Looking for the best dispersed camping near Fort Rock? Dispersed camping is the perfect way to get off the grid. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the trees or wide open spaces, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect dispersed campsite.
Nestled in the sagebrush rangelands to the west of Silver Lake___s dry lake bed, Duncan Reservoir is a great place for picnicking, canoeing, camping, and fishing for stocked rainbow trout. The campground consists of four single campsites on the west side of Duncan Reservoir, and a group campsite on the north end of the reservoir, below the dam. Additional facilities at Duncan Reservoir include a boat ramp, vault toilet, covered picnic area, and several picnic tables and fire grates. During the winter months, ice fishing is possible if the reservoir freezes over.
Open year-round. The 5-mile Portion of County Road 4-14 is gravel and sometimes rough. Be aware of livestock grazing on the open range, especially near OR 31. 4 Individual Campsites, 1 Group Site; first come, first serve. Vault Restroom. No Drinking Water available. No Food or Gas at Duncan Reservoir. The Nearest Services are in the nearby towns of Silver Lake, Fort Rock, and Summer Lake, Oregon.
County Road 4-14 winds through open range, revealing occasional glimpses of Silver Lake, Table Rock, Picture Rock Pass the occasional herd of pronghorn antelope.
Guide
Easy to get too. BLM Land. Many spots in the area. Flat spot for our tent. Our spot already had a fire pit and we definitely made use of it! It was a Great Find! A lil noise from trucks but not a big deal.
Scout
Great dispersed camping spot, close to Bend with full cell service. 25 mins to jump into Bend for breakfast on the way back to Portland. Loud Coyotes.
GuideIt’s free camping so who can complain! Pull off from the main road onto a dirt single lane road. Many “campsites” along the road. No amenities. Quiet place.
Traveler
Dispersed National Forest
ScoutFairly accessible dispersed camping just outside of Bend. The roads are easily maneuverable in a Subaru.
RangerPretty standard dispersed camping within the Oregon badlands. Signs for the Badlands are right off the 20 then follow the road straight until you see a dirt turnoff with a sign about no shooting, this will set you right in the correct area. Some rock fire rings, dusty, but nice.
Traveler
This is about 20 minutes east of Bend Oregon. You have a number of options here. Right off the road there is a lot where I saw an RV camped. I’m sure there would be some road noise there. If you go down the road, there are some more dispersed camping sites. I parked in the one with no neighbors, and it was sagebrush and desert landscape, sagebrush, etc, with some hills and it was quite beautiful. My only complaint was, and this isn’t much of a complaint, the coyotes woke me up sometime in the night when they were very close to my vehicle and howling. Quite the experience.
LegendThis proved a convenient spot to connect with some friends who were traveling through the area. In the pouring rain (early May) there were enough mud puddles in the roads that others had recommended here. So, we stayed a quick overnight in the parking lot to the Badlands Rock trail heads. No one else there all night and a few hikers came in the next morning. We took advantage of a nice hike and then walked around other dispersed camping sites along this gravel road. There were several spots that looked pretty cool including one here:
43°57'00.5"N 121°01'02.4"W
Strictly dry camping. Likely hot and dusty in the summer with OHV's in the area, but the wide expansive views were lovely!
Traveler
Plenty of different types of camping spots: trailer and RV to serious offroad spots. I found a very secluded place with my 4by4 down rough road but plenty of other options. Best thing about it was I was able to be in the park to watch the sunrise.
TravelerThis was a great spot to disperse camp while visiting Bend. It's only about 20 minutes out of town and is very quiet.
There is lots of space to spread out and trails nearby. You are just off the highway, but we didn't notice much road noise.
The cell service was better closer to Highway 20.
Be careful of critters getting into your engine bay, though. After a few days I noticed a nest on the engine.
Traveler
One of the few places near Bend that was actually open for disperse camping in the winter. We stayed in a nice sight just across from the quarry, right by the turn around area. It was great for tent camping. Just beware that this is higher elevation and colder than Bend. We were unexpectedly snowed on in March! Also beware that some people use the quarry as a shooting range in the mornings, about 8am (safe distance away), but it's a good alarm if you're not already awake!
