Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Island City, OR has a lot to offer. Island City is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Find the best campgrounds near Island City, OR. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
Some campsites and all cabins are open year-round. Note that park roads are often snow-covered or icy in winter. Book reservations up to 6 months in advance at oregonstateparks.reserveamerica.com. Reservations are required Oct. 1 - June 1 for the duplex totem cabin and six rustic cabins.
16 full hookup sites Five sites open year-round (water available only at restroom/shower building in winter) 1 electrical site with water (closed in winter) 32 tent sites with water nearby (closed in winter) Hot showers and flush toilets Horse camp with seven sites (closed in winter) Six rustic log cabins open year round (four pet-friendly) Duplex cabin (Totem) Group tent camp (closed in winter) Universal Access: Tent site A19 is accessible to campers with disabilities.
$12 - $36 / night
$10 / night
The reservoir is owned and operated by the Powder Valley Water Control District who allow for recreation facilities located on the southeast portion of the reservoir. Maintenance and operations are provided by the Union County Parks Department with support from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and the Oregon State Marine Board. The park offers 17 primitive camping sites, vaulted toilets, dock and boat ramp (5mph speed limit). Pilcher Creek Reservoir is nestled in the foothills of the Elkhorn Mountains with picturesque scenery, a choice destination for camping enthusiasts. The fishing is great and wildlife is abundant. An elk feeding/viewing station is nearby and elk can typically be seen during the winter months.
Wallowa Lake campround has activities for everyone in the family. If you're interested in a campground surrounded on three sides by 9,000' tall snow-capped mountains and a large clear lake, this is the area for you. To fully enjoy this popular fishing and boating site, check out the Wallowa Lake Marina Campground Info: -121 Full-hookup sites (36 pull-through) -88 tent sites with water nearby -Two yurts (Both ADA; one pet friendly, see our Pets in Parks FAQ for more info) -Group Tent camping -Group Picnic areas -Hot showers and flush toilets (ADA available) -RV dump station
If a campground with riverside trails and bird watching opportunities sound appealing, but you don’t want to wander too far off of the beaten path, Bird Track Springs Campground may be the place for you. The short drive goes along river-side farm land and is less than one-half hour from I-84 on State Highway 244. It is a prime spot for a great get-away. Each of the 22 campsites is nestled beneath towering ponderosa pines in the Grande Ronde River valley. The Bird Track Campground map (182 KB) shows the location of each campsite. The campground is also located directly across from the Bird Track Springs Interpretive SiteTrail where visitors may hike, bird watch, fish or wander along the river.
$5 - $10 / night
TEMPORARILY CLOSED DUE TO FIRE RISK - JULY 31, 2024
Atop a mountain just a few minutes' driving time from the heart of the city, Morgan Lake offers a quiet, motor-free respite from daily cares, with camping, fishing and hiking opportunities.
Morgan Lake is located just a few miles outside of La Grande and provides the citizens of Union County an inexpensive, easily accessible area for a broad range of outdoor recreational activities, including fishing, camping and nature hikes.
The Lake is stocked annually with 23,000 finger length and up to 2,000 legal size rainbow trout. No motors are allowed on the Lake.
Please stop at the registration kiosk and complete a registration form and proceed to a marked camp site. All sites include picnic tables and fire rings. Fires are only allowed in those rings and seasonal fire restrictions are normal during the late summer months.
Currently, there is no fee for camping at the Lake, although there is a limitation of 3 nights per visitor to give everyone a chance to enjoy the facility. The entry gate closes each night at 10:00 p.m.
Campground is open April 22 - October 31.
Dispersed camping is a popular camping method for many visitors to the Forest. Choosing to camp along a stream or adjacent to a meadow where there are no picnic tables, toilets or firerings allows campers to enjoy a more primitive experience.
It is recommend that dispersed campers keep to traditional campsites off of established 'two-track' vehicles routes which have been used in the past. Most of these routes are less than 300 feet from a designated open road.
There are some areas on the Forest that are closed to dispersed camping. These include administrative site, special use permit area, or sensitive areas for archeology or wildlife.
