Best Cabin Camping near Frenchglen, OR

My brand spanking new husband and I drove up from San Francisco to Portland for our honeymoon. We camped along our drive but never had a set destination. Luckily, around sunset, we stumbled across Crystal Crane Hot Springs. The staff was incredibly nice to accommodate our last minute reservation.

Crystal Crane Hot Springs has tent camping, RV camping, small cabins and family size cabins. I can't speak towards other reservations but the tent camping was walk-in. The tent spots were in the back in a quiet area pushed up against field full of birds and bird blinds.

Guests have access to bathrooms, showers, and the main lobby. The main lobby is a nice place to warm up in the morning and is outfitted with books, games, muffins, coffee, tea and local guides. They also have a little store with towels, bathrobes

There are private hot springs you can rent hourly but there's a giant natural hot spring that's free to campers. You can rent towels, too. You can also buy an hourly pass if you don't want to camp. The main hot spring is the perfect temperature and depth. We even had the distinct pleasure of watching a distant lightning storm while soaking in the evening.

The camping availability is definitely on the luxury side but is well worth it for $25 for tent camping. Despite having a lot of real estate available on the property, it doesn't feel crowded and is surrounded by miles of field land.

This little gem is nestled in SE Oregon and features an assortment of camping options, from private tee-pee, dry camping, to full RV hook ups this place can accommodate any guest. The water is naturally at 160 degrees yet they "hold" the temp at 100 degrees. This may make it a bit cool for some. The spring is actually fed into a pond with a soft, black gravel/sand bottom. There are private soaking tubs available though at 15 bucks a head per hour the cost is on the high side. We found it to be a worthy treat though we must declare that hot springs are our personal favorites. We stayed in dry camp site #2 which featured its own picnic table and fire ring. Fires are permitted yet while we stayed you were required to have a bucket of water on site while the fire was burning. Wood is available at 7 bucks a bundle and the water buckets are provided for use FOC. There is minimal shade though the camp does have a community center with wifi and AC. There is also a communal kitchen. The kitchen is 24/7 and the center is 8am to 9pm. Showers are super clean though a bit cramped. The best part is that the pond is 24/7 and stargazing under an expansive sky while soaking I. the healing warm waters is a magical experience. Check it out, you won't regret it. Last arrival,is at 9pm and mandatory quiet is from 10pm to sunrise. Book on this one was "The Kybalion, and musIc was The Deads Europe '72. Enjoy it boppers….

Crystal Crane Hot Springs has a lot to offer but I'm not sure camping is one them. They have hot springs (which we didn't actually try because it was during the middle of the pandemic) which looked great and I will definitely try if I'm back. They have cabins, glamping, RV sites, tent camping, a small shop, firewood for sale, showers...a little bit of everything.

We stayed twice in December, once in site 5 and once in the overflow area. The camping area feels more like an open field than an actual campground, especially in the overflow area, which I think is just kind of an open area. At site 5 there was picnic tables and a fire ring. Site 5 was good because it was a pull in, at the end of area so it was quiet, and it overlooked the hot springs.

On the plus side, the staff were super nice and the hot springs seemed great and I think that's the main appeal.

What a great campground with the added bonus of a hot springs!  This developed campground offers dry camping, RV rentals, TeePees with private tubs and patios, bunk cabins, and an Inn.  Staying the night allows you to access the hot springs at anytime which is nice during cooler nights where you can soak and stare at the stars.  There is also a full camp kitchen which includes all the required cooking utensils, stove, and table.  There is also a lounge area with couches, a TV, a few tables, as well as board games, and plenty of "To-DO" suggestions for the near by area.  The bathroom/changing room/showers were clean and well attended.  If you are in the area I highly recommended stopping and having a soak at this great campground.

General: To say there are not many choices to camp around here would be an understatement! Fortunately, our stay turned out to be decent. We were greeted cheerfully by Tina (she and her husband Scott own the park). This place mainly attracts birders in the spring, hunters in the fall, and people passing through (this was us). There is a mix of back-in and pull-through sites. The back-in sites are along the east and north sides of the property with the pull-throughs in the center. There is a coin-operated laundry, store/gift shop, and restaurant. We didn’t eat in the restaurant but did indulge in Tina’s delicious homemade fruit turnovers! 

Site Quality: All sites are level on gravel. Each site has a nice patio with a plastic picnic table, fire ring, and bbq platform. There are some trees scattered throughout but when we were there, they had not quite bloomed yet. Our site (34) was at the end of the row which gave us privacy on one side. Backs up to a fence and you will hear some road noise from the road behind it, but it is minimal. 

Bathhouse: Three all-in-one units with a code to enter. Entering was a little tricky until we got the hang of it but once in, the units were clean. Showers take quarters. 

Activities: Not much for us as we were passing through but a nice haven for birders (the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is close by) and convenient for hunters. Note that on GPS it looks like Mudd Lake is fairly close by, but the lake has been dry for at least 10 years according to Tina! Again, this was a pleasant stay for us as we were traveling through.

I looked online and thought about making a reservation in advance, but wasn't sure about where I would end up by the end of this day in my trip. I stopped at noon and asked if they had any 30 Amp sites, but no, dry camping only. As this is in an area of BLM land, it should not have been difficult to boondock in the area.  This place has water available, showers, clean bathrooms and of course the hot springs.

The check-in time is 3PM and if you arrive early, you have to leave and come back at 3 or pay an extra $10 per person (on top of $35 for dry camping) for early check-in. This rule might not be enforced by all staff members. You also have the option of paying a day use fee of $10 for 4 hours or $5 if you are 62 or older. Once again, being old pays off and I paid the day use fee to stay around. The hot springs pond is well developed and temperatures are regulated well. 

The WiFi had problems and I was told that I may need to remove the settings for the site a few times to make it work. When it was working it is mostly just close to the office, but there are picnic tables near the hot springs and it is a pleasant place to work.

I would stay here again, but book in advance to get an electrical connection.  It is also worth stopping for a few hours in the day to use the hot springs on a day use fee.

We visited Crystal Crane Hot Springs Aug, 2018. The property has a general store, large common room with board games and book sharing, and a kitchen that can be used for cooking or food storage by all guests. Overnight accommodations include: 9 cabins, 9 RV spots, 15 tent spots, a 3 bedroom ranch house, 3 bedroom inn, and a teepee with a private hot tub. Our RV spot had a gorgeous view of the surrounding high dessert and the stars at night were amazing as there is very little light pollution. 

The employees and owners are friendly, helpful, and eager to make sure guest's needs were met. One of the men told us about a pair of tundra swans that made there home on a pond at the back of the property 

I enjoyed our stay so much that I wished we had booked more nights. It's a long drive from major towns but the drive is worth the effort,  Note this is not an appropriate campsite for the "party" crowd. This is a family-friendly place with a no-open-alcohol policy and clothing required in the pond.