Looking for tent camping near Dorena Lake? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
This recreation area is part of Fall Creek Lake
Clark Creek, located 12 miles northeast of Lowell, Oregon, is a fantastic group campground built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It features five sleeping structures with platform sleeping bunks, plus a large field to pitch tents, play baseball and volleyball or throw a Frisbee. Several hiking and biking trails, swimming areas and open fields offer fun opportunities for large groups with varied interests.
The campground offers a baseball field and horseshoe pits, and a volleyball net can be set up on the field. A few footpaths meander through the recreation area. One connects the sleeping shelters to Big Falls Creek and another links to the Ta-Wa-Si Chapel. The Fall Creek Trail Area is worth exploring, including the Clark Creek Nature Trail.
Clark Creek runs through the campground and connects with Big Fall Creek in the Willamette Valley. Willamette National Forest spans 1.6 million acres on the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains.
This site, sometimes referred to as Horton Lake, Hult Marsh, Hult Reservoir, or Mill Pond, was developed in the early 1900s for logging operations. The reservoir and surrounding wetland is about 40 acres and supports a rich diversity of wildlife, fish, and plant species. This recreation site is popular for activities such as fishing, camping, hiking, horseback riding, and scenic driving.
Big Pool is a small, shady, five site campground situated between Forest Service Road 18 and Fall Creek. Expect heavy use during summer weekends.
Located eleven miles west of Sisters, Oregon, off Highway 242, Whispering Pine Horse Camp provides early season access to trails and is perfect for horse lovers who are visiting nearby friends. This rustic nine site horse camp offers great riding opportunities and trail access to the Three Sisters Wilderness Area.
This campground offers many opportunities for horseback riding or hiking with the many trails nearby. The pine forest provides shade as well as the chance to go bird or nature watching.
Whispering Pine Horse Camp is nestled below a thick ponderosa pine forest mixed with birch in the wet areas. The pines provide nice shade and the chance to enjoy the quiet of nature.
The close proximity to the town of Sisters offers many additional amenities and attractions, such as well as the nearby Camp Sherman RV Park as well as the Windigo Trail and Sisters Wilderness Trails.
Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.
$25 - $27 / night
This campground offers excellent scenery. Although Steamboat Creek is closed to all fishing, summer visitors often see large steelhead trout attempting to jump the falls during their spawning runs. The campground is on the other side of Steamboat Creek from Steamboat Road. Towering fir trees shade the campsites, making it feel as if you are further away from the North Umpqua Highway. The trailhead for the 5.5-mile Mott segment of the North Umpqua Trail is about 6 miles southwest of the campground. Facilities 7 campsites with picnic tables and fire pits 3 tent campsites with picnic tables and fire pits No drinking water Horseshoe pits Baseball fields Vault toilet Garbage disposal
Nestled in a mixed conifer Forest, Lake in the Woods is a 4 acre man-made lake that is 8 feet at its deepest point. The trail cabin located on the site was built in 1907. Facilities 8 campsites with picnic tables and fire pits 2 double campsites with picnic tables and fire pits 1 tent campsite with picnic table and fire pit 1 picnic site with grill 4 flush toilets (1 vault toilet during the winter) No drinking water Garbage disposal
Located right off of Highway 138 is the small 7-site Island Campground. Enjoy the shade on a summer day and the sounds of the North Umpqua River. There are also many nearby trails to enjoy hiking or mountain biking. Facilities 7 campsites with picnic tables and fire pits No drinking water Vault toilet Grey water waste sump No garbage disposal - Please pack it out Island Campground - Typical Camp Site Island Campground - Typical Camp Site
Legend
A campground with full hookups, clean bathrooms& showers& access to a very nice lake. Off the beaten path-you're camping in the pines of South Central Oregon. Yes, it's dry& dusty, but it's summer& they're in a drought. We were in site 28, which is by the bathroom. Convenient for us, since we have no shower in our trailer. Laundry has 2 washers& 2 dryers, both worked while we were there. There's cabins for rent as well.
The tent sites by the lake looked outstanding! If I was tent camping I'd totally want one. There's also some tent sites at the main campground facing the woods. This is an old fashioned campground. There's no jumping pillows. Swimming is done in the lake. The kids camping next to us entertained themselves. There's a boat ramp, fishing& a very small camp store.
When they say you're "away from it all", that means stock up on supplies BEFORE you get to your campsite. There's restaurants at Crater Lake& I think Diamond Lake.
The worst thing I can say about this campground is that I hated the tokens. The girl who registered me told me the reason & I understand it. The tokens for the showers are free to registered campers & given out every day for the asking. This campground sits alongside a Forest Service campground within easy walking distance. No showers or laundry there. Maybe a business opportunity for the KOA? $5 for a shower for the unregistered & stinky? I wish there was a way though to insert the tokens INSIDE your shower so you don't have to trot back to your shower wrapped in a towel!
My husband & I liked this campground very much. I would recommend it if visiting Crater Lake& the surrounding National Forests.