LegendLovely big boondocking spaces with plenty of room. Close to Crater Lake NP. Road in is excellent, passable by any vehicle when we were here in late October. Mostly flat sites with varying privacy. The further you drive in the more privacy you will get. No service as this is just a spot to park for the night but perfect for self contained folks or hardy tent campers. It snowed when we were here in late October! At around 5,000ft elevation
ScoutThe Dyrt app led right to the camping spot, I pulled off and found a couple of 👍 good flat spots to pitch a tent, a rock 🔥 fire ring and absolutely no litter, other than a couple of cig butts that I hauled out when I left. Pretty quiet and no neighbors, just unimproved camping in the ponderosa pine country six miles ouside Bend toward Mount Hood...pull off the road more than you would normally as you will be be lulled to sleep with the occasional noisy logging truck going by. Please leave it cleaner than you found it, so this free spot will continue to be nice for the next guest.
Ranger
On the opposite side of the road from the established paid campsites, on the same side as the Rock Creek sign, there is a forest road that leads down to some dispersed areas. A couple of them have rock fire rings, although I believe there were restrictions for the summer months. Each site was a bit dusty and not very private, but it would be a free alternative!
Traveler
It was very easy to find. I went on a rainy Saturday afternoon and had the whole place to myself. The areas to Camp are kind of close together level and there is a creek right by the camp spot. It's all so close to the reservoir and not too far from town.
ScoutIt's one giant lightly tree'ed forest that is just land that has been manipulated by campers to become a campground. Free for everyone and it's very dispersed. Perfect for just a quick night stay on your way though. Only land is provided, no water, etc.
Traveler
Plenty of spots on this road. Saw a few other campers (a 25ft trailer and a 35ft class A) but it was very quiet and dispersed. My 24ft class C did fine and dirt roads were in good condition.
GuideEnjoyed exploring the badlands steps from our camp site. Convenient to many trails. Very quiet and relaxing. Views from camp site were beautiful and the sunsets are breathtaking. Definitely will be coming back again.
TravelerLoved this spot. Can be very secluded depending on how far in you go. Went in late June and it was a high of 96. Cowboy camped with the dog and he loved it. Shade depending on your site.
GuideTook some trial and error to find a spot here, I recommend turning where all the large piles of gravel are to find a spot. The site where we were was surrounded by hills so felt very secluded. Beautiful scenery with lots of juniper trees around! As a heads up service here was pretty spotty but once you find a good area, you can get enough service to hold phone calls.
GuideClose to Hwy 20. Can see traffic lights at dark but still quiet. Gorgeous night skies. Occasional coyotes barking. Lots of space between camp sites.
GuideThis campsite is dry camping. Silver Creek may be dry, as it has been since 2021. No facilities other than a picnic table. No Cell, No WiFi, etc. If you like totally 'being away from it all,' this is your place, if you can get there.
TravelerBig enough space for multiple families, very easy to find. Small trail down to a creek, somebody had built a little bike track around the perimeter of the campsite, great for kids. Very close to boat launches and water access
GuideNice wooded spot. nothing super special, but free and close to Bend
TravelerIf you are going south from Bend, you have to turn around at exit 151 due to center barrier now constructed
There are a few campsites and some are obviously used frequently. You will encounter some road noise from hwy 97 but otherwise peaceful; at least early in the season
ScoutClean quiet … can’t get much better for free. I experienced what previous reviewer warned and missed the turn when wasn’t even dark.
Legend
Found this small spot after searching entire area for a last minute campsite. Multiple fires around south of City Of Bend so not many choices tonight. Very quiet spot, only one camper close by but can't see them from thus site. There is a fire ring built by rock but no open fires allowed. Great last minute spot.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Fort Rock, Oregon, where nature enthusiasts can find solitude and adventure in the great outdoors. With a variety of options available, campers can enjoy the freedom of camping without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Fort Rock, OR is Oregon Badlands Dispersed with a 4.3-star rating from 19 reviews.
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