Best Tent Camping near Lakeview, OR
Searching for a tent campsite near Lakeview? Finding a place to camp in Oregon with your tent has never been easier. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Lakeview's most popular destinations.
Searching for a tent campsite near Lakeview? Finding a place to camp in Oregon with your tent has never been easier. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Lakeview's most popular destinations.
The Campground at Cave Lake is little used and the perfect place for a week-end or week long getaway.
Located one hour five minutes of Paisley, Oregon, Happy Camp is a developed campground ideally located along peaceful Dairy Creek. The stream flows through the middle of the campground, offering fishing opportunities for rainbow trout. At 5289 feet in elevation, this alpine campground features nine camping sites. All campsites include picnic tables and fire rings, but no garbage receptacles. * Remember to “pack it in, pack it out.” There are three vault toilets, and two water spigots. Fresh water is also available at Clear Springs Forest Camp, about 1.5 miles to the west on Forest Service Road 047. Besides fishing, hiking on the nearby trails, and relaxing at Happy Camp, you can toss horseshoes (bring your own) into the horseshoe pits or picnic under the historic shelters. The picnic shelters were built in the 1930’s by Civilian Conservation Corps.
Holbrook Reservoir, 35 minutes southeast of Bly, Oregon, is an ideal destination if you’re seeking a quiet, forested setting for fishing and leisure. Holbrook Reservoir is one of three major points of interest in the Lofton Recreation Area. The reservoir is stocked on a rotational basis. There is a boat ramp and dock, and boats with electric motors are permitted. Ponderosa pines dominate the landscape and make for a cool and shady campground. Holbrook Reservoir features four designated campsites with picnic tables, fire rings, grates and two vault toilets. There are about eight dispersed sites throughout the campground that have no amenities. This is a popular campground during hunting season in the fall. In the winter, snowmobilers often ride their snowmobiles from Quartz Mountain Sno-Park to Holbrook Reservoir. There is no potable water. Visitors need to pack plenty of water.
Clear Springs is located one hour 10 minutes southwest of Paisley, Oregon. Clear Springs, elevation 5400 feet, is an undeveloped forest camp situated right along Dairy Creek. There is one picnic table, fire ring, and one vault toilet, including a variety of dispersed camping spaces. This camp is primarily used by hunters during hunting season. You can fish for rainbow trout in Dairy Creek. There is also a natural spring that bubbles up about 1/4 mile down the road from the camp. Alert : There is no no potable water. Visitors need to pack plenty of water. Also, there is no garbage service. Remember to “pack it in, pack it out.”
The Corral Creek campground, located at the base of the Gearhart MountainWilderness 45 minutes northeast of Bly, Oregon, offers six campsites in a rustic lodgepole pine and meadow setting. Each site includes a picnic table, fire ring, and there is one vault toilet. The creek flows along the edge of the campground, and is fishable when the water level is sufficient. This campground is an excellent location for access to the wilderness trail system, including the trailhead for Lookout Rock and Blue Lake (Trail 100). The trailhead lies about a half-mile from Corral Creek campground. You can do an out and back hike or horseback ride to the Palisades, about three miles round trip. Or, head to Blue Lake for a short backpacking excursion, about 18 miles round trip. Besides wilderness users, this campground is popular with hunters during hunting season. June and July are heavy mosquito months so bring bug spray. There no potable water. Visitors need to pack plenty of water.
Located 40 minutes southeast of Lakeview, Oregon, Twin Springs campground offers three peaceful campsites at 6,300 feet elevation. Twin Springs gurgles up in the center of the forest camp amid tall ponderosa pine, white fir, and aspen trees. There is a lush riparian understory along the creek and bright wildflowers in the late spring and summer. Amenities at Twin Springs include picnic tables and fire grates, and one vault toilet. Visitors can enjoy bird watching, wildlife viewing (deer are common) and hiking on the Crane Mountain National Recreation Trail, located two miles west and accessed near Rogger Meadow. There is no potable water. Visitors need to pack plenty of water.
