Best Dispersed Camping near Lorane, OR

Dispersed camping near Lorane, Oregon includes several free sites on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and within state forests. The Elliott State Forest provides extensive dispersed camping opportunities along forest roads, while BLM areas like Kentucky Falls Road and Corn Spur Road feature primitive sites. Hult Pond Recreation Area, though technically dispersed, offers more established sites along a man-made pond. Most locations require self-sufficiency as they lack developed facilities and operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

Many access roads throughout these areas consist of unpaved gravel or dirt surfaces that may become challenging during wet weather. High-clearance vehicles are recommended for reaching more remote sites, particularly in Elliott State Forest where steep grades have caused problems for some campers. Most dispersed sites follow standard 14-day stay limits, though this may vary by location. Fire restrictions are common during summer months, with complete bans during high fire danger periods. No drinking water, trash service, or hookups are available at these primitive locations, requiring campers to pack out all waste.

The dispersed camping experience varies significantly across these areas. Elliott State Forest provides secluded mountain views and creek-side camping with minimal traffic. One camper noted, "There are plenty of nice spots with good views, just takes a bit of driving around to find the perfect one." Hult Pond offers lakefront sites but can become crowded during peak periods. A visitor mentioned, "There are several sites, we stayed in H2, which is painted on the road. It's a short 30 feet walk to the site from the parking spot." Cell service is limited or nonexistent in most areas, particularly at Hult Pond where reviews indicate "no service but great for seclusion."

Best Dispersed Sites Near Lorane, Oregon (10)

    1. Doolittle Butte

    1 Review
    Cottage Grove, OR
    15 miles

    2. Hult Pond

    18 Reviews
    Blachly, OR
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (541) 683-6600

    "There are only a few flat spots for RVs but quite a few decent spots for tent camping next to the pond. The west side of the pond has at least 2 spots that are a good distance away from the others."

    "Nice pond to camp near, several campsites to choose from and trails to explore"

    3. BLM Kentucky Falls Road

    4 Reviews
    Walton, OR
    23 miles

    "Nice pull off dispersed place to camp. Some sketchy people around but availability to get away from people up the road"

    "Good camp location, easy to find. Paved most of the way up."

    5. Near Fawn Creek Campground (BLM)

    2 Reviews
    Scottsburg, OR
    30 miles

    "My visit near Fawn Creek Campground in Oregon was a refreshing experience, surrounded by dense forests and rolling hills."

    6. Elliott State Forest Dispersed

    13 Reviews
    North Bend, OR
    47 miles
    Website

    "Needed a last minute to car camp that was close to the coast, found these dispersed sites online and figured it try it out."

    "Nice and close to Bandon. No trouble accessing in our midsize suv. It was muddy at the site, and unfortunately, those before us left a lot of trash. Did my best to clean up when was left behind."

    7. Saddle Camp

    1 Review
    Dorena, OR
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (541) 957-3200

    "It's best if you have four wheel drive or all wheel drive. Wouldn't recommend going in the winter months or rainy season. It is a very fun drive though taxing and it is slow going."

    9. Forest Road 5875

    1 Review
    Oakridge, OR
    49 miles

    "Got into Eugene super late and started the drive down to Crater lake. Wife and I decided the safe thing was to post up for the night and continue on in the morning."

    10. Wright Creek Trailhead

    1 Review
    Idleyld Park, OR
    42 miles
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Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Lorane, OR

29 Photos of 10 Lorane Campgrounds


Dispersed Camping Reviews near Lorane, OR

37 Reviews of 10 Lorane Campgrounds


  • j
    Apr. 29, 2021

    Hult Pond

    The wrong sort of nostalgia

    Our weekend at Hult Pond was unforgettable. I know because I have tried.

    Disbursed camp sights sprawl along this man made log pond and nightmarish horror movie set along a footpath seamingly designed to dump its evening travelers into the muck that is Hult Pond. Jagged old logs poke out of the stagnant water as a reminder that someone used to get paid to spend the day here.

     If this doesn’t sound like the most picturesque of settings I would direct you to the strange log loading equipment rusting just on the forbidden side of a gated barbed wire fence. Upon closer inspection you see what must be tetanus’s way of luring barefoot boys and girls into a summer of drooling lockjaw.

    The access road is a still functioning rock quarry road that hosts a never ending parade of old rattling dump trucks and loaders. Nothing says ,”getting away from the hustle and bustle”  quite like a convoy barrelling down a narrow road spilling basketball sized boulders before returning bouncing back up  empty and clearly attempting to meet a quota.

