Best RV Parks & Resorts near Fossil, OR

We came upon this gem on the pass late afternoon after a long drive. This campground has 25 sites including 5 level pull throughs with more than adequate length for our long truck and trailer. July 11 and no mosquitoes, lovely flowers, perfect temperature for sleeping.

Pit toilets and no water, but the price reflects the level of service. Nice campground host. Lots of area between campsites. Fire pits, picnic tables. Paved campground road, graded gravel sites.

The best part is the Ponderosa Pine forest that surrounds the campground. Trees up to 150’ .

One group site available by reservation , the rest are first come first serve.

May the Forest be With You.

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.

Date Stayed: July 9th& 10th 2019 Campsite:#8 needed 3 inch left side lift to level Price:$13 no electricity Dump Station: No Altitude: 4730 ft Camp Host: Caroline was attentive and very friendly. She collected and handed out free firewood that had been left behind by other campers. Or you could buy forest service wood for$6. Ease of Access: Right off hwy 26, our 28 ft travel trailer easily fit with room to spare. Easily circled campground once to find a space. Weather: Days sunny low 80's nights upper 50's Noise: Could hear occasional vehicle climbing hwy 26 grade from the rest stop. Activities: Geocaching cache three within a couple of miles. John Day Fossil Monument 30 minute drive away. Wife and I enjoyed the campground, sites were surrounded by pines.

Came through the area planning to camp before exploring the fossil beds and painted hills nearby. Campsite is secluded from the main road, and only had one other camper while we were there (we stayed Monday night through Tuesday morning). There was a single Vault toilet that was fairly clean minus some Archaeology Today magazines, and someone came by in the morning to restock toilet paper. 

Be forewarned that the right hand entrance of the road loop that goes to each site is pretty rough! Deep potholes and tree branches leaning into the road which scratched our vehicle. Next time we will only drive through the left side which was smoother and branch-free. 

Each site had a basic fire ring(made with stones with a small metal grate that flips over the top) as well as a picnic table. Our site was next to a trail entrance, which crosses a cute little bridge/creek and heads up into the hills where a beautiful sunset over the valley could be seen. Lots of evidence of cows on the road leading up to the campground as well as on the hiking trail, but none in the actual campsites. Deer and chipmunks aplenty though! Some sites had better flat spots for tents while others seemed better suited to campers. Our spot was without large lumps or rocks in the ground but slightly slanted on a hill. We made it work okay though! 

We have Verizon and had zero cell service both in the campground as well as the surrounding areas, took a good 15 minute drive or more down the highway to get even a bar of service to show up again, so be warned! 

Would definitely stay here again if in the area: beautiful, clean, and private!

Kah-Nee-Ta is a great spot for the whole family. I’m giving it a 4 star review because when we stayed in June 2025, and they still had some work to do after their remodel (they just reopened after being closed for 6 years). Our RV site’s sewer wasn’t operational, our water hook up leaked, and there was a bunch of standing water in the grass around our site.

That said, we had an awesome stay. There was plenty to do for the full three days we were there - swimming, mini golf, hiking, and pickleball were our favorites. They also have basketball, volleyball, river tubing, horseback riding, ping pong, cold plunges, a spa, a restaurant, a full bar… and a lot more!

The paved campground roads are great for bike riding. We loved sitting in the hot wellness spas at night, and floating on the warm lazy river during the day. The bathrooms and showers are clean. There’s communal fire pits throughout the campground. You can stay in teepees, hotel rooms, or in your own RV.

Honestly, this place has it all - including super friendly staff. If our site’s sewer and water hookups were working properly, this would be a 5 star review.

Nice to knows: it’s the desert, so be prepared for heat, bring plenty of water, and note that there’s no individual camp fire rings. It can also get pretty windy, making outdoor cooking/eating somewhat difficult.

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.