P
Petey C.
Traveler
TravelerPriest Hole Recreation Area
No shade trees but good clear spots
Great summer camping if you have air conditioning. Starlink only. Great beach and great tubing the river, tons of Burrs which is bad for dogs
Dispersed Camping near Dayville, OR
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Multiple dispersed camping areas surround Dayville, Oregon, with free dispersed campsites concentrated near the Painted Hills and along the John Day River. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands dominate the region's public camping options, with notable locations including Painted Hills Dispersed, Priest Hole Recreation Area, and several unmarked sites along forest roads. These primitive camping areas require no reservations or permits and typically follow standard BLM regulations for public land use.
Access roads to most dispersed sites range from graded gravel to rutted dirt, with several locations requiring careful navigation in low-clearance vehicles. The Priest Hole Recreation Area offers better access with recent improvements including fire pits and vault toilets, while roads to Painted Hills Dispersed sites can become impassable after rain. Most sites have no amenities—campers must bring all water, pack out trash, and prepare for primitive conditions. Fire restrictions commonly apply during summer months, and the standard 14-day camping limit is enforced on BLM lands.
The John Day River provides swimming opportunities at Priest Hole Recreation Area, where dispersed campsites sit directly on the riverbank. Painted Hills Dispersed sites offer proximity to hiking trails and unique geological formations. Cell reception varies significantly throughout the region, with many areas having no service. One visitor noted, "The river was the perfect temperature for swimming and crystal clear," while another cautioned about coordinates, stating "We put Red Scar Knoll into our navigation and it took us to a private ranch with no trespassing signs." Several reviewers mentioned using specific GPS coordinates rather than relying on general directions to locate legitimate camping areas.
Best Dispersed Campgrounds near Dayville (9)
1. Painted Hills Dispersed
"We stayed at Priest Hole, which is a few miles past the Painted Hills visitor center on dirt roads. We saw a few vans and a pop-up trailer, but no RVs."
"We spent a weekend in June celebrating our anniversary in this stunning location. The Painted Hills are so beautiful. The hikes and trails are so well thought out and maintained."
2. Priest Hole Recreation Area
"These upgrades were done over the past several years according to BLM Prineville staff."
"Getting to camp you drive into a “canyon”, switch backs most of the way down. The road is bumpy but does not require 4WD or high clearance."
3. Fawn Spring Dispersed Camping
"It had plenty of fairly flat ground for our 26” skoolie. There was a fire ring, but we didn’t use. It got very cold at night."
"Good little tucked away site with spring water, fire pits and lots of empty space for my truck. Make sure to stop at the sign, we went about 2-3 extra miles looking before we came back lol"
4. Bridge Creek Road
"Towing a trailer solo so I’m keeping an eye out for quick overnight stops that are easy to pull through or turn around. This is great for that."
"Short drive into Painted Hills fossil monument to view at sunset. Some cattle around and a handful of other campers."
5. Painted Hills South Camp
"Coordinates take you to a location for four-ish spots on the right side of the road. If you drive a little bit further, there are another two spots on the left. "
"This site is on the far end of the painted hills park, just outside of the gate. "
6. Gable Creek Road Dispersed Camping
"This dispersed spot was a nice one-night stopover. It’s pretty close to the main road (26) on a pretty good gravel road."
7. Little Hay Creek Rd Dispersed
"the road once you pass the bridge here, but the roads were too pot holed and rough for us in our 26ft class c, and seeing as how we only needed a place for one night we decided to just stay in the big flat"
8. Lunch Creek
"We walked along the path to check it out before attempting it in our 26ft class c and I’m glad we did. The path was too narrow for us, and the road rose up a bit too high along the middle."
9. Crystal Creek Campsite
Drive Time
- 2 hrs 6 min from Bend, OR
- 2 hrs 55 min from Kennewick, WA
- 3 hrs 22 min from Walla Walla, WA
- 3 hrs 58 min from Yakima, WA
Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Dayville, OR
23 Photos of 9 Dayville Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Dispersed Camping Reviews near Dayville, OR
30 Reviews of 9 Dayville Campgrounds
- MMark W.
GuidePriest Hole Recreation Area
Mixed bag after improvements
BLM improved this area recently.
CONS -
Cant get anywhere near the river now, and walking access is sparse unless you want to hop the big guardrail and blaze the bushes.