Please remove all temporary structures before you leave such as meat poles, toilets, furniture, and ditches around your tents. To find out more about minimum impact camping please visit our outdoor ethics section. Some general rules of use and restrictions also apply to visitor using dispersed camping sites. These include regulations like forest-wide camping stay limits; use of camp fires, firearms, and fireworks; and controlling pets.
Spring Creek Campground is located in an open pine forest near a small meadow. Just a short drive from Interstate 84, this small campground offers 4 campsites which are occassionally used for family reunions or group camping.
First-come, first-served This park is located in a remote steep valley. Large pine trees dominate the landscape. More than 20 primitive sites with water Vault toilet River rafting access Riverside trail for anglers
Some campsites and all cabins are open year-round. Note that park roads are often snow-covered or icy in winter. Book reservations up to 6 months in advance at oregonstateparks.reserveamerica.com. Reservations are required Oct. 1 - June 1 for the duplex totem cabin and six rustic cabins.
16 full hookup sites Five sites open year-round (water available only at restroom/shower building in winter) 1 electrical site with water (closed in winter) 32 tent sites with water nearby (closed in winter) Hot showers and flush toilets Horse camp with seven sites (closed in winter) Six rustic log cabins open year round (four pet-friendly) Duplex cabin (Totem) Group tent camp (closed in winter) Universal Access: Tent site A19 is accessible to campers with disabilities.
$12 - $36 / night
$10 / night
The reservoir is owned and operated by the Powder Valley Water Control District who allow for recreation facilities located on the southeast portion of the reservoir. Maintenance and operations are provided by the Union County Parks Department with support from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and the Oregon State Marine Board. The park offers 17 primitive camping sites, vaulted toilets, dock and boat ramp (5mph speed limit). Pilcher Creek Reservoir is nestled in the foothills of the Elkhorn Mountains with picturesque scenery, a choice destination for camping enthusiasts. The fishing is great and wildlife is abundant. An elk feeding/viewing station is nearby and elk can typically be seen during the winter months.
Wallowa Lake campround has activities for everyone in the family. If you're interested in a campground surrounded on three sides by 9,000' tall snow-capped mountains and a large clear lake, this is the area for you. To fully enjoy this popular fishing and boating site, check out the Wallowa Lake Marina Campground Info: -121 Full-hookup sites (36 pull-through) -88 tent sites with water nearby -Two yurts (Both ADA; one pet friendly, see our Pets in Parks FAQ for more info) -Group Tent camping -Group Picnic areas -Hot showers and flush toilets (ADA available) -RV dump station
If a campground with riverside trails and bird watching opportunities sound appealing, but you don’t want to wander too far off of the beaten path, Bird Track Springs Campground may be the place for you. The short drive goes along river-side farm land and is less than one-half hour from I-84 on State Highway 244. It is a prime spot for a great get-away. Each of the 22 campsites is nestled beneath towering ponderosa pines in the Grande Ronde River valley. The Bird Track Campground map (182 KB) shows the location of each campsite. The campground is also located directly across from the Bird Track Springs Interpretive SiteTrail where visitors may hike, bird watch, fish or wander along the river.
$5 - $10 / night
Guide
This camp ground is extremely beautiful. Good spacing between sites. We were here during the Off season. It was quiet and wide open. The town of Joseph was very close and with the visit. However, there was a lot of dog poop not picked up by their owners. Nothing more frustrating than having to spend time cleaning you shoes, twice.
Other than that we had a great day and would come back.
Guide
Very nicely maintained campground with full hookups. Clean showers. Level spots.
The only drawback is the close vicinity to Hwy. 84 which made it quite noisy.
Scout
Easy access off of I-84, mostly pull through full hookup sites, nicely landscaped with beautiful views! It has a small fenced-in dog park, pool and spa.
Traveler
Beautiful forested campsite with clean flush toilets next to a creek.
Traveler
Aneroid Lake is one of my favorite locations in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. The dispersed camping for backpackers is on the North side of the lake, whereas the South side is private property (Camp Halton). The lake is stocked every few years with rainbow trout, and has a good supply of brook trout.
