Best Dispersed Camping near Crater Lake National Park

We picked this dispersed camping near Lemolo Lake since it was an open area that we could run our Starlink. There was also some cell service. Lemolo lake also has several Campgrounds to choose from if you want to pay. In the area we visited Lemolo Falls and Warm Spring Falls. We weren't disappointed. The area does have mosquitoes to contend with. Where we camped there was a picnic table and rock fire ring. Be mindful of the no fire season.

If you love boondocking and wilderness trails. This is a must stay place. 20 minutes from hot springs and waterfalls. Tons of fishing spots near bye. Hundreds of miles of OHV trails.

Plenty of different types of camping spots: trailer and RV to serious offroad spots. I found a very secluded place with my 4by4 down rough road but plenty of other options. Best thing about it was I was able to be in the park to watch the sunrise.

Lovely big boondocking spaces with plenty of room. Close to Crater Lake NP. Road in is excellent, passable by any vehicle when we were here in late October. Mostly flat sites with varying privacy. The further you drive in the more privacy you will get. No service as this is just a spot to park for the night but perfect for self contained folks or hardy tent campers. It snowed when we were here in late October! At around 5,000ft elevation

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When it comes to camping you simply can’t beat FREE!!! But often times it is hard to find a good campsite which is close to some of the larger National Parks that is not overrun with people. 

When I visited the Crater Lake area, I was well aware that finding last minute accommodations was difficult to impossible. Hotels in the area charge high premiums and depending on when you visit the campground is typically booked well in advance or even closed due to weather. It just so happened that I arrived late in the season, campground was already closed and I was wondering just what else would be out there for me as a tent/car camper. 

I found a small forest road, FR960 and took my chances driving down a few hundred yards before realizing that there were a few established campaigns for dispersed camping. My signal with AT&T was sparse so finding this site was strictly by chance(the Dyrt hadn’t yet released their offline PRO Version just yet). 

Driving down the road it was gravel and had a few small ruts here and there but nothing so serious I couldn’t make it down the path taking it at a slower pace. I discovered a small pull out right at the beginning of the roadway which looked to be about the size of a small RV, very level and established with a fire ring. As I continued onward a small campground road spurred off to the right with what looked to be several sites alongside it as well. I opted to keep going as there were already a couple people there and the beauty of forest camping is that you don’t have to be right on top of your neighbors unless you want to. 

Further down the road pull offs to both the right and left with spaces perfect for large rigs and smaller ones as well. The one on the left seemed to be calling my name as I noticed it was almost a cove of trees which would serve as a great protectant and blockade to the crisp night winds which I knew were coming this time of year. I settled in and explored the remainder of the camp on foot including a small climb which went to a few spaces with amazing views of the peaks above but looked pretty exposed due to new growth trees and low laying shrubs being the only vegetation. Sure this looked beautiful but I knew it would be cold!! 

After settling in for the night in my site I was able to cook dinner on my camp stove and cozy down. Due to the winds getting a bit high I was a little hesitant to use the established fire ring because this area in particular is very prone to forest fires, something which can be seen quickly driving through camp with residual charring and many new growth trees in place of old forest. 

By dawn, ice lined my windows of my car and snow capped the distant peak, the one which I would have been camping by had I have stayed up at the higher elevation campsite. But there was a sense of quiet which is unmatched by the commercial campgrounds in the area where you will find slamming doors and the sound of people moving around to get their day started. Though many were nestled into the campsites in various cubbies and enjoying their time at the forest camp, the feeling of solitude was still abundant. 

There were no frills with this campground other than the location itself. No restrooms, no running water, nothing!! You as a camper have to plan if you are visiting this location and be able to be off grid safely and responsibly. If you are choosing to stay here remember the Leave No Trace principles and make sure you fully extinguish your fires. 

The campground itself is only a few miles away from the northern most entry of Crater Lake. No reservations are accepted and no supplies are available without driving in to the neighboring communities of Crescent or Chemult.

Stayed here for 3 nights while visiting Crater Lake NP and it was the perfect basecamp.

Easy access to the Forest Road off 138 with lots of open camp spots. More private spots further up the hill — I didn’t venture too far but if you have AWD it shouldn’t be an issue.

I had no trouble finding a spot on Thursday afternoon, though there were definitely other campers around. Seemed pretty popular by the weekend though there were still unclaimed spots tucked away on Saturday afternoon.

