Best Glamping 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….

We made the mistake of choosing the Alvord Hot Springs resort for camping by the Alvord Desert. The place is basically a giant gravel parking lot with a few picnic benches and fire pits strewn on the sides. There is a single very dirty bathroom right next to the general store and no other services at all. The people at the store were friendly (but no one was wearing masks in COVID time). But the real issue is that the prices they charge are truly ridiculous for what is offered. The whole place revolves around the hot springs which are nice and have very hot natural spring water collected into two cement pools. It was very crowded and we had to go back to find a time there was less busy. With camping fee $40 for two adults and 30 for any additional adult, campers have unlimited access to the hot springs (which is $20 per soak if you are not camping there). They also charge $10 to give you access to the Alvord Desert floor. But there is few access road just a few miles south of the resort. Marginal cell phone reception on AT&T. Full menu of charges in the photo attached. Unless you are really into the hot springs, do yourself a favor and save yourself some cash and find unlimited dispersed camping just a couple of miles south of the resort.

Our truck broke down just a mile or so from this campground and boy, were we glad they were there! We were leaking diesel fuel and smoke was coming from our engine by the time we found this spot to pull in. The staff was extremely nice, even though there was not much they could do to help. They were full for the night but said we could stay in the overflow area (no electricity or water hookups). It was definitely lucky we made it here!

The campground itself is fairly small, with RV sites with full hookups, cabins, and tent spots. For the high desert, the scenery is beautiful. It was great to relax in the hot springs after a stressful few hours of getting the truck towed to the shop and our trailer towed to the overflow site.

I can't speak for the rest of the camp spots, but the overflow sites were very bumpy and difficult to level your trailer. The staff and amenities make up for what we lacked in the overflow spot though. Common room with games and TV and coffee, along with a full kitchen to cook/clean/eat. Showers and restrooms were ok, but not superb.

While I'm very grateful we were able to camp here for the night (as it's in the middle of nowhere!), I think the price we paid for a dry camping site was a bit much. The other prices seemed a bit steep as well.

Staff was super accommodating and let us stay way past the check out time while we had to wait for roadside assistance to tow us into town the next day.

This would be a great place to stay for a night or two, if you want some relaxation and solitude. There is really not much else to do out here (hiking, etc.) and the closest town is a good 25 minutes away.

We’ve driven through the vast remoteness of SE Oregon dozens of times, but always on the way somewhere else. We stayed for two nights and finally understand the compelling beauty of wide open spaces. This private campground is well maintained and managed by a staff of welcoming, family friendly folks. The dry sites, while flat, are very spacious and well separated from the RV sites. The lounge offers free coffee and pastries, which was a delightful surprise. Great bird watching, dark skies, and a huge hot spring and showers make this a go to destination.

Very nice. Especially for us needing an easy overnight while in transit. The dry camping area is open, grassy, and uncrowded. No electricity of course, but water, showers, and bathrooms are available. The $35 includes unlimited use of the hot springs. The RV zone is gravel. There are also a dozen motel rooms, small cabanas bordering the springs, and teepees if that’s your thing. The staff is very friendly, the place is well kept, and the facilities are cleaned hourly. There is also a small community kitchen with stove, refrigerator, etc. Our second time stopping here on the way to/from Steens Mtn, 45 minutes away.