Deadhorse Lake is located one hour 20 minutes south of Paisley, Oregon situated on Deadhorse Lake, a high-mountain lake with grassy and pebble beaches. The lake, elevation 7372 feet, spans 31 acres and is stocked with rainbow trout. There are nine tent and trailer sites, all with picnic tables and fire grills. It also features seven group campsites; some larger sites are located further from the lakeshore. There is also a hand pump for potable water. Deadhorse Lake, great for fishing, swimming, and boating (non-motorized or electric motors only), features a boat launch and separate day use area. All camping is first-come, first-served, and weekends and holidays are generally full. Nearby access to the Lakes Trail System.
Deep Creek campground is located in the South Warner Mountains, one hour 25 minutes southeast of Lakeview, Oregon. This site offers rustic camping in a ponderosa pine, cottonwood, and aspen setting. Colorful wildflowers are abundant in spring and early summer. It is a popular camp in the fall for hunters. Amenities include four campsites along the creek, each with picnic tables and fire grates, and one vault toilet. There are fishing, wildlife viewing and hiking opportunities. There is no potable water. Visitors need to pack plenty of water.
The Dismal Creek Forest Camp has been decommissioned.
Back in July 2019, my buddy and I rode our motorcycles to this camp/hot spring. I had heard of this place from another friend on Facebook & this was our destination. A wonderful ride to this easy-to-find site. Everything from full-service cabins to rent and RVs, down to what we used, tent camping. Beautiful but spartan tent camping area, portable toilets (clean), and cable spools used as tables. The hot springs were WONDERFUL, with both indoor (bathhouse) and outdoor pools. If I recall. clothing optional after 9pm. The operators of this facility are extremely "green" in thinking, with the re-use of most building materials, etc. Their website is excellent and gives more details. Highly recommend!!
This campground has a vault toilet, a water pump, and a brown water dump site. It has 7 back in camping spots, and there is fishing nearby. I would suggest smaller trailers and Rvs or tent camping. If you need phone or internet service this site is not for you.
This sweet little place beside a creek in Surprise Valleyis just right for low-key tent camping and they have a place for a small van or RV too. Composting toilet, dipping in the creek, and a cool little town (restaurant there is open Thurs-Sun). It's on a farm, technically, but they are mostly taking time off farming. Dark skies and no worries.
Private “campground” near Lakeview, Oregon (right along the Northern California border) functions more like a year round RV park; most of the residents are permanent although there are spots for travelers passing through. Call ahead for availability to make sure there’s space and they can accommodate your rig.
In total, the owner told me that they have 18 versatile sites they keep for travelers that can accommodate tents. Six of them are pull thrus with electric hookups, and five of those have water hookups. Dump station is not available on site. Friendly folks in the off chance you ever find yourself in this neck of the woods!
Peaceful and beautiful RV park about 8 miles west of Lakeview Oregon. All pull-thru level sites. Clean bathrooms/showers/laundry. Large grassy area with volleyball, horseshoes, and cornhole. Lots of hiking trails and rven a lake with fishing.
Beautiful spot, quiet, west of Lakeview approximately 11 miles. Easy to access, sites close together, bathrooms with showers very clean. Friendly accommodating staff.
We are traveling in a 20’ van. We are at lake view. Big rigs around us, but we dont feel crowded. Trails around. Fishing and just relaxing
Bathrooms (showers and toilet) are close. Need some update but I have seen worst
Has a cafe. Havent been there for food but at check in looked pretty good
Confused? This lake must be seasonal because we could not find it while traveling around this campsite. There is a small marshy area and grass as if the lake is there at other times of the year. The campsites have very little privacy, but there are bathrooms, amenities, nice day-use area, pet exercise area, etc. This park is on the border of California near Lakeview… so while I did not necessary think it was worth the drive to go see this campground, the nearby town is a great little American escape for groceries, a great little Saturday Farmers Market, a nice cup of coffee, or just to explore.