The flow is backwards, and for the sites along the river you now are forced to face away from the painted hill and wildlife in the area.
The road to the river sites is NARROW, and we had trouble backing in with a 22' trailer while not hitting the guard rail, but the pull through sites are a lot farther from the river.
PROS -
Nice sites with table and fire ring - although even with the fire ring you still can't have fires during most of the good weather.
Some improvements on road in in case you get caught with an oncoming vehicle (I'm sure as heck not backing up a winding one lane road)Whoever designed this upgrade had obviously never stayed at the park. It's nicer in a way, but also a bit less special than it was before. Still a good spot and is still free for the moment, but I hear they are putting in a pay station eventually.
Isabelle K.
LegendPriest Hole Recreation Area
Burning sun and bees
If we had checked the forecast, we probably wouldn’t have camped here. However when we arrived at 6 pm and it was 100 degrees, we were far enough off the beaten path that we decided to sweat it out and spend the night. We stayed in site 12 which also had absolutely no shade and tons of bees, which didn’t help our situation.
All that aside, we are so happy we did spend the night here! The river is gorgeous and perfect for swimming. The views through the canyon are incredible at sunset and the temp dropped significantly for comfortable sleeping! The campground itself is clean and well appointed.
- MMeatball W.Guide
Painted Hills Dispersed
Favorite so far
I LOVE. This spot is awesome- it’s beautiful and just around the corner from some short hikes through the painted hills. It’s pretty remote, and there’s no service but that’s kind of the charm of it. Only saw one other person drive in while I was there.
The dirt road to the campsite is bumpy and rutted but I made it just fine with my Tacoma and off-road trailer (and it’s a really short distance once you’re off the gravel road). At least to the first spot- there’s about 3-4 other spots past that one but the road does get progressively worst.
Only stayed one night, but would’ve stayed longer had it not rained. I wouldn’t trust the road in the rain, it looks like it turns into a mud pit.
Super pretty. Highly recommend🤠
Callie S.
ScoutPriest Hole Recreation Area
Priest Hole Oasis
Great camping spot along the John Day river. There’s an area in the beginning with new paved out camping spots on the river and a vault toilet. If you bypass that area and keep going along the gravel/dirt road you’ll find more pull out spots that are more secluded.
Amanda K.
RangerPainted Hills Dispersed
Peaceful spot!
We put Red Scar Knoll into our navigation and it took us to a private ranch with no trespassing signs. We couldn’t see other ways to get there. We used the coordinates named by a previous reviewer instead and found the spot and it was great. I would not recommend for vehicles larger than a van or after heavy rain as it was a bumpy ride down. We could see that other people had camped here previously as there were fire pits. There was a beautiful little creek next to the spot. There was some noise from the road but there was minimal traffic. I could get about one bar of AT&T service. It is only 11 minutes from painted hills overlook. No amenities. Great for a night among beautiful surroundings:) quite a few bugs at night. There was little to no service on the way there so make sure to save the coordinates/map
- RRon C.Guide
Priest Hole Recreation Area
Recent Upgrades to an already beautiful area
First time we have stayed here. Spent two nights along the river. Quiet, serene and peaceful. Each campsite had recently been upgraded with heavy duty Pilot Rock fire pits, fresh gravel,restrooms were clean. These upgrades were done over the past several years according to BLM Prineville staff. Maintenance of this nice area will be difficult since temporary staff and seasonal help have been reduced from 20 employees down to 2. Pack it in and pack it out. Appreciate and protect what these public lands have to offer.
- ddeniseScout
Priest Hole Recreation Area
There’s been updates!
We visited this spot 4/3/25. It was amazing with only one other guest. I’ve never been here before but I believe there has been changes. They are cleaning it up with nice tables and fire pits at each spot. There are also pull-through spots. From what I read (I’m adding the poster) there were alot of people not doing their due diligence when it comes to dispersed camping. It’s been closed and the renovation wasn’t supposed to be complete until May 1, 2025. We just lucked out that it was open! They will start charging a fee in the future according to the poster.
Shelby S.GuidePainted Hills Dispersed
Perfect ✨️
I arrived midday, so I spent the hottest part of the day in my shade tent reading and then in the evening watched the fire under the stars in my hammock. very peaceful, only saw one car drive by the whole time
Guide to Dayville
Dispersed camping near Dayville, Oregon centers around Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in the high desert at elevations ranging from 1,800 to 2,500 feet. Summer temperatures regularly reach 90-100°F while winter nights often drop below freezing. Most sites lack designated boundaries and require campers to self-identify appropriate spots on unmarked dirt tracks.
