Best Tent Camping near Fossil, OR

This campsite was easy to spot from the road, although navigation such as Google maps does not have the gravel road leading off into it. The campsite situated below the road in the valley surrounded by towering hills on either side. There are ample trees and the possibility of hammock camping if you can find the ones close enough. Each campsite has fire rings and wood or metal picnic tables. Water spigots with potable water are scattered every few sites. There are lovely vault toilets as well with air fresheners and toilet paper.

The campsite I stayed at was near the small creek offering a serene sound of water trickling while I slept. There was a bridge the crossed the creek further west of my site which is recommended as the creek is muddy and not easy to cross by foot unless you want to get your shoe stuck in the mud (I was blessed to do this while looking for firewood on the other side).

There is plenty of deadfall scattered around that can be used for the campfire rings set up in the sites. Across the creek, there were lots of bigger hunks of firewood but the fierce mud crossing claimed my shoes. Thankfully, I was able to wash them off and use the heat of the fire to slowly dry them out.

Overall, this is a nice campsite for overnighting as you continue exploring the surrounding area. If coming from Portland, it is about a 3-hour journey. I first trucked around to the John Day Fossil Beds and looped around on the 26 to the Painted Hills before heading back north on the 207. There are lots of fun activities in the vicinity that you can explore and hike in 2 days before carrying on to another area.

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!

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.

Searching for a spot on Saturday during Memorial Day weekend was probably not the best idea, but we were able to land a decent space in this BLM rec area.

Priest Hole has a few kinds of spots, some at the banks of the John Day River, some in the hills and some in the open. The riverside areas are really rocky and would be hard pressed to ground tent there, but trailer mounted and RV’s would do fine (assuming you can get them there).

We stayed on the bluff overlooking the River and hills. No shade, so we had to make our own, as it was pretty hot. This created another problem when the wind howled down the canyon, kicking up dust and rolling tents and anything not staked down!

The River is a few hundred yards away, and the single vault toilet was close by.

After exploring the area we did discover many more areas for dispersed camping, and will be back to try some of those!

Campfires may or may not be prohibited, or may have modified rules, so be sure to check the board for updates.

On the way to/from John Day and the Painted Hills, this is a decent spot to stop for a night if you are heading somewhere else. Only $5 a night, you basically pull off the road a few feet to the parking lot and walk-in from there. The sites are on a flat area between the river and the road. No real privacy, but the views of the river and hills are amazing, and it's only $5 a night. The river is slow moving here and thus technically swimmable, but a bit sludgy/swampy on the edges (no real beach).

Pros: Cheap. Easy to access. Great views on the river.

Cons: No privacy. Lots of trash when we were there. Right on the road/traffic.

Facilities: Vault toilet, picnic tables and fire pits.