Guide
Not the place to take a big motorhome and no cell service but nice if you want to tent camp in the woods
GuideShady with RV and tent sites. Pay showers at guest services. Flush toilets at campground.
Traveler
Not super geared toward tent camping, if you have an RV or trailer it may be better. Super open with sites right on top of one another.
Scout
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).
Ranger
Blue Pools is a great family campground, open for walk-ins during the summer. The sites are large and versatile between RV and tent sites. There are paved paths that are great for bike rides. Some campsites require a walk in with parking nearbye.
ScoutBeautiful. About 30 min away from groceries and stores. Came in late to this campround. No reservation needed. Lucky they had a couple of tent sites open. We ended up staying an extra day. About $21 for a night with a car. Extra vehicle extra $7.
GuideWe love this campground. We’ve only tent camped here. The site we’ve always stayed at is huge, way far from any other sites, and has a neat little trail between the parking spot and camping spot. The river is a short walk away and has wonderful spots for the kids to play in away from the main channel. The one downside is the train that goes during the night across the river, but we were usually tired enough it didn’t bother us too much. We’ve since moved away from Oregon but will always remember this spot fondly and will camp there anytime we can when we’re back in Oregon!
Scout
Staff was extremely friendly, professional and attentive. They have everything super clean on bathrooms, kitchen and around the park. Tent sites has electricity and picnic tables. They also a full kitchen to cook with free coffee and perishable food. They had free movie night on big screen with free popcorn and a nice forepit.
Traveler
I had an easy stopover here on the way to Eastern Oregon. I didn’t want to use my tanks, so I used their restrooms. They were warm, clean, and well-lit. Walking back and forth from my trailer, I felt safe. There are plenty of big trees in the park which is lovely. Lots of full-timers live here, plus there is a portion that is mobile homes. There’s also a nice looking tent camping area, but it was cold and no one was there. They also have an area for walking the dogs. Good Sam discount. Contrary to the listing, they do have 30 amp service.
Traveler
Great spot for a quick stay. There are only a few flat spots for RVs but quite a few decent spots for tent camping next to the pond. The west side of the pond has at least 2 spots that are a good distance away from the others. At the moment, no fires or barbecues allowed but propane stoves and lanterns are fine. Look for Bandits blue squeaky disk! We lost it and never found it.
Scout
I stayed here on a Monday night (and reserved ahead since it's small and popular with boaters) in a tent site. Sites are big, some face the water but ours was a bit further in the trees. There is a road to a dock on the water and a trail that leads to Shelter Cove. Mosquitos were pretty awful, so we made a fire early and left at dawn.
Scout
The on-site host is available by phone at 1pm to 2pm and I believe 4pm to 5pm. Otherwise you have to call the main line and book a space. It’s $20 or $30 for a tent site and $30 for a rv site. I have stayed there multiple times. It has showers and bathrooms and it is clean and safe. It’s a great place to stay close to town and avoid the hotel scene.
Scout
Tent campers beware! The tent sites have cats that roam the area and the world is their litter box. The smells at night were rough. The cats caused dogs to bark all night. People playing loud music throughout the night. Screaming kids and adults all night. People throwing rocks. And again, the smells are awful. Very Overpriced. Go up the road or just find somewhere else. I camp 6-7 times per week for the last few months across the country. This is by far the WORST campground I’ve ever encountered.
Traveler
Our group of three was here for Labor Day weekend. RV/Trailer and tent camping available. Darlene was there to greet us and take is to our parking spot. The parking area is clean and quiet. A short distance walk takes you to the marina. There is a shared area with, fire pit,fish cleaning station, bbq grill, laundry, and restroom facilities. Overall a pleasant experience. The only thing to note is spaces between RV/trailer is “cozy” and probably one of the tighter space once’s we’ve been to.
Guide
This was a great campsite. We were in a walk in Tent site right on the lake which was quiet for the most part. Right next to hiking path that went around the lake. There didn't appear to be a boat put in around the area, but there is one down the street. We stayed in Campsite 28, which helped get away from the chaos of the big group sites which I would strongly Recommend! Beautiful place.
Guide
Large, spacious tent sites with fire rings & tons of trees. The hosts are great and deliver firewood to your site. The showers are HOT and have great water pressure. Dumpsters & a recycle bin near the bathrooms. There is a road near some of the campsites but I didn’t mind the road noise. I was able to show up and get one of the 6 camp sites for 2 nights without reservations. There are a ton of mosquitos - bring bug spray!
Guide
Camped at Poole Creek Campground and had a great experience. Lake is good for swimming, camp site has lots of room, and lots of trees for shade which was nice since it was like 102!
If your bringing a boat, there is a boat ramp, bathrooms are available, and there is no cell service. Really nice and affordable at $15 for tent site.
Good place to stay and play if your traveling through to check out all the waters falls.
TravelerWaldo 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.
