Best Glamping near Fossil, OR

Date Stayed: July 11th 2019 Campsite:#18 needed 1 inch lift to level left side. Price:$10 no electricity Dump Station: No Altitude: 577 ft Camp Host: Didn't meet Ease of Access: Right off hwy 206, our 28 ft travel trailer easily fit with room to spare. Entry to park is level and paved. Once entering campsite area pavement turns to gravel. Weather: Days sunny upper 80's nights low 60's. Very breezy during the day, once the sun went down, the breeze stopped. Noise: None, far enough from hwy, no noise, a very quiet park. Activities: Geocaching cache five within a couple of miles. Park provided free single gear mountain bikes to use, wife and I went for an evening bike ride. Many trails to walk around the park and along the John Day river. Free showers too, good hot water, showers are a 5 minute walk from the campground. Wife and I enjoyed the campground, we stayed one night as we traveled home from John Day Fossil Beds.

Wow!!!! That seemed to be a word I used constantly during my 3 day stay at this wonderful new park. I wasn't sure what to expect at this high desert park, but situated deep in a canyon on a once working cattle ranch, this park is poised to become one of Oregon's top state parks. Whoever has done the design and development of this location should be praised. They're working with the natural features and old ranch buildings to give campers a feeling of history while they enjoy the remote locations typical of Eastern Oregon. Loads of wonderful trails, free use of mountain bikes, an information center, wonderful, huge sites......all added up to an amazing stay. Yes, it's dry camping so plan ahead. There is potable water on site. The bathrooms are super clean. I stayed there during a full moon and the night lighting of the surrounding hills and rocks was outstanding....not to mention star gazing as there's no peripheral lighting.

Wonderful overnight experience in Lonetree campground in Cottonwood Canyon State Park. Campground is relatively new and has scenic canyon views. Provides a nice change from other parts of Oregon. We camped in site 6 with the pergola that provided much needed shade during the 100° weather each day. Camp site was just a short walk to the John Day River that provided the kids with wading, floating and cooling opportunities. Love to come back again in fall and spring. Some nice amenities include solar USB charging stations, potable water, free bikes to use and free fishing poles to borrow.

Ccottonwood Canyon State Park Campground is a lovely, remote primitive camp experience. For the uninitiated, this means no electric sites, no running water, no flush toilets. Its also a rattlesnake habitat in Eastern Oregon's high desert biome, within 30 miles or so of The Dalles, a city marking the change in the Columbia River Gorge from high desert to wooded mountainsides. This camp ground us located deep in a canyon 15 miles from Wasco, Oregon. Before descending into the canyon, you'll see Eastern Oregon's classic golden wheatfields, then a wind farm, with scores of white windmills. The evening I arrived was the night before a full moon, so the setting sun over the canyon and the waxing moon gave a lovely glow to the sights. Unfortunately, my camera phone and photographer skills are lacking; sorry. If you love truly getting away from it all, as I do, you'll appreciate the absolute peace at Cottonwood Canyon. We arrived at dusk, late in July, and as is typical for the region, it was still 90 degrees. Fortunately, my summer tent is mostly screen, allowing the cool canyon breeze in, and it erects quickly and easily. It was full dark by the time I'd pitched it, and outfitted it with my airbed. Because of all the rattlesnake warning signs, I kept my dog leashed or tied out on a campsite-length cable. We parked across the campground from the pit toilets, which were not lighted, so bring a flashlight, cell phone, or lantern for inside the biffy. If this kind of camping appeals to you, you'll be rewarded with a quiet night of no traffic noise, only the sound of the nearby murmuring creek and the breeze in the trees. The other campers here were very quiet and respectful of the rules. The beautiful moonlight set one side of the canyon aglow and the clear sky was filled with stars. I didn't need my rain fly, so could enjoy finding the constellations as I lay in my tent. In the morning, I awoke just before dawn when my dog sat bolt upright and intently watched with me as an elk cow walked through our campsite. The fee here is $10 a.night, and worth every penny!

Here is the one caveat: as of this writing, (late July 2018) the loud diesel pickup truck that came through to empty trash bins at 6am was jarring. It was followed by the back-up beeping of heavy machinery by 6:30am, as work on a new building commenced near the campground. This was so unfortunate, and I pity the folks that had hoped to sleep in.

