Best Tent Camping near Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests & Crooked River National Grassland

Tent Camping Reviews near Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests & Crooked River National Grassland

1285 Reviews of 71 Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests & Crooked River National Grassland Campgrounds

• 

  Robert D.

  Legend

  Sep. 30, 2023

  East Lake Campground

  A great camping spot by the lake.

  Our first time here at East Lake Campground in the last week of September 2023 just 1 day before the park closed for the season. Because East Lake Campground is 6500 feet in elevation the nights were very cold, from 44 to 31 degrees but normally the days were in the morning windy and about 62*. The camp has 29 sites and NO hookups.

  There is flush toilets, NO showers, but had drinking water. East Lake also had 1 boat launch but the water was very low, some 40' down from the edge of the bank to the water. Great fishing and a great place for kayaks. Each site has a picnic table and fireplace. Most Sites on the lake side has pull-thru that were about 50' long. Some back-in sites were only 35'. Very quite campground and not too close to each others camp site. We camped at East Lake Campground in a Travel Trailer.

  Restrooms Flush toilets, faucet water. No hookups, No electric, No water hookup, No sewer hookup. You can fill your water tank FREE at the ($10) Dump Station so you don't have the weight in your rig. Dog-friendliness Lots of space to run and play.

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• 

  Mavrick S.

  Traveler

  Oct. 5, 2019

  Scott Lake Campground

  Stunning!

  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

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• 

  Rick L.

  Traveler

  Feb. 13, 2018

  Odell Lake Lodge & Resort Campground

  Cold Spring and a Great Hike

  I've been to Odell twice but always seem to pick a weekend with weather that makes you want to stay in your sleeping bag!

  The campsites at Odell are a little on the smaller side and may not have the trees your looking for to hang a hammock. Not that you should if you're camping any time earlier than July!

  The southeast side of Odell can be subject to cold winds coming off the lake, so be sure to keep that rain fly up on your tent and a fleece handy. If you're feeling a little too chilly, the resort keeps a fire burning in the den.

  There are plenty of snowshoe trails around Odell as well as some hiking trails in the Diamond Peak wilderness that also connect to the PCT. The trail we took did give us a bit of elevation gain and later some nice views of the smaller peaks in the area.

  If you're planning to camp here, bring warm clothing and rain gear! It may be a bit chilly, but the nice hikes in the area make it all the more worth it to get up and get moving.

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• 

  Karma S.

  Traveler

  Aug. 19, 2018

  Crane Prairie Campground

  beautiful views! dispersed camping

  beautiful views of the cascade mountains, gorgeous reservoir. free camping. dispersed, first come first serve. no amenities. LEAVE NO TRACE!!!!

  road is a bit rough but I made it in with a Honda Accord though I wouldn’t recommend for low clearance vehicles.

  fire rings available during burn seasons. plenty of fire wood. please do not burn during no burn/dry seasons. the forest is very dry!

  bring plenty of water during the summer it’s very hot and dry. you can probably drink the reservoir water if you bring a good filter.

• 

  Pat S.

  Ranger

  May. 28, 2019

  Little Crater Campground

  Right on Paulina Lake

  This CG is right on Paulina lake in the middle of Newberry Crater. There are 50 sites along the shoreline. They all have the standard picnic table and fire ring. We had the first site on the left as you enter the CG. It had a great view of the lake and surrounding ridgeline and Paulina Peak. It also allows for a wonderful sunset.

  The campground is generally crowded. The sites are decent but you will have other campers relatively close, The CG is easily accessed by foot, car or boat. It does have a boat ramp. RV's / Campers can get into most sites. There are 5 Vault toilets, drinking water, no showers, no hook ups. each site is in close walking distance to the lake. The CG is accessible to various trails in the area including the Big Obsidian Flow trail. A bonus hike should be taken to the Paulina Lake hot springs on the north side of the lake. You can also get to the hot springs by boat.

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• 

  Brandie W.

  Traveler

  May. 13, 2019

  North Davis Creek Campground

  Nice lake to kayak on

  Campground is a more rustic/primitive camping experience. It does accommodate small to mid -size rv but there is no hookups. Drinking water faucets, vault toilets, picnic tables, and firepits are the only available services. Quiet and flat lake for kayak,canoe, and fishing. Nice beach area for kids to play. Close to Crane Prairie Resort if you need supplies or showers.

• 

  Kimberly C.

  Guide

  Aug. 29, 2019

  Ice Cap Campground

  Perfect basecamp

  Friendly and knowledgeable camp hosts. Vault toilet, mix of tent sites including some walk-ins that are up against the reservoir- you can hear the peaceful running water all day and night. Brand new picnic tables, brand new fencing, and excellent trails. Perfect mix of sun and shade for many of the sites. We stayed at 15 and I can’t wait to go back. Very spacious sites can hold multiple tents of all sizes. Beautiful drive to and from campgrounds- the McKenzie River area is definitely worth exploring!

• 

  Laura I.

  Traveler

  Jul. 22, 2021

  Paradise In Oregon

  Great spot

  I had read online that this camp ground had a really bad bug problem but I hardly saw any. Especially for being next to the river. My campsite (48) had a short path down to the river. Current is strong but could easily soak feet.

  My biggest complaint was that the picnic table was really close to the bench. A bigger person like myself can’t sit there. But I just pulled a camp chair up to the edge.

  Restroom was clean, even though I could see one of my camping neighbors there was plenty of space.

  Camp is very dusty.

• 

  Pat S.

  Ranger

  May. 28, 2019

  Pioneer Ford Campground

  Right on the Metolius River

  This CG, like most on the Metolius is a hikers or fly fisherman's dream. The CG has twenty sites along both sides of the CG road next to the river. There are two vault toilets both with M/W. There is also water spigots located along the road. Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. You can make reservations on recreation.com. There are also walk up sites too. However it might be tough on the weekends or during the summer to score a site. All the CG's along the Metolius are pretty popular. Stay away from site 7, its too close to the northern vault toilet.  The CG can support RV's, trailers, and tent camping. I didn't see any hook-ups for power, and there is no dump station.

  The CG gives you immediate access to the river. You can hike the various trails leading up or down the river. The Wizard Falls fish hatchery is less than 3 miles away and is worth the trip. The Metolius is supposed to be tricky for fly fishing (the only kind of fishing you can do) but if you do a little scouting you will find a good spot. Most of the CG's were teeming with fly fisherman. You'll find rainbows, bull trout, cut throat, and Kokanee to test your skills. 

  Make sure you bring everything you need. We brought wood and it was a good thing, the camp host was sold out.

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