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Best Tent Camping near Lostine, OR

312 Reviews

The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest surrounding Lostine, Oregon offers several tent campgrounds with varying levels of amenities and seclusion. Walla Walla Forest Camp, located directly in Lostine, provides tent campsites along the Lostine River corridor with basic facilities. Hurricane Creek Campground, situated 5 miles from Joseph, features 13 tent sites with several positioned along a fast-moving creek. Two Pan Campground serves as a gateway for backcountry tent camping in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, while Williamson Campground offers additional tent camping options. For more remote experiences, Aneroid Lake Backcountry Dispersed Campsite and Mirror Lake Backcountry Sites provide primitive tent camping accessible only by hiking trails.

Most tent campgrounds in the region feature natural surfaces with minimal site preparation, making them suitable for tent setups but requiring careful placement. Vault toilets are available at established campgrounds, but drinking water is not provided at most locations. Campers should bring all necessary water or filtration equipment. Forest Service roads accessing many tent sites may require high-clearance vehicles, particularly after spring snowmelt when conditions can be muddy. Fire restrictions frequently apply during summer months, and bear activity necessitates proper food storage. Sites operate on a first-come, first-served basis with typical 14-day stay limits.

Tent campers frequently mention the solitude and natural setting as primary attractions. According to reviews, Hurricane Creek Campground offers "campsites spaced quite far apart, some only large enough for a tent," making it particularly suitable for tent camping. The rushing creek provides natural white noise that many find calming. At Walla Walla Forest Camp, visitors note the importance of site selection, as "spots closer to the water have fewer mosquitoes" than those set back from the river. Walk-in tent sites at higher elevations provide cooler temperatures during summer heat, while primitive tent camping areas offer opportunities to observe wildlife including deer, chipmunks, and occasionally bears. Backcountry tent camping at Mirror Lake requires a 7.3-mile hike but rewards with clear alpine waters and access to additional hiking trails.

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Best Tent Sites Near Lostine, Oregon (60)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Lostine, OR

32 Photos of 60 Lostine Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Lostine, OR

312 Reviews of 60 Lostine Campgrounds

  • Paige P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 20, 2025

    Wolf Creek Reservoir

    Sweet Spot

    A handful of great places to camp for the night- very clean and well taken care of so please leave no trace. Just a spot and a table, no water, restrooms ect.

  • Jim B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 10, 2021

    Hurricane Creek Campground

    A lovely place

    We scheduled three nights here but after two nights of amazing lightning storms, we skipped the third night. Still, this is a beautiful place, very private, secluded, and shady. The fast-moving creek creates a soothing white noise that we found calming. The campsites are spaced quite far apart, some only large enough for a tent. No hookups, but there is a clean vault toilet. We planned to hit the nearby hiking trail, but when we got to the trailhead, the parking lot was completely packed. When we go there again, we will stay and relax at the campground.

  • John 'n Sara D.
    Aug. 2, 2018

    Jubilee Lake Campground (Or) — Umatilla National Forest

    Peace & Quiet!

    The campground is somewhat primitive. There are flushing toilets on the lower loop, vault toilets on the upper loop. no showers, but you can refresh in the lake. The nights get chilly, so be prepared with warm socks and a beenie, especially if you’re tent camping.

    There are no power boats allowed on the lake, so it is raft, kayak paddle board friendly.

    The path around the lake is an easy walk, just don’t expect to sit on a bench and enjoy the view of the lake, the trees have grown up.

  • Nick B.
    Jul. 15, 2019

    Target Meadows Campground — Umatilla National Forest

    Rustic campground with a neat history

    We tent camped for the weekend in mid-July. The plan was to camp at Jubilee Lake, but it was full when we arrived Friday evening. Target Meadows is just a short drive from the lake, but there were plenty of sites available. The campground is heavily wooded with beautiful evergreens. Sites are private and well spaced. This is a rustic campground, so there is no water or power. Amenities include (very clean!) pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits with cooking grates. There is a lot of dry timber on the ground, so it is easy to collect your own firewood. There is easy access to hiking, including Burnt Cabin trailhead. Most campsites are trailer friendly, including a few with drive-through access. We really enjoyed the area and will be back again!