We enjoyed a return to this campground and found it less populated in April than it had been when we were here during late summer a few years ago. It's located right along the Deschutes River with a landing used by rafters and fishers. There are lots of trails and roads to walk on, so it would be easy to spend a few nights here. You can't make reservations, although when we found it full last time we were able to share one of the larger sites with a guy who had somehow fit his Class A motor home through the very small tunnel you have to fit through to get here. There's no drinking water, so make sure to bring your own, or be prepared to purify the river water. There's a fair amount of ground cover, so you feel like there's a little privacy between sites. This site will stay on our list of easy favorites in Central Oregon.

I don't stay in state parks very often but I had wanted to check out Cottonwood Canyon ever since it opened last year. I waited until after October to go because they don't allow fires from June 1-Sept 30. The campground itself is very open with really no privacy between sites but that is to be expected in this sort of landscape. I'm so used to camping deep in a forest that this was a really cool change from that. We were there during a full moon and it lit up the whole campground which was pretty spectacular. We also hiked the Pinnacles Trail which follows the John Day River. Gorgeous hike.

We have visited Cottonwood Canyon for the past 2 summers, and will likely return again this year. It's quiet, beautiful and plenty to do. The John Day River is easily accessible and swimmable just down from the campsite. It's great to fish, float, or hike the trails nearby. We have enjoyed both our trips so much.

There are about two trees in the entire site so don't expect much privacy. Had open sites even on a late summer friday night. There is faucet with potable water and decent pit bathrooms (no showers). Access to the John Day River is just steps away and has great areas for floating down the river (with or without a boat). Good fishing too from what I've heard. Great change of scenery from the usual deep forests of the PNW. Beautiful river and good hiking nearby.

I wanted to camp somewhere that would actually have sunshine on my birthday, and this was the closest place I could think of. I was here a few years ago with Kevin and Sarah! :)

I forgot that the last week in March is spring break, so the campground was more crowded than I thought. But the ranger was nice and opened up a spot that they had closed off for restoration. We were right along the river next to the group spot, which was empty, and a good distance away from the other sites. My biggest complaint was RVs and their generators, but that's often the case at campgrounds like this. Other than that, beautiful river and beautiful sky!

Lovely area with hiking and a great waterway for boating, trails aren’t too hard and the water is pretty calm. Feels pretty remote, but it’s not too far from Portland or the 84/82 junction. The campground is called Lone Tree and it’s fairly small, very open, but worth staying at. The stargazing is really nice and we saw some interesting birds and lizards around the campsite. You can’t rent any boats here but there’s still a lot to do if you don’t have your own watercrafts. Just simple vault toilets and a water spouts, no reservations!

The camp hosts were excellent! Extremely nice and knowledgeable. This is a newer campground so the ammenties were still in great shape. However, because it was so new the trees were still saplings and provide no shade from the hot sun or protection from the wind. There is one big tree with a picnic table right next to the river. Great for fishing but not a lot of hiking.

Some friends and I decided to camp during our time off from college. We decided to head to Cottonwood Canyon State Park, and I am definitely glad that we did. This area is really cool, and has an almost "desert" kind of feel. The canyons are really pretty!! This park is very open- all you see are canyons, hills and mountains all around you. It doesn't get much better than this. The only downside I would say is because it has that desert feel, you definitely have to lookout for snakes. This was my biggest fear, and we ended up seeing a few on our hikes. There are some really great hikes you can do nearby. We did the Pinnacles Trail and Lost Corral Trail. Both of these hikes were "moderate/difficult." They were both a little over 8 miles roundtrip. The scenery is gorgeous on both hikes- you follow along the river (John Day River). We also saw some bikers on these trails too, so if you like to bike I would definitely recommend bringing them! There are about 20 different campsites, and they were pretty large which was nice. There are also toilets on site, too.

amazingly clean. fresh water, bike repair supplies, covered picknic area with grills, happy bike camping. quiet space. separate rv camping, pit toilets near camp sites and full bathrooms near the visiting center. cleanest bathrooms I’ve ever visited at a state park. trail up the John day river is maintained and flat. good for bikes and walking.

A new park just beginning to develop and build. I look forward to visiting it and watching it fulfill its potential. Fantastic hosts.

