Best Dispersed Camping near Joseph, OR

Recent Dispersed Reviews in Joseph

18 Reviews of 21 Joseph Campgrounds

• 

  Nick J.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 11, 2024

  Aneroid Lake Backcountry Dispersed Campsite

  Great Backcountry High Alpine Lake

  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.

• 

  christian L.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 27, 2024

  Little Salmon River Pullout Dispersed

  Stopped for the night

  This is a little pullout off route 95. Has about 10-15 feet of separation from main road, which gives privacy and protection from cars. The surface is a gravel and can fit a fairly decent amount of vehicles. The sign says you can camp up to 10 days consecutive, we only stayed for the night and continued on. This is also right on little salmon river.

• 

  h22 E.

  Scout

  

  May. 11, 2024

  North Elgin Dispersed Camp

  Nice quite place

  Great free place to camp 4x4 is advised and not really car accessible. Down side no water near by, not even a creek.

• S

  Shay S.

  Traveler

  

  May. 1, 2024

  Short's Bar Recreation Area

  Busy

  This camp site was popping with people who are definitely staying a while. These people let us camp near them but idk if they’d let us stay that long. Good for one night! Neighbors kind of loud but sooo pretty by the river!!! Easy to get in and out. Porta potty’s available

• 

  Alyse L.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 8, 2023

  North Thomason Meadows

  Wildflowers, raptors, beautiful views at the top of Imnaha Canyon

  I recommend this section of Wallowa-Whitman NF Rd 46 (4600) between Thomason Meadow Guard Station and Buckhorn Lookout because it is grazed less than surrounding areas, and thus has more plant diversity--i.e. great WILDFLOWER BLOOM in the spring. At 5000 feet, June to early July is a peak bloom time.

  This is the top of the Imnaha River breaks, and you can see fully down into the BEAUTIFUL canyonlands of the Imnaha and Snake. Birdwatching was good for us out here too, especially raptors. One of the trailheads to the historic Nez Perce Nee -Me-Poo Trail is near this "Camp-1" dispersed spot.*

  *One of our maps calls the marked spot "FSR 46 Camp-1," but the dispersed camp sites are all along NF Rd 46 from here north to Buckhorn.

  The drive up to this area is well-maintained gravel, and an SUV with decent tires can do it. (We did it with a truck hauling a toy-hauler trailer). Bring all the water and supplies and tools you need--this area is REMOTE.

  Take Crow Creek Rd off of Hwy 82 (btwn Enterprise and Joseph). All is paved until your intersection with Zumwalt Road, where you veer R to stay on Zumwalt (aka Zumwalt-Buckhorn Rd). It's gravel after that intersection.

  Follow signs to Zumwalt Prairie or Buckhorn Lookout.

  Crossing over Zumwalt Prairie is a GORGEOUS drive. The Nature Conservancy has their Zumwalt Prairie Preserve here, and it's a great side trip from the camp spot.

  This section of NF-46 road is extremely quiet. Only the occasional ranch vehicle travels through. In fall this is a popular camp area for hunters.

  I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because of zero water, zero data, the ecosystem/soil that has been abused in the past (not wilderness), the 50-minute drive to WiFi/ restaurant/ water refill/ black water dump. But if I was comparing primitive camping to primitive camping, this would be a 5 of 5.

  I would go back here (in late spring or early fall) in a heartbeat.

• S

  Sean S.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 18, 2023

  Balm Creek Reservoir Dispersed Camping

  Very difficult road

  Do not try and tow a trailer up this road!!! I made that mistake and barely made it out. Didn’t make it up to the reservoir

• J

  Judy W.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 8, 2022

  Balm Creek Reservoir Dispersed Camping

  Boondocking

  Directions:  About 13 miles from Medical Springs on a gravel road (half hour or so). Take Big Creek Rd to Collins Lane.  That turns into USFS 67, then 72.  The gravel road is good, but access to the camping is pretty narrow and rougher.  Probably not a good place for a big nice camp trailer.  

  Camping is dispersed, mostly on the west side of the reservoir. The east side has a few spots but the road is really rough toward the dam. Fish are stocked. Boats with oars, paddles or electric motors are allowed. There are no improvements.  Check fire restrictions.  Campfires are prohibited almost every year for most of July, August and September.  Cattle graze here.  The water level gets pretty low by August.

• 

  Fishin' R.

  Traveler

  

  Feb. 9, 2022

  Lost Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping Area

  Very Quiet

  until the late 1980s my family and I camped here with our RVs all the time but a chipmunk they have been trying to save since( they are everywhere...) has resulted in the campgrounds being closed for vehicle use. great place to take a tent and a six pack! little store 3 miles down the road.

• R

  Ranier E.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 25, 2022

  Hells Canyon Overlook Near Saddle Creek - Dispersed Site

  Great Dispersed Camping Spot

  This is a great overlook on Hell Canyon and awesome dispersed overland camp spot.

• 

  Will M.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 9, 2021

  Lost Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping Area

  Great campgrounds tucked away

  Great spot tucked into the trees. Some sites are a bit cramped, but enjoyable. Cool trails and nearby water to keep the kids occupied. The road is tight but you can get a fifth wheeler in. Every spot looks very easy backing in. No sharp corners, no sacrifices were made in order to back in.

• 

  Michael

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 4, 2021

  Ice Lake

  Nine-Mile Hike

  The water is no-joke cold. Fantastic nine-mile hike into the forest. Stayed two nights. Elevation is ~8,000 feet. Got altitude sickness on day two.

