Best Tent Camping near Grants Pass, OR

What a fantastic lake! Secluded in the mountain back country of the Southern Oregon area - not far from Medford / Grants Pass / Siskiyou National Forest / Crater Lake

Great boating lake for water sports, good fishing, excellent hiking and great campsites and in nearby campgrounds not listed on The Dyrt yet, you can get some really secluded sites that are just beautiful... but do not expect more than an outhouse and a spigot, a picnic table (maybe a bear box?) and fire-ring- which to me is PHENOMENAL camping. Fresh water, a bathroom and nature. Works!

The Willow Lake County Park offers more amenities though and great wilderness. Its a beautiful little gem and gets amazing weather- from warm and sunny to random rainy thunderstorms that do not last long. Truly God-sent sunsets and sunrises.

Great place to make some wonderful memories with streams, creeks, the lake, the forested areas, trails, canyons, fishing, hiking, canoeing and more.

Wile road tripping to oregon from Los Angeles, we stopped here for the night. Relatively affordable, very clean, and not busy (at least while we were there). You can walk down to the river to fish, where there were also RVs camping on the beach. Tent camping is limited to very few sites but it looked like there was plenty of rv space. We set up for the night at the tent sites where we had a nice dinner with a beautiful night sky above us. The river is a good fishing spot, according to some local fisherman we met in the morning following our stay. There were bathrooms but they were locked. We had good service though. The site we chose wasn't particularly hidden or private, so anyone driving in or out of the road to the river, whether that's someone launching a boat or a ranger checking fishing licenses, they will have a full view of your entire site, something to consider if you require privacy.

At highway 66 near Ashland this park has both RV and tent sites. The RV sites are full/partial hook up (30 amp only) and dry camping. Note though that even if you pay for partial or dry you will still need to pay $10/dump your tanks. We opted for just full hook ups here. The tent sites are near the creek.

There was some work being done that appear to be some upgrades. There is a nice pool area, a pond and the creek. The sites are level with picnic tables and fire pits. There are bathrooms, free hot showers, laundry, dog run, playground and store. Also available is propane ($3.50/gallon) book exchange and ice. Wifi was fast and free.

The road noise is noticeable but not too bad. Some of the spots can be close but for a night it wasn't bad. Pets are allowed on leash only but there were a couple of loose dogs running around so be aware. 

NOTE: Google tells you to turn on the street (Neil Creek Rd) just after the park so if you have a big rig then turning around could be difficult. Keep an eye out for the campground and turn into it directly from the main road instead.

All the office and maintenance staff were friendly and helpful and neighbors were friendly and quiet.  We didn't get the tweaker vibe mentioned in some previous reviews. This place is cute - maybe there are new owners (who changed the name from Glenyan to Ashland Creekside, maybe?) who are trying to turn things around.

Good cell service ATT, Verizon and TMobile.

This county park just outside of Grants Pass along the Rogue River is a good overnighter because it is convenient and inexpensive. 

It’s $20/night for the tent/ non-hookup sites, $25 for water and electric (30 and 50 amp), and $30 for full hookup. Group camp is $60 and there’s a $5 per add’l vehicle fee. 

There’s also a yurt but we didn’t see a cost listed for it. 

The park also has FREE hot showers (trick to turn hot water on is to turn the old coin op knob). There is a boat ramp, dog park, and kid park adjacent to camping area. Park takes cash payments at kiosk near the entrance. 

The place seems to be a local’s camp as some sites looked more like homeless camps with tarps and and array of stuff laying about. We did not feel unsafe here and everyone minded their own business, were quiet and kept to themselves. The hosts do make frequent rounds throughout the park and offer firewood for sale at $5 for 10 pieces of wood. 

We stayed in our 26ft RV in the tent area as it was cheaper and less crowded and we backed up near the river. There is a lot of road noise especially from the road across the river. The roadway within the park is paved and sites are paved or gravel with grass surrounding. All sites are fairly level and have plenty of room. More trees in the hook up areas; the tent areas had few trees and was more open. Picnic tables and fire pits also at every site. We would stay here again if traveling through and needed a place for the night. We stayed here 2 nights during a weekend while waiting for an appointment in Grants Pass. 

There are dumpsters here as well as trash bins throughout the campground, but no recycling. 

Walkup sites available for that night only, or you can make online reservations 3 days in advance. 

Good cell reception with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.