Camped here in June 2020 and got the single prime spot across the little pond with its own pit toilet. Snowed when we were there in June. No hookups but there’s water around the campsites and picnic tables and fire pits. Excellent little campground with maybe a dozen or so sites. Clean & well maintained. Beautiful Warner Mountains all around.
If you keep going up the forest road there are dispersed camping spots at higher elevation with great views but roads only suitable for small rigs. There’s both a BLM and USFS office in nearby Cedarville for info plus hot springs in Surprise Valley and lots of good rockhounding in nearby Warner mountains on the west side towards Lakeview. Would camp here again.
Description is accurate - one table, one fire ring and room for a couple of tents, but not much else. The fresh water spring is not a 1/4” mile but just across the road where it has easy access through a pipe flowing into a small pool. Tons of flow and I found the water pure and clean. Lovely location with a couple spots to put your tent right next to Dairy Creek. The road gets very low use so not a bother.
The Campground: Oregon Sunstone Collection Area
Sunstones are the Oregon state gemstone, and out in the middle of the Oregon desert the Bureau of Land Management has set aside an amazing area where you can camp and rockhound for free. There's shade areas covering picnic tables, a pit toilet (filled with black widow spiders), and large camp sites with level gravel tent pads.
The campsite is amazing, yet remote. If it weren't for the black widow spiders in the pit toilet and lack of water, this site would easily rate a 5. As it was, we had an amazing time staying here for two nights, picking up sunstones everywhere as well as visiting a local "fee" mine called Pana Mine. Smallish sunstones are everywhere right on the surface. If you want to find larger sunstones or ones with unusual colors, local mines have several pricing options.
Tips:
Ranger Review: Oofos OOlala Sandal - Cloud White
I've been wearing my Oofos Flip Flops (OOlala Sandal - Cloud White) for several weeks now and I have nothing but good things to say about them. As a dyrt ranger, I was given a pair to review for free, and I was quite excited having heard such great things beforehand from other rangers. They definitely lived up to the hype. Super-comfy, thick soles that held up well even to rocks and hiking, and the ability to send them through the wash are all huge pluses in my book.
To truly put them to the test, however, I brought them with me to the suntone collection area near Plush, Oregon--an area in the middle of the Oregon desert literally covered with sharp glass-like rocks. I knew none of the other sandals or water shoes I had would hold up to all those rocks, and I was also dubious with the Oofos. After all, other flip-flops I've had in the past would always get rocks and thorns stuck in the bottom that would tear holes in them. After three days out in the desert however, I was thrilled to have my Oofos including the sole still looking like new. Definitely a 5/5 star review for my favorite new shoes.
Check out the video review to hear my sizing tips and the one suggestion I have to make them better.
A small quiet campground near, but not on Drews creek. Only space for about 4 maybe 5 RVs. All sites great for tents. There are no services - no water, no electric, no dump. It does have two very nice and clean modern pit toilets. We had no cell service.
For a small campground, which could only accommodate small RV’s and tenters, this campground has everything you might need. Along the banks of Sage Hen Creek, this intimate campground offers well-spaced out sites, with a fire ring and picnic table each. The two vault toilets were very clean and well stocked. The campground has trash, a returnables bin and drinking water.
With the large ponderosa pines overhead we had to be strategic about our parking situation for our camper’s solar array. In many of these situations we set out our portable panel so that we can keep our camper in the shade and still collect solar energy to keep our small battery charged.
There are plenty of hiking trails and opportunities for cycling and fishing throughout the National Forest area. There was a recent forest fire on the other side of the creek so the views are stunning in their own haunting way. Just a few miles back down the road, the town of Paisley has a few services, a small cafe, gas station/ convenience store, post office and of course a drive-thru barista. The closest larger town is Lakeview with a few more services, but don’t try to do your laundry there!