The water is very cold but worth the dip if it's a hot summer day.
Guide
This campground worked great for our small teardrop trailer. It wasn’t the quietest campground we’ve stayed in, but people were respectful of the quiet hours. Sites were clean. Restrooms were acceptable. Last several miles of the road were very washboard-y - something that has not changed from previous visits over the years.
GuideThis campground is pretty busy during the summer season but was fairly quiet on the last weekend of the summer. Weather was good but temperatures did get down to 26F.
Traveler
Was a small but clean and tidy park with lots of shade trees around. I arrived there after hours but had made a reservation over the phone prior. Park staff were nice enough to have a park map ready for me when I arrived directing me to my site in the back corner of the park. They actually had a really cool sign at my camp spot made up for me. The spot itself was a bit small, but clean and under a nice shade tree. The bathrooms were clean and well maintained. The only minor gripe I would have is they are a bit small and cramped, but for one night it worked just fine. Would definitely camp here again if I'm the area.
Ranger
This park accepts Good Sam discounts. There are a few full timers but are kept clean. The park is right on the edge of town. Nestled between a river and a horse farm he will hear a rooster everyday you will hear a donkey. There are wild turkey in the area but they're quite quiet. I paid just under $150 a week. Laundry machines work well there are two washers and two dryers buck and a quarter each. They have showers. They have a tent area for tent camping. There is usually no one on duty but they do have propane I just don't know how to use it or get it. There is a Wi-Fi password and the cell phone signal is not bad. I use T-Mobile. 5 minutes away from a decent grocery store. 30 minutes away from Miller's home improvement and Walmart. And did I mention full hookups.
Scout
A little more money for the view, patio, grill and fireplace, but well worth it! Not too hot even at 95! Cool nights and plenty of sky.
Guide
This campground is wonderful. We were lucky enough to get a site next to the river and couldn't be happier. Bathrooms are clean and the staff were so amazing.
Ranger
We car camped in this small campground along Hurricane Creek after getting rained out on a backpacking trip up to Eagle Cap. There are 13 sites, 3 of which are handicap accessible. There are several vault toilets and they were clean and not smelly. Some of the sites are small and close to the road. Sites 12 and 13 at the end of the road have a lot of trees and good tent areas. Nice large picnic tables and fire pits. Only a 5 mile trip into Joseph. Deer wandered through the campground and there are chipmunks.
Guide
There are a few spots and spurs off NF-6510 that would make for good boondocking. Might be hard to get level, but other than that it’s pretty nice. The spot on the map has a stone fire ring. There are a few spots before and after that would be suitable to setup camp as well.
I got to the spot marked on the map in my extended Transit, but I’m sure road conditions may change with the seasons, storms; etc. Depending on your comfort, you may only want to head this way with high-clearance vehicle.
Ranger
This is one of about 6 or so campgrounds up the Lostine River Road. Been at this campground twice in the last three years—August 2021 and August 2024. Densely wooded, next to a great running river. I think there are 6 sites. Fire rings. One vault toilet that was pretty darn full this year, so that’s why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
Guide
Great little dispersed spot with a clean outhouse.
There looks to be 4 sites in the trees, but if you keep driving down it’ll take you towards the lake, which is where I camped. Wide open, great sunset views! The lake is dammed, so I assume the water levels vary, but when I was there, there was room for a few more vehicles down by the water. Careful going too far, as some tire tracks looked to have maybe gotten stuck in mud by venturing too far out. 😂
Great spot, would definitely return!
LegendThis review is based on an overnight or short stay versus destination campground (CG). Our GPS took us right into this CG. Check-in was easy and we headed to pull through site 118 with FHUs. The pad was plenty long enough for our 40’ 5th wheel and our F450. The utilities were in the middle of the pad, which made it nice for our one-night stay. As the water pressure here is around 100 psi, you need to use a reducer. Sites are close to one another but you still have a grass yard with some separation. We stayed here back in 2019 and not much had changed. They added a small fenced dog area inside the CG. They still have the field behind the park where you go out a gate into a small industrial area. There’s a poop bag dispenser and trashcan. Happily, people were picking up after their dogs. There were a mix of overnighters to long-stay residents and the CG did not have trashy sites. We could not get the CG Wifi to connect, but we did have 2 bars on Verizon. The CG has cable but we did not use it as we were able to stream on our Verizon MiFi. There are a lot of mature trees so satellite could be iffy depending on your site. They have a nice little store with sundry and gift items. Across the street from the office/store is a nice laundry facility. We again enjoyed our time here.