  • Emily C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 19, 2021

    Spring Creek Campground

    Good free FS campground

    Came here for an overnight stop while traveling through the area. Solid spot - 4 large sites with level spots, fire ring, picnic tables, vault toilet. Arrived around 5pm on a Saturday in October and 3 spots were available - the others filled up after me. Quiet and beautiful while being close to the highway. Perfect and pleasant for my overnight stop

  • J
    Apr. 18, 2018

    Bird Track Springs

    Excellent place to dry camp...

    Every time we camp here it has been quiet, wild life comes around to say hi. Vault toilets, no water, no trash pickup. Always clean,,, Nice place...

  • Hannah O.
    Mar. 16, 2021

    North Fork Catherine Creek Campground

    Peaceful and free to camp

    Lovely location in the mountains of Oregon. We drove a few thousand feet up a gravel road to get to this campsite. Easy access for my little sedan. I typed the latitude and longitude (found on the website) into my gps but lost service maybe 15 or 20 minutes before we arrived. Luckily it still was able to track our location and tell us “you have arrived” but as the campsite description said, these sites are spread out along the road, so it took us an extra 10 or 15 minutes to find the site we were going to stay at. The easiest campsites to find are at the trailhead of the North Fork Catharine Creek trail, which has a large parking lot with a minimal parking fee. The vault toilets are at this parking lot. For us, we crossed the bridge right before the parking lot and found a pull-off loop that had a few trailers with what seemed to be seasonal campers. They were cheerful and friendly. We went to the very back of the loop and found a nice secluded spot that was literally yards from the river. It was a primitive spot; it had no picnic table and only a fire ring made of rocks but since we had chairs we didn’t mind.

    The forest floor was extremely easy to drive stakes into, and the river made a lovely background noise to fall asleep to.

    The only thing I didn’t like was a couple bags of trash sitting on the side of the loop. We figured they were from the seasonal campers who put them at a distance so they didn’t have to deal with the smell. Not a great idea since an animal could get into it though. That’s something to keep in mind; THERE IS NO DUMPSTER so you have to pack all trash back out.

    We stayed in the middle of July and it was delightfully cool, in the mid 70s during the day and dropped down to the upper 40s over night.

    All in all a lovely overnight trip. I would go back.

  • Kelsey G.
    Aug. 30, 2020

    Pittsburg Campground

    Beautiful area, ok camping

    Beautiful area, incredibly scenic and photographable, but a few things to be aware of.

    There is a heck of a drive to get into this place, there’s a very winding and steep road to get there and it took us about an hour from White Bird. That being said, it was a very lovely and scenic drive, and based on the number of trailers and boats that were down there it doesn’t seem to deter many people. Just be aware you’ll want to come prepared with whatever you’ll need while you’re there because it’s not a quick ride back into town to get supplies (and make sure you have enough gas in your tank)

    Also, word of warning to any dog owners; I discovered as soon as we unloaded from the vehicle that there are sticky burs absolutely everywhere on the ground and our furry labradoodle was soon covered with them. The first thing we did when we got back into cell phone range was call and schedule him a grooming appointment to get shaved because they were on every inch of his body and would be impossible to comb out.

    The campsites are all pretty close together and since this is a desert area there are very few trees, so you will be able to see your fellow campers and they will be able to see you. Each site has a little canopy thing for both shade and I suspect some wind protection (it got extremely windy one of the nights we were there).

    It was $8 a night when I was there in August 2020. There was a burn restriction in place from July 1st to September 15th according to posted signs.

    If you do not have a trailer, there are some dispersed camping sites at the “Upper Landing” that are clearly marked. They are walk in only but didn’t appear to be too far to walk and seem that they would afford a bit more privacy if that’s what you’d looking for.

  • Z
    Oct. 19, 2022

    Morgan Lake - TEMPORARILY CLOSED

    Beautiful Lake

    Beautiful campground. Maybe 15 sites, and totally free. 3 day camping limit. Sites have picnic tables and fire rings. Pit toilets are available, but no potable water. Almost every site has lake frontage. The campground is usually open until October 31. Paddle boats only. No motors.

