Best Tent Camping near Frenchglen, OR

Camped late Early October nights dipped into 20s, pretty crisp For tent camping, but days were in 60s. Beautiful blitzen right there, birds, deer, raccoons, hiking and wilderness exploration nearby.

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.

Good campground with flush toilets, clean showers and a small store. Electric, water, sewer at all RV sites. All sites are pull thru....some are not totally level and/or rocky. Campground is generally a little dusty and the 3 mile road coming in is washboard. Tent sites with grass and some small cabins available

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.

Great location for doing the Steens Mtn Loop and checking out Frenchglen. Best option with a Travel trailer. Couple miles on good, but dusty gravel road. Immaculate bathrooms.

We stayed here on our way to camping on the Alvord.  Very convenient spot from which to explore Steens Mountain , French Glen and the Malheur Wildlife refuge.  

Campground was well maintained.  Friends had trouble with the washboard road knocking their medicine cabinet off the wall, but we took the road more slowly and had not trouble.  The very next morning the road had been graded, so going back to French Glen was no issue.  Sites were fine.  Sanitary dump was uphill so we used their communal dump on the way out.  All was well.  We did check out a little late and there was an extra fee, but we were fine with that!

We'd stay again.

This private campground is more in line with an Oregon State Park than most private campgrounds. Pull through spots for RV/trailers, green grass for tents, and cabins. Mosquitoes were heavy during the beginning of July.

Choose tent wisely. A late night sandstorm came through and ripped our rainfly and tent was covered in sand. Had to sleep in car. I should have brought the smaller backpack tent. Beautiful place though. One night was enough.

This campsite is pretty minimalist, but absolutely beautiful. I was hoping to stay there but pulled in kind of late and the parking seemed full. There’s room for about two cars just above the campsite, as well as about three just over a tiny bridge. There were several tents set up on a meadow /flood plain of the river. In the morning I scoped it out and there were quite a few tents set up there, maybe 5? Kind of haphazardly placed with little space or privacy between them, making me think that there is no infrastructure of individual campsites.

The Campground: Oregon Sunstone Collection Area

Sunstones are the Oregon state gemstone, and out in the middle of the Oregon desert the Bureau of Land Management has set aside an amazing area where you can camp and rockhound for free. There's shade areas covering picnic tables, a pit toilet (filled with black widow spiders), and large camp sites with level gravel tent pads.

The campsite is amazing, yet remote. If it weren't for the black widow spiders in the pit toilet and lack of water, this site would easily rate a 5. As it was, we had an amazing time staying here for two nights, picking up sunstones everywhere as well as visiting a local "fee" mine called Pana Mine. Smallish sunstones are everywhere right on the surface. If you want to find larger sunstones or ones with unusual colors, local mines have several pricing options.

Tips:

1. Bring lots of water and everything you'll need for camping since the nearest town is about 25 miles away on rough dirt roads (food, sunscreen, extensive first-aid kits including snake bite kits). You'll also need to pack everything out, including your trash.
2. Bring at least one very good spare tire and preferably two, or a spare plus a can of fix-a-flat.
3. I had very limited cell phone service with Sprint. Other locations had a bit of service with Verizon, but definitely don't count on being able to get in touch with anyone.
4. Print out a map of the area and directions from BLM before you go.
5. In case of a medical emergency, most of the "fee mines" scattered throughout the area have good first-aid kits and ways to reach emergency personnel.
6. There's no limit that I know of to the amount of sunstones you can pick up the in public collection area, but they can only be used for personal use (you can't sell or trade them).

Ranger Review: Oofos OOlala Sandal - Cloud White

I've been wearing my Oofos Flip Flops (OOlala Sandal - Cloud White) for several weeks now and I have nothing but good things to say about them. As a dyrt ranger, I was given a pair to review for free, and I was quite excited having heard such great things beforehand from other rangers. They definitely lived up to the hype. Super-comfy, thick soles that held up well even to rocks and hiking, and the ability to send them through the wash are all huge pluses in my book.

To truly put them to the test, however, I brought them with me to the suntone collection area near Plush, Oregon--an area in the middle of the Oregon desert literally covered with sharp glass-like rocks. I knew none of the other sandals or water shoes I had would hold up to all those rocks, and I was also dubious with the Oofos. After all, other flip-flops I've had in the past would always get rocks and thorns stuck in the bottom that would tear holes in them. After three days out in the desert however, I was thrilled to have my Oofos including the sole still looking like new. Definitely a 5/5 star review for my favorite new shoes.

Check out the video review to hear my sizing tips and the one suggestion I have to make them better.

We stayed here for 1 night during a long weekend escape to Steens. The campsites aren't very private as they sit amongst low sage bushes, and they're not particularly large; only enough space for 1 car and 1 tent. The facilities are clean. There are lots of great trailheads in the area. Other campers were quiet and respectful.