There are spots to park your RV and hook up to water and electric. It is a gravel parking lot. There are designated tent spots in the dirt next to the gravel parking lot.
There is a nice heated restroom with flush toilets. Showers are available, however they are $3.
The area was very windy and noisy.
A really fun RV park with good shade. The owners were extremely nice and helpful. We could see Oregon’s only geyser erupt from our site!
Absolutely fantastic experience at Oregon Outback RV Park! We recently had the pleasure of hosting our family reunion here, and I can’t say enough about how perfect it was. The owners went above and beyond by reserving the entire park exclusively for our family, creating a private and intimate setting that made our reunion truly special. From the moment we arrived, we were struck by how clean and well-maintained the entire site was. The stunning view of Abert Rim added to the charm, and being nestled among the trees made for a picturesque and serene backdrop to our stay. But what truly set Oregon Outback RV Park apart was the warmth and kindness of the owners. They were not only incredibly accommodating but also genuinely wonderful people who made us feel right at home. Their hospitality was a highlight of our stay and added an extra layer of joy to our gathering. If you’re looking for a great family camp experience, look no further. Oregon Outback RV Park is a hidden gem that offers a perfect blend of cleanliness, charm, and heartfelt service. We couldn’t have asked for a better place to create lasting memories with our loved ones. Highly recommend it to anyone seeking a memorable and delightful camping experience!
Cows… you will see many open range cows while you drive down a long gravel road and again when you reach your destination at Mud Creek. The creek is somewhat seasonal, but you can find a small stream on the road across from the campsite. Not enough water to go fishing or swimming. There is no cell service out there, but many hiking trails and peace and quiet if that is what you are searching for. There is a trailhead a mile up the road with parking. There are vault toilets and space for both tent and RV camping. Be on the look out for rattlesnakes, ticks, and cows out here.
This funky little private resort and campground, on the way from nowhere to anywhere, has more than you might expect from first glance. The large, dry camping area offers a large field for folks to spread out without being on top of each other. While there are a handful of hookups sites for RV’s, we preferred the less expensive field option. They have a couple of pit toilets near the field, as well as a full bathroom and shower area. With our solar powered system, we were able to keep our battery topped off while taking advantage of all that the springs have to offer, which is just a short walk away.
They also offer some tiny cabins for rent, each with its own unique rustic charm. The public bath house has a large indoor swimming pool, clean changing rooms, sparkling bathrooms and showers. The outdoor, natural pools are what make this place so unique. Three pools, three differing temperatures helps folks find their own “just right.” The springs have a decidedly rustic charm, with lots of converted farm buildings and antique features, so you might want to adjust your city expectations to a more rural and rougher edged setting. But hot water on a very cold night with views of the starry sky above are just the right about the right cure for whatever ails you.
The springs are located about midway between the larger towns of La Pine and Lakeview, around 70ish miles from each, where you can find large grocery stores and services. A few convenience stores, gas, and post offices can be found in the tiny hamlets along the highway. It is a remote, lovely and quiet spot on the edge of this large lake.
Owners were friendly and willing to help us with whatever needed, including giving good directions to some of the beautiful local scenic sites. We loved the big shade trees and green grass at our group’s 3 sites. Plenty of room for our big RV’s in the easy pull-through sites. We stayed 2 nights on our way through the Oregon outback and would definitely come back.
This was a very open campground, very little privacy allotted for each site. There were some tree cover and grass. The lake was not very swimmable as it was dry, so we went to a nearby creek and enjoyed that.
It was pretty awesome to be on the state lines of Oregon and California, able to be two places at once. The town of New Pine Creek spans both states and has lots of fun places to visit and see.
It’s not a bad little park. Has electricity and water at the sites. Almost all our drive-through. Cost is $35 a night. Have bathrooms and showers.
Showers are not marked men or women. I am wondering if that’s the Oregon thing.
