Searching for the best camping near John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla, OR? Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla is surrounded by family-friendly activities. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Oregon camping adventure.
"We stayed in the big open field next to it.
I don’t think this is technically an “official” campsite but it has a lovely composting toilet that smells like fresh cedar."
"Bike-packing Campground Review:
The lower Deschutes River from Pelton Dam to the Columbia River, goes about 100 river miles along the water and was designated an Oregon Scenic Waterway in 1970."
$8 - $35 / night
"We went during weather transition from rain to clear. The result, high winds in the canyon. This only lasted the one night. Fantastic weather the rest of the time. A slight bit of small trash around."
"We were so glad we kept driving down this road until the very end."
"There aren't any designated spots campsites, but there are a number of fire rings and it's pretty easy to segregate yourself from other campers. The site was clean and the pit toilet wasn't too bad."
"You can pretty much camp wherever you can drive to. Lots of spots right next to the river."
$55 / night
"Carbon Farm is private camping on a farm a few miles outside of Dufur on the east side of Mt Hood National Forest."
$16 / night
"Campground Review
An open, relatively unused campground next to a sleep-calling stream right in between the last forested part of Mt."
"The campsites are all well spaced out parallel to a nice clean looking river. We stayed in the off-season, so that is probably why it was empty."
"Not too far from Meadows and Parkdale ... and even not to far for an overnight or weekend away from Portland.
The first come sites are just off of Forest Road 44 >> Dufur Valley Road."
"Very quiet and even has a few dispersed camp spots outside the main area. Had some deer walk right through our camp spot while we sat by the fire."
"Awesome spot on the river, clean spots, with fire rings and picnic tables. Spots are located all along the BLM road and are marked. Easy access to the river for fishing."
$25 - $30 / night
TravelerThis campground in along the John Day River with access to the river from the campground but no water views. Most sites have a pergola over the picnic table for shade and a sturdy wooden fence, I assume for wind protection. The sites are nicely spaced but the wind, blowing dust and heat made it pretty uncomfortable to be outside. The river here is broad and shallow so not deep enough for watercraft. The water was pretty warm. There are several hiking trails along the river.
LegendThis review is for the main campground, there is another group/horse campground across the highway that I did not stay in. The small campground is right off Highway 97. The first part of the campground is where the hook ups, large RV's, small trailers and tent campers are located. The spaces are very close together with very few trees separating spaces. Some spots looked barely big enough for a 2 person tent. In this same area is the only flush toilets/showers (Coin operated). Continuing past this main area and over a small hill is where the tent camping/sheep herders tents are located. Since it was located away from the main camping area it was quiet with regards to hearing fellow campers, the downside is the spaces are closer to the Highway. Day and night, semis speed past the state park on either a downhill straight away or an uphill straight away, regardless it sounds like a freight train or military landing pad all night/day long. It was so loud you had to stop talking until the semi passed. The space I was in was so small my 3 person tent only fit if one side was touching the fire ring. Luckily there was a fire ban so no fire to melt my tent. The space also had full view of the pit toilet, since it was the only toilet on that side, I saw everyone come and go. It was also super close to one of the sheep herders tent site. There were 2 sheep herder tents sites. The spots looked large and the tents looked like they would sleep at least 4-5 people. The other tent sites where much larger, but still all the sites could hear the highway. Note, be careful about leaving food out, zipping your tent up, leaving car doors open. The mice were pretty bad and came out at night driving my dog crazy. There were a bunch of trails that ran through out the park that provided a nice alternative to get to the other side of the park or climb to the top of the hill near the power lines. The camp host was also a very nice gentleman who suggested activities in the near by area. I was exploring the area cause it's new to me, but I wont return cause it's not my type of camping.
GuideConnected to a rest area. $19 camping no hookups. Water, pad, picnic table, and fire ring in site. Free showers. Clean bathrooms. Freeway noise not bad.
TravelerGiles French Park (GFP) is one of two adjacent free camping / bookdocking sites owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) along the Columbia River near the town of Rufus, Oregon. I was there on opening day, 2021. I didn't see any tents. I also didn't see any signs saying tents aren't permitted. I saw several motorhomes and travel trailers parked far apart. I think the Native American fishermen dropped off some of the trailers to stay in when the spring salmon run begins. There's a 7-day stay limit. No open fires (campfires) are permitted. I assume this is is because of the frequently gusty wind conditions. I used a butane camp stove. There's no television reception unless you have a satellite dish. Cell service is good on both Verizon and AT&T. The water is unsafe to drink unless it is boiled first for five minutes. (I have no idea why. Don't the dam employees have potable water?). There's exactly one flush toilet (for men anyway.) It's in the restrooms nearest to the dam. This restroom is in poor condition. The stall door lock is broken. The urinal is out of service. The lavatory drain is clogged. (You get the picture. If not, look at my pictures.) All the other restrooms have vault toilets and no running water. The restrooms are spaced very far apart. The only trash dumpster is near the vault toilet that serves the boat ramp parking lot. No camping is permitted near the restrooms. Keep all this in mind when you select your site. There are only a few picnic tables. Most are situated where there's not much of a view. The best views are in the third parking lot away from the dam, where the Native Americans have several closely spaced fishing scaffolds. That was where I parked. I had one neighbor on April 1-2, 2021. A couple of non-Native American anglers showed up at the crack of dawn. They didn't have any success as far as I could tell. But, the spring salmon run had not started yet. Similar to an island if you didn't bring it, it isn't at GFP. There are no amenities other than the mentioned restrooms and non-potable water. The views are spectacular, especially at sunset. GFP sits in a canyon with sheer basalt cliffs on either side. The play of sunlight on the Oregon side at sunset is colorful. The dam is lit up with red, white and blue lights at night. Barges sometimes pass through the lock at the north end of the dam. Trains run along both sides of the Columbia River, BNSF on the Washington side and UP on the Oregon side. These are noticeable but not particularly noisy since there are no crossings nearby. I-84 creates more noise than the trains do. Since the site is free and the amenities are few, it's good for a night or two in my opinion, but not much more. I rated it low because of the poor condition of the restrooms. Apparently the Army Corps of Engineers cannot open a stopped drain.