Guide
This campground has 0 privacy, even the picnic tables for the RV spots, you have to walk thru a tent site to get to them. Half the sites are reserve online. The entrance to the park is hard to find in the daylight, and near impossible to find in the dark. There is one good thing about this place, it is only a couple minute drive from a great hot spring....so if you can put up with everything I have already said, I strongly recommend you go just for that hot spring.
Ranger
One option when looking for a campground last minute during the summer close to Eugene, Oregon. This one is not usually very busy during peak season in my opinion.
This is a primitive campground so no hook ups for your rv. Bring the generator if your needing a power source during the day.
There are restrooms/ showers on site along with drinking water, a playground, and an rv dump station. Picnic tables and fire pits at each site. Trails are nearby along with a beach/ swimming area at Dorena Lake. Watch for signs of Algae or Swimmers Itch as it has been present the past few years at Dorena Lake.
Overall its a great last minute campground not far from town ( Cottage Grove- Eugene), but doesn't make my list of top 5 if I can make reservations a head of time.
Scout
This campground was really nice. The staff was really nice, people were pretty quiet during quiet hours. They have some first come first serve spots. I felt like the concrete slab kept the ground more dry than had it just been gravel, it didn't bother me too much. The camping spots are close together but as I walked around I noticed that there were alot of nice electric spots. You could probably tent camp in one if you wanted more privacy. This would be a nice place to take the kids, there is a small playground and a feild. Lots of nice trees and a trail.
Ranger
Best for Tent/ Van/ Truck campers. No vehicles over 32 feet, because the sites are small, do have a few pull through sites, mostly design for tent camping. Has a hiking trail to see a waterfall, less than a mile walk. Also have two group site camping area that are close to the South Santiam river best for floating in July/august months. Can park at Cascadia and float a mile down to Short Cover Bridge (have a car there too). Also a day use area to run your dogs off leash. Has some history with the Soda Creek waters that help with your health. Camping open from May 1 to Sept 30, has a day use open year round. 1-800-551-6949 www.oregonstateparks.org. Park has a camp host.
TravelerSo, we followed a young family in a Jeep Cherokee pulling an audacious 12 foot camping trailer, circa 1972. Yes,it was52 years old. When we all arrived at the end of the 3 mile dirt road I was immediately attacked by mosquitoes. They were not after anyone else, so I was doing some good keeping the little monsters off of the others. We told the family that “skookum “ was the Indian name for Bigfoot, and that this was prime country for a sighting.
There was a marvelous little wooden bridge there. A hiking trail heading deep into the bush. Mostly set up for tent camping. A vault toilet. A big flat graveled parking area where perhaps a dozen RVs could set up.
Traveler
no hookups in this little campground but you can’t beat the location. nestled on the shores of Dorena Lake east of Cottage Grove in the trees. little boat dock. stocked lake. rental kayaks and swimming hole. one of our favorite places.
Guide•Very open sites (not much privacy) but spacious. We stayed in the non-reservable C Loop meaning I arrived at 7:30 am to get in line for a spot, if you get one you pay but occupancy not required. Often people pay for additional days (Tue, Wed, Thur and don’t stay) to have a site for the weekend. •Beautiful shade trees in almost all sites. •Several double sites for tent camping. •Water and electric hook up, dump station. •Foster Reservoir is beautiful. •Lots of paddle boarding and kayaking areas safe from boats. •Off leash dog park is amazing with lots of shade and water for drinking or cooling off. •Playground •Sand volleyball •Horse shoes •Ice and firewood avail for purchase •Boat moorage for a fee
The place is big! We had a great time! Surprisingly quiet both mornings and evenings. Every single person working that I had interactions with were friendly, patient, and smiley! I’ll be going back! It seems I took more pictures of my dogs than I did of the park 🤦🏻♀️
GuideThis campground is very family friendly. The lodging is definitely built for RVs. For this quick trip, I decided to use our tent because it was only a three day visit to Crater Lake. The tent sites are nice, and they have a very outdoor rustic feel. Upon arrival, we will be given a spot that is completely dirt, and covered by high desert pines. Our site was large. Some sites are not that large, and they are situated within 10 feet of other campers. We were so close together, I could hear our neighbor snore the entire night. I think he needs to get sleep tested for sleep apnea. If you camp here, be prepared for neighbors right outside your tent. The managers are awesome and the staff are extremely helpful. The bathrooms are okay. There are two showers and it is pretty clean. The bathroom counter height is tall, so my five-year old son struggled to use the sinks. The store is well stocked, and the cell reception for AT&T is great. There is no WiFi. I heard. Verizon works well too. If you choose to stay here, bring all necessary supplies and food. The nearest store is about an hour away.
Nestled in the scenic beauty of Oregon, tent camping near Dorena Lake offers a perfect escape into nature, with a variety of campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Dorena Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Dorena Lake is Cascara Campground — Fall Creek State Recreation Area with a 3.9-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Dorena Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 44 tent camping locations near Dorena Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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