Bring bug spray and make sure you’ve got screen window covers if car camping — otherwise a beautiful stay. Ten minute drive to the North Entrance of Crater Lake and about 20 minutes away from town with truck stop with showers and wifi.

Drove to the top around 8 pm with our small hatchback 2WD, no big issue. Crowded closer to the top, this spot doesn't seem to be a secret on a Saturday night in July. Buses and sprinter vans have no issue reaching the top either so beware of large parties. Cool rocky features, and more camping in the woods where you drive in from. Great spot, free, and accessible. Our camp site did have a trash bag hanging from a tree from previous campers, though :(.

Title refers to the potholes. Lots of potholes! But the sites—aside from one, which was practically a crater—were awesome from what I could tell. Like Laura suggested, these are the free versions of River Bridge campground. Cross the river and go to the right. The campsite I chose is on a portion of the road beyond what Google Maps has, so it's really off-grid. 😜You could fit two vehicles. I needed something that could put me close enough to Crater Lake NP (the official campgrounds were booked). I don't think it felt like an hour; I was distracted by the beautiful forest. I slept in my car and I think it was the best sleep I've had on this trip. Cool at night, the only sound I heard were the occasional and distant 4th of July fireworks.

there are small (4-7) dispersed sites along this forest road near Crater Lake. the size and types of sites are varied. some are great for large RVs and are pull through and others you might only get a small campervan so overall YMMV.

Day 2 - Pacific North Quest (Crater Lake) 🏞

After sleeping in our cars at the bottom of Lassen Peak, we were excited to find this tucked away and relaxing spot just off of the road before Crater Lake.

The campgrounds is dotted with tall pine trees and sits next to a gorgeous river that comes out of the hillside just a short walk away. I’d imagine getting here early during peaks season would be key as there are only a handful of campsites. Early in the season however, it was uncrowded and an easy jump off point for our afternoon/evening ski mission to hike into and ski The Watchman Crater Lake.

Check out the three other campgrounds we visited (Prairie Campground, Smith Rock State Park, and Trillium Lake), on our Pacific North Quest summer ski touring trip and download the Snowledge App to see some incredible photos, along with touring stats and maps from each mission.

This was a lovely place to camp for the night. There were probably 10-15 campsites, and I was the only one there when I showed up. Campsites have picnic tables and fire pits and there is a pit toilet. Many trees which provide shade. Some mosquitos but not too bad. Very easy to find with the directions and it was also on GAIA GPS.

I drove 4 hours to camp (dispersed) near Crater Lake. Well worth the drive and this place was prefect. The trails were pretty cool. Not tons of trails, but enough to explore. I took my lifted Suburban on some narrow trails and recieved some extra pin striping. That's what I have it for. You can bring a car, but not recommended. I went in late October and it got down to 14 degrees at night. It was not snowing. But, do pack snow gear for that weather and have hot coffee for the morning. Excellent scenery in this area. Perfectly quiet. Will be back again and again.

BE CAREFUL got a nail in the tire here. Ended up with a flat giving me a headache 😒. Otherwise the campsite was amazing, would have been 5 stars if not for the nail.

I stayed here 1 night a few years ago, the campground is small with a handful of sites.  Just a short walk from the campsite you get to see the wood river headwaters, gorgeous, crystal clear water.

This campsite was great! All the spots were very spread out and offered a lot of space. One thing… TONS of mosquitos. Absolutely swarmed. Bring bug spray like crazy. Otherwise it was a perfect place to stay! Stayed on 6/22

Needed a place stay for just two nights. This spot was not too far off the road, there were some bumps getting there but my Chevy Trax was able to get there just fine. The area was flat and no one else was there. Our T-Mobile phones had a small amount of Service in our campsite but not on the road to get there.

This spot was perfect for the one night I was there. Campsite was pretty quiet and had a handful of open spots upon arrival. Don’t let the many cars turn you away! It seems like most people use this as a put in spot and then caravan back from a second destination.

The water was so quiet and peaceful and there was just a few other people around. I had so many people wondering where this was after sharing photos because it was so beautiful!

Gorgeous primitive campground nestled among the tall pines. Sites have picnic tables and fire rings, but no electric, water or sewer onsite. There’s no potable water so make sure you bring what you need. There are two vault toilets. Campsites will fit a variety of needs, including longer campers, though only a couple of sites would fit the “big guys”. Sites are first come, first served. Note we had zero cell service on both Verizon and AT&T. Very pretty, clear river runs through the campground and is a popular spot for kayakers/paddle larders and fishing.