LegendAshley here with The Dyrt! We want to welcome this property owner to our platform. "Camp beside a private spring fed lake. You’ll have this high desert oasis all to yourselves. This is a leave no trace camp site, pack it in pack it out. Fishing is NOT included in your stay. You can inquire about fly fishing rates." Book your stay today and leave them some love!
TravelerFirst come first serve sites with fire rings. There is overflow camping in the lawn without a fire ring but with a picnic table. Restrooms are very clean and campground is well maintained. Winds can pick up in the canyon so be sure to have strong tent stakes. Right next to the John Day River great walking path along the River. Fenced dog park for your pet and free bicycles for use.
TravelerCcottonwood Canyon State Park Campground is a lovely, remote primitive camp experience. For the uninitiated, this means no electric sites, no running water, no flush toilets. Its also a rattlesnake habitat in Eastern Oregon's high desert biome, within 30 miles or so of The Dalles, a city marking the change in the Columbia River Gorge from high desert to wooded mountainsides. This camp ground us located deep in a canyon 15 miles from Wasco, Oregon. Before descending into the canyon, you'll see Eastern Oregon's classic golden wheatfields, then a wind farm, with scores of white windmills. The evening I arrived was the night before a full moon, so the setting sun over the canyon and the waxing moon gave a lovely glow to the sights. Unfortunately, my camera phone and photographer skills are lacking; sorry. If you love truly getting away from it all, as I do, you'll appreciate the absolute peace at Cottonwood Canyon. We arrived at dusk, late in July, and as is typical for the region, it was still 90 degrees. Fortunately, my summer tent is mostly screen, allowing the cool canyon breeze in, and it erects quickly and easily. It was full dark by the time I'd pitched it, and outfitted it with my airbed. Because of all the rattlesnake warning signs, I kept my dog leashed or tied out on a campsite-length cable. We parked across the campground from the pit toilets, which were not lighted, so bring a flashlight, cell phone, or lantern for inside the biffy. If this kind of camping appeals to you, you'll be rewarded with a quiet night of no traffic noise, only the sound of the nearby murmuring creek and the breeze in the trees. The other campers here were very quiet and respectful of the rules. The beautiful moonlight set one side of the canyon aglow and the clear sky was filled with stars. I didn't need my rain fly, so could enjoy finding the constellations as I lay in my tent. In the morning, I awoke just before dawn when my dog sat bolt upright and intently watched with me as an elk cow walked through our campsite. The fee here is $10 a.night, and worth every penny!
Here is the one caveat: as of this writing, (late July 2018) the loud diesel pickup truck that came through to empty trash bins at 6am was jarring. It was followed by the back-up beeping of heavy machinery by 6:30am, as work on a new building commenced near the campground. This was so unfortunate, and I pity the folks that had hoped to sleep in.
ScoutThis campground has 14 available sites, numbered 0-15. (Site 10 is nonexistent) Sites 12 & 13 are combined to form a double site. About half can be reserved. Fire Pits are Circular with 9 being 1/4 fixed grates; 2 are 1/2 Coverage Swing Grates, and 3 are 1/2 Coverage Multi Level Grates. There are 3 vault toilets evenly spaced within the campground and 1 water pump near mid campground. It borders The Little White Salmon River which is a small trickle creek. Easiest access to the creek requires walking through bordering campsites. Weather can change quickly here so plan accordingly.
LegendWe usually cross the Columbia River into Washington state at Biggs Junction, Oregon. We don’t want to stay at Maryhill State Park in Washington as we had stayed there before. We found this campground on our Benchmark Oregon Atlas.
There are separate areas for RVs who want full hookups and those who don’t plus tenters. We fall in the latter category. Actually, our area was quieter than the full hook up loop which was closer tomI84 and the train tracks.
We had clean vault toilets, potable water, picnic table and fire ring. There were camp hosts for each loop. They sold firewood and were very helpful. There was a garbage dumpster and several recycling bins. The sites were in a grassy area with heavenly scented locust trees. There were geese with their goslings. There were trails along the Deschutes River but our neighbor camper said she saw several large gopher snakes.
The only drawback was the goose poop. And, snakes on the trail.
We would stay here again. B49/$10
Tent camping near John Day Lock and Dam, Lake Umatilla in Oregon offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape into the wilderness.
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