They’re working on making us a little nicer place. I think they’re going to have a store but they don’t have anything right now.
It’s right along the highway but it doesn’t seem too noisy. It’s not a busy road. Or at least not tonight.
Everything is gravel.
They have propane.
They don’t have a restriction on how old your RV is.
This remote campground is functional and practical. Bare bones with a few camp sites, a restroom, some covered picnic benches and a restroom. Bring your own water and plenty of it! It can be very windy here so make sure to stake down your tent well so it doesn't blow away! (We saw this happen to one gent. Glad he had some fear in it to keep it from flying too far).
There are many roads near by that lead out into the collection area. It takes your eyes a minute to see what you are looking for because sunstonea are so plentiful!
My tip: look for the reflections of the stones, catch a glint and go after it! There are thousands right under your nose and you don't necessarily have to dig to find them.Happy Rock Hounding!
I stayed here on the first night of the Oregon Outback. It is a very small simple designated camping area with a very clean pit toilet and a few picnic tables but nothing else.
A few loggers and Forest service trucks passed on the road, but mostly traffic was cyclists.
Listened to birds and coyotes and enjoyed being under the canopy of stars. Great little spot.
In other places I've seen this place reviewed as dingy. What someone expected from a privately run campground on the edge of a massive salt pan expected...I don't know. If you're not into the perfectly imperfect it ain't for you, then again very little in the Oregon Outback will be. There are a few rusted cars hanging around, but the cabins are clean and well kitted, the spring pools are absolutely pleasant, and the scenery outstanding.
Pros: Totally isolated (during the week). Stunning views of surrounding mountains and forest with a crystal clear lake (Cave Lake) for swimming and fishing. Sites equipped with fire pits and picnic tables. Pit toilets. Camped directly next to lake. Stargazing was absolutely breathtaking. One of our very favorite sites just over the Oregon-California border.
Cons: No water. Difficult climb/drive without good tires or 4WD (very steep, high grade road that is mostly dirt and large rocks).
Tips: 4WD/AWD is a must. And drive slowly (see above). We popped a tire in our SUV on the way up, but totally worth it.
The sunstone is Oregon’s State rock. HERE AT THIS LOCATION YOU CAN COLLECT THEM FREE OF CHARGE - but don’t be greedy! They come in all shapes and sizes, but most are the size of a fingernail or baby’s tooth. You will need to drive out 45-90minutes on a gravel road to reach this location and it is truly out in Oregon’s Outback and will take a full day to reach your destination. FYI DO NOT PICK SUNSTONES UNTIL YOU REACH END-POINT. The surrounding land is not for public use. You will know you’re good to go and at the end-point when you see the photos below with the sign and camp site. It would be safer to Camp in an RV or car because of rattlesnakes and heat-exposure. We did not stay because of the poor air quality from summer fires nearby. There are wild antelope and rabbits in the area. Keep on the look out for wildlife on your drive! No shade is available except for the covered Camp spots. You will see the MANY Sunstones laying out on the ground, sparking in the sun, no need for digging which is quite fun. Sunstones are made from the minerals in the dried up/preserved lake in this area. Lake county is full of seasonal lakes is what we discovered on our road trip this summer...Good luck and have fun!
This place is really in the middle of nowhere and so quiet. Pit toilet was clean and well stocked. There were 5 or 6 other campers spaced out so that you could hardly see most of them. Best of all sunstones littered the ground everywhere. Out in the northwest corner of the area is the best gathering, bring something to sieve with and plop yourself down and just pick them up. If it wasn’t for our kids being bored to tears we may still be there… This is a part of Oregon that not many people take the time to see. It’s definitely worth it.
Tent camping near Lakeview, Oregon offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature, surrounded by stunning landscapes and serene environments. With various campgrounds available, outdoor enthusiasts can find the perfect spot to set up their tents and enjoy the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lakeview, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lakeview, OR is Cave Lake Campground with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 28 tent camping locations near Lakeview, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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