Best Equestrian Camping near Deschutes National Forest

11 sites with tables and fire rings. Additional sites specifically for horse trailers. No cell service. Multiple hiking trails from the campground. 3 Creek Lake is .75 mile away. No water available

This is a lovely campground, of course perfect if you have horses, those sites are further in. Many of the sites have lovely views of the meadow with a little creek running through. The sites were decently spaced, and the surrounding area is lovely for hiking, biking etc. the lake is not far down either.

Beautiful trees, clean bathrooms, solid paddocks, and great trail network. Even had Miss Rodeo Oregon staying there on a rare weekend off before the RoundUp.

We were in site 3 which is the least flat and difficult to access, but close to the water and our friends that had booked 2. To is next to the water and has easy access even with their 4 horse LQ and dually crew cab. 4 is nice and shady but a bit of a hill. If we came back, we’d pick 5 or 6 for shade trees, easy access, but 8 and 9 have morning sun which would be nice on cool mornings. One site, 10 I think, has metal panels for the paddock. Others are pretty solid wood paddocks but bring a chain just in case the one there is broken (or you have a 5 y.o. Gelding that will break it :)

awesome campground nice big spaces very quiet if you can deal with the Oregon sand and dust other than that very beautiful place to dry camp

Came here every weekend 6 years ago. Just moved back to Oregon and came back to find it the same as its always been. Great camping great hosts and the grounds are always very well maintained. 10/10 would recommend

I lived in Oregon for a couple years as a kid and my family got big into backpacking. One of our family favorites was Pamelia Lake. The trail is gentle and the basin the lake is in has great mountain ranges surrounding. As an adult it was only right that this was my first place to solo. I spent a little over 3 days hiking around the area. This is a great place that has many trails of varying difficulties nearby.

My car and I climbed over 5,000 ft from the Oregon coast to get to Waldo Lake in the Willamette National Forest. The drive along was well worth it. There are three campgrounds at Waldo Lake and North Waldo is the largest. I didn't have a reservation and attempted to find a site in the smaller two campgrounds first but neither of them had space available. Of the almost 100 sites at North Waldo I'd estimate that about a dozen were unclaimed the second weekend of September.

The campground was definitely crowded. There were many large groups with people of all ages. There was noise until about 11pm. Be warned that it gets VERY chilly at night. There are pit toilets but when I was there the majority were closed for maintenance and had been replaced by portable toilets. There are also water spigots and each site has a sump for dish water. The majority of the sites are removed from the water and only a select few are near the lake. They all have trees between the site and the water. The campgrounds also all have boat ramps and swimming areas. In addition to the trails throughout the national forest, there is also a trail that runs around the lake and through the campgrounds.

The sunsets are not to be missed! I spent all of my phone battery taking pictures of the sunset and didn't get any of the campground...

This campsite is amazing. We're pretty new to finding free and dispersed camping spots so it was a long shot to get here, but we lucked out and fell in love with this place. 

Getting there is fairly easy. GPS for us didn't give us the right lake but we drove on until there was a sign for the campground. There's no chance of you missing it. The drive is also very beautiful. 

The campground has a lot of spots. The first spot is the only one I'd considered "good" for an rv but I wouldn't bother trying. The first 5 or 6 spots and can pull your vehicle off the road and set up. There are a few hike in spots that we didn't check out but were well marked. 

There are fire pits, picnic tables, bathrooms, and plenty of good spots to set up a hammock. 

They also have a boat launch, but it didn't seem that great. I didn't see anyone use it to get boats or kayaks in the water-only people carrying their kayaks. 

We loved it here and really lucked out on our spot.

Camped here in mid October, not many people around but the view of the three sister mountains were phenomenal!!! Clean campground and nice camp sites

So when I first found this campground I wasn't sure what to expect being as reviews and info were sparse so I'll do me best to sum it up. Things to know that arent stated. It is free may require NW forest pass. It's a drive, hike, bike and walk in. I didn't see any spots big enough for RV but there is space to park that isn't officially a site.

Location: Beautiful sits about 5,000 feet right off McKenzie Pass Road (closed from November to June)

Sites: I saw 6 drive in with fire ring, picnic table also 2 vault toilets.... There's more walk/ hike in but we had to much gear to do that.

Directions: Very easy to find spots all along lake and Google maps took us right to spots.

Activities: Great! Had a kayak/boat launch also had the Scott Mountain TH right there within 1/4 walking distance on dirt road. It seems that a forest fire was pretty recent ontop but the grounds seemed kind of untouched

Warnings: This was my first time up this pass. Elevation is very high which means incremental weather. Aka woke up in October with snow which happened to us.

Overall 5 stars must visit. We will be coming back next year when less snow and road reopens

We went Scott Lake in early October 2019 and had the chance to receive the first snowfall of the season. There are a few spots right along the lake that are pull in for vehicles (a few that you have to hike to the lake but not that far). Farther down the road are hike in spots that we will be going to with family next year. It was peaceful and quiet and we never heard a peep from any of the other campers. The camp sites were super clean and very well laid out. The lake was low so I had to dock my kayak where the channel was between the two main parts of the lake was and explored the rest on foot. My three dogs loved it there and loved swimming in the lake. It was an overall great experience and we will definitely be back again next summer!

Very nice cabins and well maintained restaurant. Also have boats and other fun water equipment to rent at a fair price. If you dont want to pitch the tent this is for you!

If you want to be on a beautiful lake but not have to worry about setting up camp this is the place Cultus lake resort rents cabins, all water sport rentals, firewood, great store, and a cafe call ahead the book up fast

Love going to cultus lake with friends. It gets pretty busy at times so if you want a good camping spot then you need to go before the weekend starts. I will let you in on a little secret that Little cultus lake is quite amazing for camping and taking the kayaks out as well. It isn't far from the main cultus lake and it is less busy and better for kayaks!

Spent two nights here celebrating a friends birthday party. The weather was a little too cold/windy to enjoy the lake, but the campground is clean and well kept. Fellow campers were respectful and friendly. Cultus is always a great experience.

Picnic tables and fire pits available. Pretty good RV sites. Pretty good tent sites. Somebody even left us some wood. Other wood available in the area. Only one other camper while we were there (4-days).

Waldo Lake is a fantastic choice for any non-motorized boaters, as motors are banned. We took our kayaks out onto the large crystal clear lake where you can see straight to the bottom. Since there are no motored boats, the lake and campground were very quiet and peaceful. There is also an extensive trail around the lake, which can be followed on foot or bike. Nearby are more hikes and lakes (Crescent Lake allows for motored boats). Salt Creek Falls is just down the highway and makes for an excellent day hike. Would definitely recommend North Waldo for a relaxing camping trip.

Waldo is a beautiful lake, and as long as you go later in the summer - like August and September - the less likely the mosquitoes will drive you back home. It can get quite cold at night, but the cold keeps the mosquitoes down. Tent camping is delightful, especially because generator and motorboat use is quite limited at Waldo. It's a very popular campground, but there's always someplace close by where you can find a secluded spot. When it's really hot, the swimming is lovely - unless the mosquitoes are out. It's a nice place for kids, dogs, and families.

Easily one of the prettiest, and most beautiful camping spots I have ever stayed at. The host was amazing he had a awesome attitude, stopped in at our campsite to shoot the breeze. Overall just a fabtastic place to stay!