Made a pitstop here after a long day of driving. Didn't partake in the Hot Springs or use any of the amenities. But we were grateful for their overflow lot where we were able to pitch our tent and spend the night. Overflow camping was barebones, no amenities, porto potties only. But we enjoyed a good sunset, and the campground was clean and quiet.

This is one of our favorite campgrounds. The location is near the refuge and Steen Mountain recreation area. The sites are spacious and far apart for privacy. Most sites have trees usually willow for shade. There are several vault toilets, fresh potable water from pump spigots, garbage cans, and recycling cans for glass and aluminum. There is usually a camp host to provide firewood and assistance. It is usually full on weekends when the refuge has bird migrations. Deer can be pests as they wander the campground at will. The graded gravel road in can be rough washboard at times. Sites are large enough for the bigger RVs. If you have a tents, you can stay right next to wetlands or the Blitzen River.

If you are in Eastern Oregon, exploring the Steens, Hart Mountain, or the dessert, Page Springs is the perfect place to land for day trips. Closr to French Glenn, a lovely, mostly treed spaces, campground right on the Donner und Blitzen River.

Spend your morning exploring the area and your afternoon in the river! We will be back for sure - next time in the fall.

Visiting the Alvord Desert Campground is a must in Eastern Oregon.  If you book a campsite, you have private access to drive out on the desert playa, and that also includes access to the hot springs.  Well worth it.  The stars out there are incredible.  Be sure to check the weather before heading out on the playa, because if it has been raining it will be incredibly muddy and very easy to get your car stuck in.

This remote campground is functional and practical. Bare bones with a few camp sites, a restroom, some covered picnic benches and a restroom. Bring your own water and plenty of it! It can be very windy here so make sure to stake down your tent well so it doesn't blow away! (We saw this happen to one gent. Glad he had some fear in it to keep it from flying too far).

There are many roads near by that lead out into the collection area. It takes your eyes a minute to see what you are looking for because sunstonea are so plentiful!

My tip: look for the reflections of the stones, catch a glint and go after it! There are thousands right under your nose and you don't necessarily have to dig to find them.Happy Rock Hounding!

The sunstone is Oregon’s State rock. HERE AT THIS LOCATION YOU CAN COLLECT THEM FREE OF CHARGE - but don’t be greedy! They come in all shapes and sizes, but most are the size of a fingernail or baby’s tooth. You will need to drive out 45-90minutes on a gravel road to reach this location and it is truly out in Oregon’s Outback and will take a full day to reach your destination. FYI DO NOT PICK SUNSTONES UNTIL YOU REACH END-POINT. The surrounding land is not for public use. You will know you’re good to go and at the end-point when you see the photos below with the sign and camp site. It would be safer to Camp in an RV or car because of rattlesnakes and heat-exposure. We did not stay because of the poor air quality from summer fires nearby. There are wild antelope and rabbits in the area. Keep on the look out for wildlife on your drive! No shade is available except for the covered Camp spots. You will see the MANY Sunstones laying out on the ground, sparking in the sun, no need for digging which is quite fun. Sunstones are made from the minerals in the dried up/preserved lake in this area. Lake county is full of seasonal lakes is what we discovered on our road trip this summer...Good luck and have fun!

This place is really in the middle of nowhere and so quiet. Pit toilet was clean and well stocked. There were 5 or 6 other campers spaced out so that you could hardly see most of them. Best of all sunstones littered the ground everywhere. Out in the northwest corner of the area is the best gathering, bring something to sieve with and plop yourself down and just pick them up. If it wasn’t for our kids being bored to tears we may still be there… This is a part of Oregon that not many people take the time to see. It’s definitely worth it.

After seeing the eclipse earlier that morning, I set out to find THIS well-known camping/hot spring area.  A beautiful drive through Plush OR, then up, up, and away onto the Hart Mountain Plateau.  The overview of Warner Valley is epic.  Follow the easy 'dyrt' road through the Refuge Headquarters and continue on the well-marked Hot Springs Rd.   You will arrive at a parking area with an information kiosk.  Camping is split into a north & south area.  There are some walk-in tenting spots to the north.  The spots are well-marked and fairly large.  A family kindly allowed me to share one with them.  I was able to find 3 hot springs, one sheltered and 'developed' by a stone wall, concrete, and a ladder into the deep warm water (98-100 degrees?)  The other two are completely natural and easy to find on the short trail between the camping areas.  These are shallow, but warmer (102-104?).  Do not be surprised if people are enjoying the springs 'au natural'.  A ranger did swing by to verify that all campers were in designated spots.  No camping in the parking lot.  Night skies were pitch black without the Moon.

Overall, a wonderful spot to escape to :-)