    The whole thing gave me an uneasy sense of nostalgia. Reminding me of the days we would gather by the dozens with red solo cups full of Hams. We would drink ourselves into a vomiting delirium in a parking lot off some old logging road. We would wake up with profanities drawn on our faces as punishment for succumbing to alcohol poisoning sooner than at least one of our classmates. 

    In fact I believe that’s exactly what the 58 kids in the campsite right next to ours we’re doing each night of our trip.

    The girls  learned all sorts of colorful language and I believed, based on the way my ten year old son  was drooling that the tetanus had succeeded. I was not relieved to discover on our final morning, him wreaking of cheap beer and cigarettes and moaning how horrible he felt while proffering his undying love to a high school girl named Tiffany. 

    Not recommended.

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 7, 2023

    Elliott State Forest Dispersed

    Beautiful spots, make sure to download a map

    Needed a last minute to car camp that was close to the coast, found these dispersed sites online and figured it try it out. There was surprisingly multiple spots that I had cell service (AT&T) so I was able to navigate myself around through a satellite map. Lots of nice spots with good views, just takes a bit of driving around to find the perfect one. Didn’t see anyone up there and I was there from Tuesday to Wednesday. Hope to return at some point! Just beware some of the side roads are a bit overgrown and can scratch up your car.

  • J
    Oct. 15, 2020

    Elliott State Forest Dispersed

    Great and close to bandon

    We stayed for a night on our way down the coast. Nice and close to Bandon. No trouble accessing in our midsize suv. It was muddy at the site, and unfortunately, those before us left a lot of trash. Did my best to clean up when was left behind. There was a fire pit but we did not use it due to fire restrictions. Nice misty views over the trees in the morning.

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 15, 2023

    Elliott State Forest Dispersed

    Elliott Primitive Campsites

    The Elliott State Forest has more than 550 miles of roads and trails, but only a primary network has been maintained over the past 10 years since the 90,000 acre area was shut down with environmental lawsuits. Many of these roads lead to excellent camping sites, including old lookouts, fishing holes, secluded springs, and an undeveloped campground favored by local mudrunners. Met organization has worked with the local Community College the past seven years regarding recreational research on the Elliott, with our most recent (and likely final) focus being on historic trails and primitive campsites. The pandemic caused much of this work to be documented on student-level videos, indexed on YouTube: http://www.orww.org/Elliott\_Forest/Recreation/index.html and https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1JyKCHg2GmHjLtQzXXDks4Rb-LE9HoJ-

  • Leah W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 26, 2018

    Elliott State Forest Dispersed

    Review of Matador Freerain 24 at Elliott State Forest

    Dispersed camping is allowed in all state forests within Oregon. https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Recreation/pages/Camp.aspx

    We found an awesome spot along Marlow Creek Road, about 4 miles into the forest (coming in from Allegeny). There are plenty of pull outs all along the way, with room for 2-3 cars, as well as full tents and chairs set up. The road follows a babbling creek which was amazing to sleep next to. There are no amenities, follow any postings about campfire restrictions. (When we went- no fires were allowed). This is a logging forest, so we had huge logging trucks roll by in the morning - because of this, it may not be the best spot for kids or off leashed dogs. The trucks went by very quickly, stirring up a lot of dust- keep your car windows shut and use a pot while cooking breakfast! We had very few mosquitos or bugs, and loved being encompassed by the mossy trees!

    Ranger Review of the Matador Freerain 24 L Backpack

    https://matadorup.com/products/matador-freerain24-backpack?variant=47744934037

    As a Ranger, I occasionally get the chance to test out gear in the field. I was really excited about trying out this pack, as I do a lot of canyoneering, and dealing with waterproof bags inside of soggy backpacks is always a hassle. Or you have to figure out a way to secure a typical waterproof bag to you. The bag is made of a lightweight rainjacket-like material, and has a roll top to it’s main compartment. I took the bag on a 3 mile hike to some waterfalls, where I could test out it’s waterproofness. At home, I went to a nearby lake to try submerging it.

    Pros

    This bag was extremely light, small and pack-able! You have no reason NOT to bring it with you if you may be heading somewhere wet. It folds into a small drawstring about the size of a baseball.

    This bag has separate storage compartments whereas most drybags are a long tube where everything falls to the bottom. Within this bag, you have 2 water bottle holders (where I tossed things like keys), a easy access zip pocket on the front, as well as the small drawstring that the bag itself can be stored in (I put my packs of gummies in here for safe keeping).

