Looking for the best campgrounds near Dayville, OR? Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Dayville is surrounded by family-friendly activities. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Oregon camping adventure.
"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."
"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"
"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."
"This dispersed spot was a nice one-night stopover. It’s pretty close to the main road (26) on a pretty good gravel road."
"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."
LegendThis was by far my favorite place we stayed on our entire 4000+ mile road trip…. and it was free! 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. The road was okay but not great, so not sure if regular RVs would make it or not. Fine for cars, trucks or vans.
It's Bureau of Land Management land, which means all camping is free. We camped right on the banks of the John Day River and it was amazingly beautiful. The water was the perfect temperature for swimming and crystal clear. There were people a couple hundred yards from us on either side, so not too crowded. We were there on a Thursday and pulled right up to an empty spot.
Only vault toilets. Bring your own water. No showers, picnic tables, etc. The only drawback, besides lack of a nice bathroom and not much natural shade, was quite a few earwigs and other bugs attacking the outside tent at night when we had our light on. Not the worst thing, but slightly annoying for the kiddos.
When the river is higher (sometimes in the winter) there's a large grassy area in the center of the area for tents, but a bit far away from the water. But in the summer when the river is lower you can camp in any of the rocky dry stream beds and be safely right on the water.
GuideWe 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. The camp spot that’s described in other reviews is the best we found. The coordinates however are not accurate. Pass the last parking area (Red Scar Knoll trail) on the main road, cross a cattle gate, and it’s on your right. If you have higher ground clearance you can go through the main camping area and take a dirt road just a bit further to a single spot that’s flat and shaded. We rented an off-road teardrop so this was super easy. Here are the correct coordinates to that single spot: 44.637881 -120.296011
TravelerFirst 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.
GuideGetting 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. Once you get to the bottom of the canyon, the road will pass by a vaulted toilet. You continue down the road and a bunch of campsites pop up that line the river. Great space for big groups, dog friendly, all around great hang!
RangerGood note: You can camp on BLM and Forest Service lands without a permit! This place is amazing. It's no wonder it's one of the seven wonders of Oregon. It's a quick drive from Bend, and to see the Wallowa burn aftermath is humbling.
TravelerMostly gravel road, high clearance is not necessary but there are some pretty big holes in the road, made it in a Toyota Corolla just fine but have gone in larger vehicles and tends to be a little less risky.
Not a ton of camping spots near the water but plenty of open spaces elsewhere. Pretty spaced out if you choose the right spot.
TravelerThis site is just off of the main road to the Painted Hills area. There are no restrooms or facilities of any type. We had the furthest most spot from the entrance off of the road and had great access to a small stream that we could sit in and cool off.
ScoutThis place is on private property and has gates all around the area. Maybe it was once a campground but surely not anymore.
GuideWe tried to go to the GPS location stated at this listing but at one point the road was closed. We tried a different route and found couple of camping spots but without any signs. Luckily there was an other car camping there so we settled, and after all it was a beautiful location!
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Dayville, Oregon, where you can immerse yourself in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. Enjoy the freedom of choosing your own spot while taking in the stunning landscapes of the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Dayville, OR is Painted Hills Dispersed with a 4.5-star rating from 15 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 8 dispersed camping locations near Dayville, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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