map before getting on the dirt road and choose the roads that are the straightest; those will get you there easiest. Panhandle rd on the north side of the creek will take you most of the way.

After parking right off the trail head and hiking down about 0.8 miles, you have three “established” spots to chose from. I say established in quotations because they are marked with plaques but are all the way rustic sites. The middle sight is definitely the biggest and is where me and four others stayed for two nights. This is a very busy national park in the summer months but going the first week of October (as suggested by the ranger) made it so that we were the only ones in this area. We did have a couple backpackers stop for the night at the first site but other than that is was really quite. The lightning springs trail itself is incredibly long and we only went to where water was flowing so that we could fill up. We opted to hike out the first day and then drive to the Watchman Lookout Trail head and do that one first. It was only 0.8 miles long but I believe a 400 foot elevation change. Absolutely incredibly view. After that we drove north and did the Cleetwood Cove Trail which was around a mile with a 600 foot elevation change. This allows you to get right next to the water. Both hikes we semi challenging but well worth it. While the backcountry campsites do not allow fires, there are other location around Rim Village that have established sites that you can. When we went it was a little colder and windy but the tree coverage offered some shielding from that. There are plenty of other longer hikes as well in the area and other established sites if you are looking to have a more traditional camping experience. The Rim Village center was open and we were able to get a meal and visit the gift shop as well as go farther south and get our NPP stamped. Definitely recommend checking the NP website to see what is opened and closed as well as fire bans. We were lucky that the entire loop was open and got to drive all the way around the second day. While not directly at these sites, there are trash and bathroom areas really close. Really all around incredible views and an incredible weekend stay.

Great spot. Go all the way to the end of the road to reach the top. There is ample room to turn around, in spite of a step climb.

Was able to pull 15' trailer up with 4wd.

Wide open sky for solar and starlink.

Mid 60s f during day in early October. 40 f at night.

There’s nothing here except the highway but you can drive down the bike trail and stay there as well, just so your further away from the lot and the road.

Another fabulous camping experience. We loved this place.

Only 3 sites allow you to hit the trails from your site with your ATV and they have power and water too.

Nous avons passé 2 nuits dans ce camp très agréable même si les couches sont tièdes à froides. Possibilité de faire du feu

I camped here last year before the Ride the Rim bike ride and it was great. You cannot reserve sites this time of year - it is only first come first served. I planned on doing the the same thing this year and when I drive up on Friday September 13 the website still said “open” but when I got there the gates were closed. There was a sign that said “sorry for the inconvenience”. Luckily Thielspn View campground was open on the west side of Diamond lake.

Vault toilets had no toilet paper, but otherwise a really beautiful small spot. Would stay there again

Quiet camping area off 138. You come up to what looks like a county shop, but keep going to the left, and you're here. A handful of sites. We were easily able to park out jeep a ways in.

One night layover on the way to Crater National Park. Level sites. Well maintained and clean. Right off the river...love the views.

Great campground. Well kept and sites far enough apart for some privacy. Plenty of hiking throughout park. Stayed while there were several fires around so smoke blocked many views.

Great place to be. Close enough to a lot of hiking trails, waterfalls and crater lake itself. Structure is good and the staff is super welcoming.

Great place to layover. Staff is super. Facilities clean. Has small island where dogs can be off leash and play in the water. Beautiful river. Few folks fly fishing. One star off only for the highway noise - but if you live on or near a busy road or highway you may not even notice it. If the campground was further off the highway, it would be a five. ATT was usable. Didn’t try WiFi.

Mazama Campground offers a serene retreat nestled within Crater Lake National Park, surrounded by a lush forest that provides privacy and tranquility. The reservation process requires you to provide your dates and size of RV and are assigned a site when you arrive. As I walked around it appeared pull-through sites were for RVs and trailers, and back-in sites that were assigned to tent or car campers. The pull through sites were long, some are asphalt and others dirt. Our site D5 was asphalt and level. The amenities, including clean bathrooms, accessible water spigots, and regular trash collection, contribute to a comfortable stay. The general store is a convenient spot for registration, fuel, and showers, it's also the starting point for exploring the breathtaking Crater Lake via tour bus or personal vehicle. Even though a forest fire limited visibility of the lake, Mazama Campground remains a memorable destination for its natural beauty and well-maintained facilities.

They have about 4 first come first serve sites, otherwise sites are available if tag on site is not for the nite you pull in. Plenty were available when we were there on a Sunday afternoon. Most sites are wide but many are not real long, but width allows for unhooking and space for vehicle or creative parking. Sites are spread out nicely. Our site had no site on one side and back to a trail to lake. Toilets were flush with sink. They honor the senior/golden/etc passes. Some highway noise. But quiet at nite.