    Cons

    The bag does not have a chest strap, so there was the potential for the backpack to slip off if you were doing strenuous activity, it also didn’t sit perfectly comfortable because of this. It does however, have adjustable shoulder straps (which I didn’t see as necessary).

    I was nervous about putting my 1 L Nalgene bottles into the water bottle pockets because of the material of the bag…with just 1, it made the bag extremely lopsided, or with 2, it seemed to put a lot of stress on the bag itself. I tossed my water inside the bag instead, which made it pretty lumpy since the packable bag doesn’t have structure.

    The front pocket is as advertised, water resistant, but definitely did not pass the waterproof test when I submerged the bag. It’s OK for waterfall mist or a light rain, but I wouldn’t keep my phone in there if we were getting dunked!

    Conclusion!

    If this bag had the chest strap, I’d be in 100% for using it for canyoneering adventures, however- since it doesn’t seem made for more rugged situations, I’m not sure why you would need such a waterproof bag. Most daypacks nowadays come with a raincover, or are made of a water resistant material to keep your goodies from getting soaked - unless you are planning a very casual dayhike where you are literally walking under waterfalls, I would most likely invest in a different daypack solution..

  • EThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 17, 2023

    Hult Pond

    Secluded Pond Great for a Quick stay

    Great spot for a quick stay. There are only a few flat spots for RVs but quite a few decent spots for tent camping next to the pond. The west side of the pond has at least 2 spots that are a good distance away from the others. At the moment, no fires or barbecues allowed but propane stoves and lanterns are fine. Look for Bandits blue squeaky disk! We lost it and never found it.

  • James S.
    Feb. 21, 2025

    Near Fawn Creek Campground (BLM)

    A Peaceful Escape Near Fawn Creek Campground

    My visit near Fawn Creek Campground in Oregon was a refreshing experience, surrounded by dense forests and rolling hills. The campground offers a quiet retreat with well-maintained facilities, making it a great spot for nature lovers. With temperatures ranging from 30°F in winter to 80°F in summer, it’s a beautiful destination year-round. Nearby attractions like Siuslaw National Forest and the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area provide plenty of opportunities for hiking and exploration. For families with kids, keeping them entertained is easy whether it’s exploring the outdoors or enjoying Toca Boca games, a fun and creative way for kids to play and imagine. Overall, this area is a perfect blend of relaxation and adventure, making it a great choice for a weekend getaway!

  • G
    May. 4, 2021

    Elliott State Forest Dispersed

    Nice secluded separate areas to camp with gorgeous views

    You have to drive some winding forest service roads to get to a spot then find one on or near the road but there's a couple good camp spots.

  • Aaron The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 3, 2025

    Hult Pond

    Nice pond

    Nice pond to camp near, several campsites to choose from and trails to explore


Guide to Lorane

Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Lorane, Oregon, where nature meets tranquility. This area offers a variety of spots for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle and immerse themselves in the great outdoors.

Secluded Spots for Dispersed Campers

  • For a peaceful retreat, consider BLM Kentucky Falls Road, which provides a nice pull-off area for camping, allowing you to enjoy some solitude away from the crowds.
  • If you're seeking a picturesque setting, Hult Pond offers several flat spots for tent camping right next to the water, perfect for a serene getaway.
  • The Near Fawn Creek Campground (BLM) is known for its seclusion, making it an ideal choice for those wanting to escape into nature without the noise of other campers.

Activities While Free Camping Near Lorane

  • Enjoy fishing and exploring the natural beauty at Hult Pond, where you can unwind by the water and take in the scenic views.
  • For those who love hiking, the trails around Elliott State Forest Dispersed offer over 550 miles of roads and paths to explore, perfect for a day of adventure.
  • If you're looking for a unique experience, the Saddle Camp area provides a fun drive and complete solitude, ideal for those who want to disconnect from the world.

Tips for Free and Dispersed Camping Near Lorane, Oregon

  • Be prepared for limited amenities at places like BLM Kentucky Falls Road, where there are no toilets or trash services, so plan accordingly.
  • When visiting Hult Pond, remember that cell service can be spotty due to tree coverage, making it a great spot to truly disconnect.
  • Always check road conditions before heading to Saddle Camp, as some areas may require a four-wheel-drive vehicle, especially during rainy seasons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Lorane, OR?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Lorane, OR is Doolittle Butte with a 3-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Lorane, OR?

TheDyrt.com has all 10 dispersed camping locations near Lorane, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.