Best Glamping near Fort Rock, OR

First, the only two negatives, both very minor. Very dusty. Dust everywhere. Expect dust...everywhere. The road in the North Loop is for whatever reason bumpy with those regular bumps that just get annoying very quickly. That’s it, negatives over. Campsites are well spaced apart. Trees everywhere! If you head west from the loops and past the pet exercise area there’s a dusty (of course) road that will take you to the river. A great place to put your floaties/kayaks in and float down to the day use area. Also that same put in spot is nice for stargazing. I got a great pic of the comet! My family loved the trails for biking. We never got around to seeing the big tree, but maybe next time. Bathrooms and showers are clean and warm. Lots of cool local activities nearby as well like Twin Lakes and Fort Rock. Hole in the Ground was awesome too.

We booked site 30, which is up a hill away from the water with a few other sites (27, 28, 29). The site was rated for 32 feet and we were able to comfortably fit our 31 foot trailer and long bed truck. We did have to pull in way too close to the fire pit to make this work but there is a burn ban so we would not have been using it anyway. It would have been nice to know that we were up a hill since we have a toddler, but it wasn’t a huge deal.

The trailer took up the vast majority of the level space available at the site, but otherwise it would be a nice space for a tent and chairs around the fire.

Be aware that the wind picks up around noon and goes super strong until after you go to bed. It’s great for not getting any mosquito bites but it is not a mild breeze!

The lodge staff weren’t overly helpful but not hostile either. I’m sure they are understaffed and annoyed by tourists just like everyone else. They had live music Saturday night and we would have loved to go if our little one wasn’t asleep.

The area has so many hikes and bike trails so close by that you could spend weeks there and not get bored.

Campground Review:

We arrived late Friday night to this quiet campground and couldn't really see what we got ourselves into. A tent from a neighboring site was fairly close to our space so we built a quick fire, pitched our tents on semi-level areas, and turned in early. When we awoke the next morning, we were pleasantly surprised!

Our site was very well maintained, with a wide parking space and solid picnic table. There were no tent pads, but flat ground could be found fairly easily for our small tents - though this would have been a struggle for anything much larger. The fire pit's movable grill was very handy. We found water spigots close-by that had clear, cool water running through them. Trash was centrally located, though no recycling was indicated. Restrooms had vault toilets that were smelly, but maintained, just remember to bring your own hand sanitizer!

Though our site (#21) was close to road noise, the sounds didn't bother us, even in the quiet campground. Firewood can be purchased onsite for $6 a bundle. Mosquitos stayed away and our fellow campers were very respectful.

Sunset Cove is right off of Odell Lake and water access was easy to find. A trail marked with blue arrows took us from our campsite and brought us to a day-use area with a jetty, multiple picnic areas, and a beach! We enjoyed dinner and sunset there on our last night. We also found great activities nearby during the day like Crescent Lake and Moon Falls. Protip: the closest store is the Odell Sportsman Store though it felt like a convenience store for us. If you can take a little drive, we recommend Rays in Oakridge for food and supplies.

Gear Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. For the last few weeks, I have been testing the Tracker FG hiking boots from Vivobarefoot.

Even before I made my choice of which Vivobarefoot shoes would be best for me, I was apprehensive. I have flat feet and their "Firm Ground" barefoot sole didn't seem like it would be very helpful for me. But after encountering toe pain and shin splints from a high-arch boot, I decided to give the Tracker FG's a try.

On first impression, the look is great. The red detailing and age-friendly, waterproof vegan leather made me really excited. I did notice that my feet look a little different in these shoes, though that's normal. The wide toe is meant to allow room for your piggies to move around and get strong on their own, but it looked a bit like I had slippers on at first. I quickly got over this. More than anything, I was curious how long it would take for me to feel the benefits of this new shoe style.

Vivo recommends working with the shoes to build foot strength for long hikes in the future, so I did just that. I wore my shoes around town, to work, and on trails close to home. I never felt the need to do any extra breaking in however - in fact, I actually felt ready to wear them on my longest hikes because they made my feet and legs feel that much better. Within days of walking at least 4 hours in the shoes, my shin pain was almost completely eliminated. The long-term pain in my big toes and balls of feet was gone within 3 weeks. After a month of use I was able to complete a 12 mile hike over rocks, fallen trees, and streams with ease.

The Tracker FG boots fit me like a cozy sock from the start, and provided all the support I needed in every environment. Their smooth thermal insole came in handy on cold morning hikes yet weren't too stuffy when I wore them for 18 hour days while camping in and around Sunset Cove. The sole's lugs gripped terrain of all types while also keeping me steady in the mud. Though I did find my footing less secure when descending on ultra-smooth surfaces, I experienced less slippage than my friends when hiking beside a powerful waterfall. My feet stayed nice and dry as well!

Quick tips and full disclosures:

• Order a size up
• Wear during daily activities to get used to "barefoot" feel on your soles first
• Don't switch laces - these ones are perfect
• Meant for dry environments; other Vivo shoes are better for water adventurers
• Shoes appear to age quickly but don't lose quality

Old school resort on the shores of beautiful Paulina Lake. Wonderful, small log cabin lodge with amazing food. Other log cabins to rent ranging from three people to large families with fire places, a couple right on the water.

Cabins have running water, bathrooms, cozy fireplaces, comfy couches. Resort has a boat launch and small general store for supplies, food, and bait.

The Lake itself is beautiful and the location puts you right next to all of the fun hikes, biking, trails and activities all around Paulina Lake area. Possibly also some spots for RVs.

Try the Apple Crumble and the“Knife Burger” (huge burger with steak knife stuck in it). You will not be disappointed.

The only reason I did not give this park 5 stars is the lack of sewer. But everything else in the property was top notch. The sites are very large, the power is good, albeit slightly low voltage (117v). Water quality and pressure is good and we had 30m dl speeds on both att and Verizon.

The sites are heavily treed (pines) with exceptional spacing between. The had a tree service on site taking out the dead trees and obtrusive branches while we were there. Very well kept.

The bath houses are all clean, and at least one we surveyed appears to be freshly updated. There is a large hall, a well stocked store with beer and firewood and all the necessities .

They have 6 brand new pickleball courts as well as all the other normal amenities. The pools (2) we not open when we arrived but look to be at least adequate.

We stayed here in a motorhome and found it to be scenic, close to many attractions and shopping, and as very pleasant stay. We would absolutely come here again.

Lucky enough to score a last minute site on the State Park website.  South #39.

It's a great spot, don't pass it up.

A very short walk through the woods will bring you to the banks of the Deschutes for fishing, floating, kayaking, etc.  We found a small sandy beach that was PERFECT for a happy hour!

Family friendly campground with a center lawn, some folks were playing badminton and frisbee.  Lot's of kids on bikes enjoying the loop and the forest trails.

Clean bathrooms with running water, and a delightful warm shower to shed some trail dust after a hike.

Our site was nicely graveled and level with water, a picnic table, and a fire ring.  $32/ night.

LOTS of campers had dogs with them, sound of kids playing and dogs saying hello started by 8 am.  Doesn't bother me at all, but If you are looking for forest solitude, this might not be your place on a crowded weekend.

All-in-all, top notch.  Well done Oregon State Parks!