Best RV Parks & Resorts near Gilchrist, OR

Our first time here at East Lake Campground in the last week of September 2023 just 1 day before the park closed for the season. Because East Lake Campground is 6500 feet in elevation the nights were very cold, from 44 to 31 degrees but normally the days were in the morning windy and about 62*. The camp has 29 sites and NO hookups.

There is flush toilets, NO showers, but had drinking water. East Lake also had 1 boat launch but the water was very low, some 40' down from the edge of the bank to the water. Great fishing and a great place for kayaks. Each site has a picnic table and fireplace. Most Sites on the lake side has pull-thru that were about 50' long. Some back-in sites were only 35'. Very quite campground and not too close to each others camp site. We camped at East Lake Campground in a Travel Trailer.

Restrooms Flush toilets, faucet water. No hookups, No electric, No water hookup, No sewer hookup. You can fill your water tank FREE at the ($10) Dump Station so you don't have the weight in your rig. Dog-friendliness Lots of space to run and play.

Beautiful location with good sized camping spots for travel trailers and RVs. Almost all spots are wooded so shade is plentiful for hot Summer afternoons. Safe for bike rides in park with 5mph posted. Great location for easy access to Sunriver and Bend. Paulina Lake and East Lake are within a 30 minute drive for kayaking, fishing and hiking.

Electric (30 amp) and water at all spots. No sewer hookups. Internet works fairly well. Good cell phone reception for Verizon and ATT.

Facilities are decent, but need some care. Neither the pool nor laundry were available and no work is active to open either. Staff are friendly but management seems to be focused elsewhere.

Our GPS brought us right to the campground (CG). This was our third time staying in what we consider one of our top 5 CGs. Check-in was quick and easy. We proceeded to pull through site 49, which was plenty long enough for our 40’ fifth wheel and F450. The water and electric were centered on the pad. The sewer sat a little farther back on the pad, but that was not an issue. You can hear the river really well from site 49, and that is the major reason we chose this site. If you don't like the sound of a raging river, you would want to get a site further down or a site not on the river. We had good water pressure around 50 psi, 2 bars on Verizon, and the CG WiFi was okay. Even though there were mature trees, we got a good north shot for Starlink. Satellite could be iffy depending on your site. Sites are okay spaced, with some sites closer together than others. Our utilities side neighbor was very close, and our yard side was nearby. They have a nice laundry with 3 washers and dryers that cost $1.50 to wash/dry. There was a significant increase in train traffic from the tracks across the river as compared to our last stay. There were also some updates, such as putting in a really nice pavilion with an outdoor fireplace plus some landscaping additions. The Westfir/Oakridge area is known as the mountain biking capital of the Northwest, and there are a multitude of biking and hiking trails.

A few miles from La Pine, this 5-site campground sits along the Deschutes River in the Deschutes National Forest. The campground is pretty bare-bones in terms of basic amenities; there is no tap water available and there are two pit-toilets. There is also no cell service. However, the campground does provide great access to the river and even has a cement boat ramp for easy access.

Each campsite has a picnic table, a fire pit, provided firewood (at least when I was there), either a pull-through or back-in parking space, and a view of the river. If you make a reservation (which are required for at least 2021), the camp manager will post this on the site marker so that your site isn’t taken by another party. The campsites themselves are somewhat dusty/sandy, but are otherwise clean. Sites 1-2 and 4-5 are right next to each other, whereas site 3 is probably the best site for privacy.

One more thing to consider if you are staying in a vehicle is that not all of the sites have flat parking spaces. I was able to make something work with my van in site 1, but site 2 would have been unpleasant for sleeping in a van. Sites 4 and 5 seemed to have the flattest parking.

General: Located just across the street from the North Umpqua River, there is a mix of:•

* petite RV sites (RVs up to 20’ with FHU 20-30 amp- 3)

* deluxe RV sites (RVs up to 29’ with FHU 30-50 amp- 5)

* Super RV sites (RVs up to 60’ with FHU 50 amp- 7)

* glamping tents (7)

* cabins with heat and A/C(4)

* a cottage

* a tiny home

* camper

* retro bunkhouse

* retro RV 

Site Quality: We were in a deluxe RV site that had a level gravel camper pad, electric hookup, fire ring, and picnic table. Unlike most RV parks, there was a decent amount of foliage between most sites to provide a measure of privacy. 

Bath/Shower House: Two toilets, two sinks, and two showers. Clean but limited privacy for the toilets with just a curtain. Bench and hooks are outside of showers with no other separation so there is a lack of privacy there as well (did not use the shower so I cannot comment on how well it worked, although they looked nice). 

Activities/Amenities:

* Guided and Self-guided hiking tours

* Guided and self-guided mountain bike tours

* a full-day waterfall tour ($75 pp, with 24-hour advance notice)

* whitewater rafting tours

* Stream and river fishing holes

* Fly fishing and hunting

* Kayak rentals on Toketee Lake (We had hoped to do this, but the weather had other plans)

* Wi-Fi is available for $2.99 per 24-hour period per device but it was flaky at best

* There is a store with ice, firewood, food, beer, and wine, apparel, propane, diesel, and gasoline, rafts, and sleds. 

We arrived later than planned (just before dark) and it was cold and rainy the next day so we were not able to take advantage of the many nearby recreation activities but the staff recommended a nearby waterfall hike that we could do in inclement weather. We would definitely consider returning during better weather.

Mazama Campground offers a serene retreat nestled within Crater Lake National Park, surrounded by a lush forest that provides privacy and tranquility. The reservation process requires you to provide your dates and size of RV and are assigned a site when you arrive. As I walked around it appeared pull-through sites were for RVs and trailers, and back-in sites that were assigned to tent or car campers. The pull through sites were long, some are asphalt and others dirt. Our site D5 was asphalt and level. The amenities, including clean bathrooms, accessible water spigots, and regular trash collection, contribute to a comfortable stay. The general store is a convenient spot for registration, fuel, and showers, it's also the starting point for exploring the breathtaking Crater Lake via tour bus or personal vehicle. Even though a forest fire limited visibility of the lake, Mazama Campground remains a memorable destination for its natural beauty and well-maintained facilities.