What to do
Hiking seasonal trails: The Painted Hills Dispersed camping area provides convenient access to multiple geological formations beyond the main tourist sites. "I LOVE. This spot is awesome- it's beautiful and just around the corner from some short hikes through the painted hills. It's pretty remote, and there's no service but that's kind of the charm of it," notes camper Meatball W.
River swimming: The John Day River offers refreshing swimming opportunities during summer months when temperatures frequently exceed 95°F. "The water was the perfect temperature for swimming" at Priest Hole Recreation Area, where a camper reports, "We stayed in site 12 which also had absolutely no shade and tons of bees, which didn't help our situation... The river is gorgeous and perfect for swimming."
Wildlife observation: Early mornings and evenings provide opportunities to spot deer, pronghorn, and various bird species. Campers at the Bridge Creek Road area often report coyote sightings and bird watching opportunities.
What campers like
Geological diversity: The multicolored hills and layered soil formations create unique photography opportunities. "I appreciated the beauty of the painted hills around us, had a nice a campfire. I liked all the signs on the painted cove trail explaining the geological history of the area," shares a visitor at Painted Hills Dispersed.
Solitude and night skies: Many primitive camping areas near Dayville offer minimal light pollution. "I arrived midday, so I spent the hottest part of the day in my shade tent reading and then in the evening watched the fire under the stars in my hammock. very peaceful, only saw one car drive by the whole time," according to one camper's experience.
Recent improvements: Some primitive sites have received upgrades. At Priest Hole Recreation Area, a camper notes: "Each campsite had recently been upgraded with heavy duty Pilot Rock fire pits, fresh gravel, restrooms were clean. These upgrades were done over the past several years according to BLM Prineville staff."
What you should know
GPS reliability concerns: Navigation apps frequently direct travelers incorrectly. One camper at Painted Hills explains: "We used the coordinates named by a previous reviewer instead and found the spot and it was great. I would not recommend for vehicles larger than a van or after heavy rain as it was a bumpy ride down."
Weather extremes: Summer temperatures regularly exceed 95°F with minimal shade, while winter nights can drop below freezing. Little Hay Creek Road Dispersed camping area experiences significant temperature fluctuations: "Great little spot for the night or even a few nights. Peaceful and beautiful and lots of paths to walk along."
Cell service limitations: Most sites have poor connectivity. "Zero cell reception in this entire area for Verizon and ATT," reports a camper at Lunch Creek. Another notes, "There was little to no service on the way there so make sure to save the coordinates/map."
Tips for camping with families
Safety considerations: Solo travelers should consider site selection carefully. "I am a female in my early twenties and was tent camping solo for the first time... When I arrived there were people in the day use area but as I drove back to where people would normally camp there was nobody in sight."
Water recreation: The John Day River provides swimming options suitable for families with children. At Painted Hills South Camp, which serves as "Great spot to stay when visiting the Painted Hills or passing through the area," families can access shallow water areas.
Educational opportunities: Geological formations offer hands-on learning about earth science. "I appreciated the beauty of the painted hills around us... I liked all the signs on the painted cove trail explaining the geological history of the area."
Tips from RVers
Road condition awareness: Many access roads deteriorate after rainfall. "The dirt road to the campsite is bumpy and rutted but I made it just fine with my Tacoma and off-road trailer. At least to the first spot- there's about 3-4 other spots past that one but the road does get progressively worst."
Vehicle-specific sites: Not all dispersed camping areas accommodate larger vehicles. At Lunch Creek, a camper advises: "Sweet little spot for smaller vehicles. We walked along the path to check it out before attempting it in our 26ft class c and I'm glad we did. The path was too narrow for us, and the road rose up a bit too high along the middle."
Seasonal accessibility: Winter conditions frequently make roads impassable. "I wouldn't trust the road in the rain, it looks like it turns into a mud pit," warns an experienced camper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed
campsite near Dayville, OR?
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Dayville, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Dayville, OR is Painted Hills Dispersed with a 4.6-star rating from 17 reviews.
What is the best site to find
dispersed camping near
Dayville, OR?
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Dayville, OR?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 dispersed camping locations near Dayville, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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