Traveler
The sites are nice and most are lake front. There were a few other campers but none near our site. The road up is steep and bumpy gravel but we managed in our two wheel drive van. Would definitely stop by again.
GuideI camped here during the summer season of 2023. When I pulled into the campground it was just me and the camp hosts. They gave me the pick of what site I wanted. I swooped on one next to the river. The campground was beautiful and sites were good distances from each other. There are bathrooms and areas to top off your water. I choose this campground due to driving the 395 as my choice of route to explore. I would 100% recommend this campsite again.
ScoutAndy at the front desk was very helpful checking me in. She and her associate assisted with me finding the best spot with some shade and facing the mountains. Yes, there are a lot of units here. And, it’s still a great spot for camping. They are all 50 amp and include a converter, if you don’t have 50amp. Leveled and spacious for vehicles.
Guide
This place had such good reviews but it was pretty trashed. Broken glass, trash in the fire pits, trash in the campsites, the pit toilet was shockingly clean. Quiet place to camp, not full but plenty of other campers. Wouldn’t seek this camp spot out. Reservoir pretty small and marshy.
ScoutA group of friends and I went and tent camped in spot 14 for a couple days and had a great time. The site was fairly trashed when we got there so we did some cleanup but besides that it’s surrounded by a beautiful forest and even on a 95 degree day the shade is perfect and the water was refreshing to swim in. I liked the spot we stayed in, it was spacious enough for 3 tents (10 person, 5 person, and 2 person tents) it was shaded and fairly spaced out from other spots. The lake was pretty busy and there were lots of people but it’s easy to find places on the water to have to yourself. There was also an awesome rope swing maybe half a mile from the camp site, super fun!
Guide
Sites are far apart but some lack privacy. I saw Lots of elk and turkeys(?) and a rattlesnake. Outside of the lack of privacy there are some people who it appears that they live there(I a have no issues with that) my issue is the drive up and down the road multiple multiple time a day at high rates of speed leaving dust flying. When I was out walking I walked past one of their campsites on accident I didn’t get close and they started firing a gun in the air. I slept in my car that night and left the next morning. Also trash is an issue as well as people using the bathroom right on the ground and leaving used baby wipes everywhere. So watch out for human waste if you use a tent.
Guide
I came around 3pm on a Wednesday and there were ample spaces available. The sites feel private and the campground is very clean. The pit toilets are also clean. Some road noise. $5 per night if you have one of the veteran, disabled or senior passes. No water and no trash.
GuideMany options for private pull-offs once you drive past established NF campgrounds—likely tough to do without high clearance and/or 4WD when wet. Only “traffic” was the occasional ATV/OHV. Tons of great hiking around.
Legend
Large well kept park. Casino, pool and restaurants.
Traveler
Lake is beautiful. This campground is what you expect from a state park, appreciated having showers and running water for the day we were there. Plenty to do in and around the lake.
Traveler
Sites were great. We had no issues getting an open site here the week of 4th of July. The river is a great backdrop and sound. Space for 1 tent easily…maybe a 2nd in some. Good trees for hammock.
Camping near Island City, Oregon, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor fun. Whether you're in an RV, tent, or cabin, there are plenty of spots to enjoy nature and relax.
Camping near Island City, Oregon, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just be prepared for the unique quirks of each campground!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Island City, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, Island City, OR offers a wide range of camping options, with 138 campgrounds and RV parks near Island City, OR and 14 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Island City, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Island City, OR is Grande Hot Springs RV Resort with a 4.4-star rating from 37 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Island City, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 14 free dispersed camping spots near Island City, OR.
What parks are near Island City, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 14 parks near Island City, OR that allow camping, notably Umatilla National Forest and Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