This is a great new state park, that will be fantastic in a few years. Not too far from I-84 and the Portland area, the park sits down in Cottonwood Canyon. The campground was at the end of the road near the Pinnacles trailhead. The wind in the area is strong, but the park has built walls to block your tent from the wind. The trees are still small, but when they get big all of the spots will be nice and shaded. Some of the spots have covered tables to block the sun. The spots were large and not too close to other campers. There is new construction happening and it looks like eventually there will be more camp spots, a bike path running along the entire state park, and more bathrooms maybe even a shower house. Near the entrance was a large grass area with a barn, a horseshoe pit, and a picnic/day area. There was even free bikes that anyone could borrow to cruise around the park. The Pinnacles trail was a flat 8.6 trail running alongside the John Day River. I recommend starting early and enjoying a sunrise hike, I started at 0445, because there is no shade along the trail. I was able to finish the hike just as the sun came over the mountain, and before it got too hot. I would recommend this campground.

I personally really enjoyed this campground. Still thinking about the natural beauty and quiet/peacefulness. Loved that it is within striking distance of Portland. Spots are a great size, plenty of distance between your neighbors and yourself. My only complaint is that it would have been nice to have shade structures at EVERY site, not just most of them. No worries, I’ll bring my pop up next time. I will be back.

First come first serve sites with fire rings. There is overflow camping in the lawn without a fire ring but with a picnic table. Restrooms are very clean and campground is well maintained. Winds can pick up in the canyon so be sure to have strong tent stakes. Right next to the John Day River great walking path along the River. Fenced dog park for your pet and free bicycles for use.

Came through CC by chance. Intended on staying at DeSchutes River but they were full. Paid 10 bucks for a night. Several pit toilets throughout the area. Sites were adequate with privacy barriers for those close to each other. Appeared to be a swimming area on the river close up the camp (didn’t check it out).

Be prepared for some wind due to topography.

This beautiful campground was loaded with amenities. The gorgeous John Day River, was perfect for fishing, swimming, floating. There was several trails within the campground as well as trailheads around the perimeter. We brought our own bikes but if you don’t bring yours, they offered loaner bikes and there were little bike workstations on the grounds. Pet friendly! Including a fenced in dog area (about an acre) and doggie poo bags readily available. We have a truck with camper but the tent sites each had a solar panel to provide electricity for charging the essentials. The grounds must have been a farm originally and the campground designers did an awesome job of using the existing structures to add to the rustic nature and maintain the land’s historic relevance. Cottonwood Canyon surpassed our expectations, especially considering the very low price tag. I cannot recommend highly enough.

This campground in along the John Day River with access to the river from the campground but no water views.  Most sites have a pergola over the picnic table for shade and a sturdy wooden fence, I assume for wind protection.  The sites are nicely spaced but the wind, blowing dust and heat made it pretty uncomfortable to be outside. The river here is broad and shallow so not deep enough for watercraft.  The water was pretty warm.  There are several hiking trails along the river.

Cottonwood Canyon is a beautiful, well-maintained state park. We have not camped here because it is not our camp vibe (too developed), but I just want to clarify that there is NO dispersed camping here. This page incorrectly states there is dispersed camping in Cottonwood Canyon SP. There are a handful of what the park has called “hiker” spots, which are about 25 feet from a parking lot. Campsites on literally on top of each other. Camping is prohibited essentially everywhere else on park land, which is frustrating because it’s over 800 acres and there’s plenty of room to accommodate the handful of adventure seekers to disperse. Piggybacking what others have said: canyons get very windy and tent camping can be tricky in these conditions.

Overall, a lovely campground for families and campers who prefer less primitive amenities.

I spent two nights here and made sure to explore as much as possible with the limited time I had. There are plenty of trails for hiking and biking. You can fish along the River. We saw big horn sheep on one of the ridges. Can’t wait to come back to see more.

I don’t recommend coming here during the summer due to heat. This is more of a winter camping destination. We had clear skies and beautiful sunny weather. It got cold at night. I like that there are solar charging stations all over the park and free showers. There is no cell service so it’s great if you want to truly unplug.

Very nice place to camp with the family. Exceptionally clean facilities for bathrooms and showers. Great bike trails too.

July 2020 - We stayed one night on our way to another campground. We were pleasantly surprised. All the campsites with drive up parking were taken so we stayed in the hiker's/backpacking area. There is a parking lot with wagons to haul your stuff to and from the campsite. There was also a small bathroom and trash can. These sites did not have their own campfire but it looked like there were shared areas for the fires. It is a great spot for star gazing and overall beautiful.