Guide to Lostine

Tent camping near Lostine, Oregon centers around the Lostine River corridor within Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. The region sits at elevations ranging from 5,000 to 8,000 feet with summer daytime temperatures typically between 70-85°F and nighttime lows often dropping to 40-50°F. Most camping areas remain accessible from mid-June through October, with access limited by snowpack during spring months.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Hurricane Creek offers cold-water fishing with catch limits. "The river is shallow in most places but right off this site it has a deep area where you can dip, the water is freezing even in late August, and there's a 3 foot jump down onto the bank," notes Kaitlyn P. about Hurricane Creek Campground.

Wildlife viewing: Early mornings provide the best wildlife spotting near Lostine campsites. "Saw two bucks together early in the morning grazing," reports a camper at Hurricane Creek Campground, while at Williamson Campground, the river environment attracts diverse bird species.

Backcountry exploration: Aneroid Lake serves as a starting point for alpine hiking. According to Nick J. about Aneroid Lake Backcountry Dispersed Campsite, "The lake is stocked every few years with rainbow trout, and has a good supply of brook trout."

What campers like

Natural water features: Campers consistently mention the rushing water as a highlight. "Hurricane Creek Campsite is super nice. Sits right along Hurricane Creek and has a lot of well maintained spots," shares Andrew L., though he cautions, "if you have dogs keep them on a leash because if they were to get in the creek that would be all she wrote."

Private, spacious sites: Walla Walla Forest Camp offers particularly secluded camping. "Just 4 sites, 2 with great river access. We loved the view and how big and private our site was," reports Heather R.

White noise benefits: Many campers appreciate the sound of moving water. "Small campground by a beautiful but loud creek. Several sites along the creek, some accessible by car only (no trailer turnaround). Sites private," explains Janet K. about Hurricane Creek Campground.

What you should know

Bug preparedness: Mosquitoes vary by campsite location and proximity to water. At Walla Walla Forest Camp, Sweetclover S. advises, "Our spot was tucked back a little way, which we liked. But was furthest from the water and swampy, which we didn't like. The other two spots are closer to the water, so you don't have to contend so much with misquitos."

Trail access considerations: Popular trailheads fill quickly during summer weekends. At Mirror Lake BackCountry Sites, Sarah R. notes: "We clocked the hike in from Two Pan Trailhead at 7.3 miles. The incline is mostly gradual with a nice break of mostly flat trail in a beautiful valley meadow area. Lots of horse traffic on this trail, so watch your step!"

Water planning: No potable water exists at most sites. "No water hookups, so just remember to bring your own," reminds Brooklyn P. about Hurricane Creek Campground.

Tips for camping with families

Site selection factors: Choose sites with natural features for entertainment. At Williamson Campground, Adam H. reports, "The river is a great backdrop and sound. Space for 1 tent easily…maybe a 2nd in some. Good trees for hammock."

Wildlife encounters: Prepare children for wildlife sightings with safety protocols. Deb H. experienced this at Hurricane Creek Campground: "Deer wandered through the campground and there are chipmunks."

Vehicle considerations: Access roads vary widely in quality. "Before I drove down here, I'd read some reviews about the road not being pot-holed and washboard, but I decided to risk it with my van and so glad I did!" shares Kathy B. about Boundary Campground.

Tips from RVers

Site limitations: Most campgrounds accommodate smaller RVs only. "I found a level site for my van with neighbors not too close," notes Kathy B. about Hurricane Creek Campground, adding that leveling blocks were needed at some sites.

Turn-around challenges: Several campgrounds have limited maneuvering space. Janet K. points out that at Hurricane Creek Campground, "Several sites along the creek, some accessible by car only (no trailer turnaround)."

Seasonal considerations: Road conditions deteriorate after precipitation. Brooklyn P. cautions about Hurricane Creek: "It seemed to me that this area does get a lot of rain, so just a heads up for that. Came in a little Prius & had no issue getting to the perfect campsite."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lostine, OR?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lostine, OR is Hurricane Creek Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 9 reviews.

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