Tent camping near Kerby, Oregon centers primarily in the Siskiyou National Forest and along the Illinois River watershed. Summer temperatures in this region regularly exceed 100°F, making riverside campsites particularly valuable. Most campgrounds sit at elevations between 1,500-4,000 feet, with access roads often transitioning from paved highways to gravel forest service routes.
What to do
River swimming access: Cedar Bloom offers excellent swimming options with both shallow areas and deeper swimming holes. A reviewer noted, "There are 2 areas with river access, a shallow area and a deep swimming hole, with the option to float down some mild (and fun!) rapids."
Night sky viewing: Onion Mountain Lookout provides exceptional stargazing at 4,000 feet elevation. One visitor observed, "You are at 4000 feet and you can see the milky way clearly," making it worth the $40 campsite fee for astronomy enthusiasts.
Hiking to Oregon Caves: Cave Creek Campground connects to Oregon Caves National Monument via a 2.5-mile trail. This campground offers the closest tent camping to the caves, though RVs are not recommended due to the narrow access road with limited visibility.
What campers like
Complete seclusion: Many Kerby area campgrounds offer remarkable isolation. At Sixmile Campground, a camper reported, "We slept right by a creek and that was the only beautiful sound we could hear. No planes, no cars, no other people. It is the closest I have come to backpacking camping while car camping."
Riverside camping: The Illinois River corridor provides numerous waterside tent sites. At Little Falls Campground, visitors appreciate the campground's small scale with only 4 spots total, providing a balance between established facilities and natural setting.
Shared facilities: Some campgrounds offer communal amenities beyond basic services. One Cedar Bloom visitor appreciated that "The communal kitchen was perfect for prepping breakfast, lunch, and dinner - and the staff was sanitizing all the commonly touched areas."
What you should know
Road conditions: Forest Service roads in the area require appropriate vehicles. One Bolan Lake visitor cautioned, "It's a pretty long dirt road to get to the campground, make sure you have good tires that can handled rocks/dirt terrain."
Safety considerations: Some remote campgrounds have variable safety conditions. A Josephine Campground visitor warned about potential concerns: "It was dirty (there is no trash pickup, so people had left their trash near the toilets), and felt unsafe and weird. There was an empty car with smashed windows and filled with trash."
Cell service limitations: Most campgrounds have minimal or no connectivity. At Josephine Campground, a camper reported "intermittent one bar service with Verizon," which is typical for the region and allows for emergency calls but little else.
Tips for camping with families
Swimming options for children: When camping with kids, prioritize sites with gentle water access. A Cedar Bloom visitor mentioned it's "Great for kids with a river on site nearby. One part of the river is designated as a nudist-friendly beach but is well-marked."
Fishing opportunities: Spalding Pond Campground offers excellent fishing for families. A visitor noted, "They stock the pond each year with legal trout and there is some native catfish and crawfish as well!" This makes it an ideal location for introducing children to fishing.
Water safety awareness: The Illinois River can have strong currents. One Sixmile camper cautioned, "Not really a great place for such young children since the river is quite big and swift, but in a few years, I would love to return here."
Tips from RVers
Limited RV access: Most tent camping near Kerby occurs at small campgrounds with minimal RV accommodation. At Cave Creek Campground, a reviewer warned, "Despite its close location to the Caves, it is extremely hard to take any type of RV there. The road is paved, but Extremely Narrow with limited visibility."
Double sites availability: Little Falls Campground offers one double site suitable for small RVs under 10 feet. A camper reported, "The other is a double site, good for small 10ft less RV. We have a 5x8ft CcT so we fit amazingly in the double site."
Self-contained requirements: When RV camping in this area, bring all necessary supplies. Most campgrounds lack hookups, and as one Big Pine Campground visitor noted, many locations have limited facilities requiring campers to be fully self-sufficient.