  No fires allowed. No amenities. Back-country hikers only. No cell service. Perfect getaway.

• 

  Larry J.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 26, 2021

  Lost Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping Area

  Great dispersed camping

  Just came back from my second week long trip in 3 weeks there. Camped right on the water! I usually go up on Monday stay till Saturday, one of the benefits of being retired! Definitely going to go one more time, maybe two this summer. Very very scenic.

• 

  Arielle W.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 4, 2020

  Echo Lake Dispersed Camping

  Gorgeous and remote. Be prepared to CLIMB!

  This is not an official campground. There is a lot of space for campers, though, and it is not heavily trafficked. The trek to Echo Lake is about 8 miles (one-way) from the start of the Hurricane Creek Trail. When you arrive at Echo Lake, beauty awaits you! This location is a remote and peaceful retreat. The lake is so clear and serene. The views of the mountainside are breathtaking. This is a great site for groups and there is enough space to spread out. The stars are vivid and you can see the movement of the stars and moon along the mountains.  The trek to the lake is SO WORTH IT! This is probably one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been to. It gave me the wilderness escape that I needed. It is a hidden gem! Whenever you visit, leave your stressors behind you and enjoy the preserved beauty. The lake is very cold, but I definitely enjoyed the shock after the hike in! 

  The hike into Echo Lake is an intense incline! We tracked about 3,500 feet of elevation gain in about 5 hours during our hike in. The way back only took us about 3.5 hours and is mostly downhill. I would not recommend this hike for a beginner hiker/backpacker. I carried 60 lbs on my back up and down this trek and it was A LOT for me as a relatively new backpacker (with endurance conditioning). It is a hike that one should work towards, for sure! This trek is would be great crosstraining for an endurance athlete (like me!). At times, the incline felt like a 10-15% grade, but I do not know this for sure. It is pretty steep and challenging if you are carrying a lot of weight. I recommend going as minimalist as possible to avoid extra weight, if possible. I brought my bull mastiff dog along with me and she had a blast! I would recommend conditioning your dog for a trek like this. It can be pretty gnarly and steep at times! My dog wouldn't have made it if she had not done treks like this before. There are creeks along the route to the lake and I would bring extra water to hydrate your dog in between water sources. As always, leave no trace and keep this spot pristine and clean :)

• 

  Sarah W.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 31, 2020

  Ice Lake

  Can’t say enough, come here

  This backpacking trip is a very accessible hike.

  The road to get to the trailhead is paved and the hike to Ice lake is 9 miles in (18 miles total)

  You can add some miles (and a lot of elevation) if you add a day hike to the Matterhorn. Second tallest to Sacajawea. When I say it takes 3 hours to get up and 30 minutes to get down.. I’m not joking. Unless you’re an ultra runner who can handle high intensity at elevation, this will take some time. Well worth it for the views and ice lake will be waiting for you at the bottom.

  Photos are from August 2018 and July 2019... notice the snow in July. Couldn’t do the added day hike that time.

• 

  Easton S.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 17, 2019

  Lost Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping Area

  Second annual

  Liked it enough to come back. Had a huge group and multiple dogs in the group site. Very clean camp area. Extremely reasonable prices. Bathrooms are really dirty. Water for drinking is available just a short walk or really short drive. Nice fire pits. Close to water for playing in. There are some towns nearby. Would recommend just use the woods whenever possible.

• 

  Easton S.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 24, 2019

  Lost Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping Area

  Lots of trees

  There is a lot of space in each camp. Not much land in between each camp so be courteous. Good drinking water. A fairly dirty pit bathroom. I’m pretty sure it’s pet friendly. You can walk to the reservoir. The beach is very rocky.

• K

  Kiwi S.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 20, 2019

  Lost Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping Area

  Absolutely beautiful

  Great fishing, great sights. Plenty of off-road trails.

• D

  Denise L.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 30, 2018

  Lost Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping Area

  Beautiful Sunsets on a mountain lake.

  Once you turn off Hywy 95 on to Lost Valley Reservoir Road (about 16 miles North of Council), you will reach a Y in the well kept gravel road. If you turn left, you will come to Cold Spring Campground. There are RV/trailer and tent sites available for a small daily fee. There are campfire sites, hiking trails, toilets and water from a hand pump. You will need to pack out your own garbage as there are no dumpsters. Not a bad place but you are still about 1/2 mile away from the Lost Valley Reservoir.

  If you return to the Lost Valley Reservoir road, you can continue on to the Reservoir. After about 1/2 mile, you will see the lake off to your right. There are camp sites all along this stretch of the lake with direct access to the lake. A few sites have a common outhouse with no running water. Along this side of the lake there is also a boat launch area, but I believe this is a 'No Wake Lake'. Check local burn bans, and pack your garbage out.

  The road continues along the lake edge and over a small dam. There are several small, dirt access roads that lead to the lakes edge with camping sites at the end of each. Several roads are VERY rough and have deep ruts in them, and I personally wouldn't risk driving them without a vehicle that has plenty of clearance.

  The lake is small and as the summer progresses and water is drained from the reservoir, it shrinks. I prefer camping here until about the 1st or 2nd week of August. After this, the water levels drop drastically and green algae begins to accumulate around the lakes edge. There are small perch for fishing, but I did not catch any big enough to keep. We camped here in mid-July this year and had a campfire each night.

  Beautiful views, great hiking, refreshing water, and several families had ATV's. Huckleberries are usually ripe 1st/2nd weeks of August. Very relaxing. Enjoy.