Best Equestrian Camping near Madras, OR

Easy access and larger camp spots. We were there during a few events hosted by the Sisters Rodeo and got to listen to the events.

A lot of horse trailers come into the dispersed camping area to park and ride their horses, and I've seen a lot of larger bog rig horse trailers parked at the camp sites near the front. Every single one that came in was respectful and kind. A couple of the trainers even allowed my oldest onto their horses with permission after she asked.

There were a couple of long-time stay campers that kept to themselves. We didn't have any issues with leaving our campsite unattended, even with our cook stove, propane, and ground solar equipment out in the open.

Great for solar. Just if you don't have it set on top, you will have to move it throughout the day.

Verizon cell service is completely fine. No wifi, of course, but if you use a mobile hotspot like we do, you shouldn't have any issues.

We camped at 3 different spots. The first one was right as you pulled in, directly behind the rodeo gates. Large spot, 2 fire pits. Perfect for a group. The second was farther back. Only spent 1 night there cause there was a fire ant colony and we have kids. That just seemed like a bad idea for us. Spot itself was great, though. Another perfect spot for a group, minus the fire ants. The third spit was closer to the entrance, about half way in-between the other 2 we stayed at. This one had some broken glass that was buried as well as what looked like a diabetic syringe, also buried in the dirt. This was the only camp site that had any type of garbage at it. Every other one was cleaned from what we glanced at.

Rangers come through every few days to make sure everything is safe and taken care of. When it became "no fires allowed" a ranger went to every camp site with people and asked if he could leave the information papers about what would be allowed vs not allowed during the "no burn" time. He was very respectful and kept his distance. I was by myself with my 3 young kids when he stopped by, and he stayed at least 5 feet away from all of us unless I gave the okay to come closer. The Rangers also placed "no fire" flags at each of the empty campsites in the firepits in case someone came in afterward.

Overall, it was very peaceful and a great place to stay if you plan on going to the rodeo or an event held at Sisters Rodeo but are strapped on funds.

And of course, like all dispersed campsites, it's a "pack in pack out". No water, power, sewage, bathrooms, showers, or anything else available. You bring it in, and you take it out.

Campground Review

An open, relatively unused campground next to a sleep-calling stream right in between the last forested part of Mt. Hood National Forest and the dryer, sage-bushy eastern side of Oregon. This is a fabulous go-to campground because the drive south of the Dalles produces spectacular mountain and open landscape views. Horses are welcome here; we chatted with a friendly rider. The best part is being maybe a hundred feet from Badger Creek Trail, a versatile, climate-variety hike that sports a good stopping point at Pine Creek about 6 miles in, then to Badger Lake another 6 miles beyond that. For backpacking, it was quite nice to hike in a bit, prop up a small tent and just blend into the forest as night floated down to meet us.

Product Review

As a ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test stuff, in this case the Gregory Mountain Paragon 68 Backpack. I thought my old backpack was handy and easy, but this Gregory pack upped the ante.

Top reasons I like this pack:

1. Comfort - the most welcomed feature is that no matter how I packed it, the bag was balanced and solid on my back. I liked all the extra ways to make it sit better, like extending the length of the backpack straps themselves through a strap on each that connected to the main pack.
2. Padding - there was wicking and padding everywhere, and because of #1 on this list, no part of my body got sore or squished. The pack has a firm aluminum backing, upping the even feel.
3. Portability - it holds much more that you think, in a more streamlined way too, if that makes sense. The main material is slickery, making it easier to put things in and take them out. While I didn't prefer the top and bottom section to only be separated by a square piece of material attached at four corners (having the sections completely separate and zip open-able is what I'm used to), I can also see that cloth-like square as easily removable, quickly opening up more storage possibilities.
4. Versatility - there's a smaller string pack inside, for little side trips in the event you'd like to leave the main pack behind. Of course, we took that out right away and now it's in a different location at our place. So we like it already. ; )

Great place to get away and explore Bend and Sisters Oregon

We were fortunate to stay at Bend Sisters Garden RV Resort in Sisters, Oregon. It was lovely and filled with lush greenery 🌿🌱🌲 and beautiful flowers 💐 🌸 🌺 🌹🌷🌼. The resort is meticulously clean. The bathrooms and showers were in a log cabin and hook ups were the nicest we’ve seen. 5 ⭐️ in our opinion.

This lovely "RV Resort" feels a bit like Disneyland or an amusement park (in a good way) in that everything is meticulously maintained, beautiful and there's plenty to do. From the put-put golf course near the check-in, to the store and the lovely lake, this is a great place for kids as well as adults.

It's also located near a vast array of wonderful hikes, towns, and things to do in Central Oregon. So not only a fun place to stay, but also a great jumping-off place for other activities.

We were able to score a couple of nights here in Early May.  It's a very popular Oregon State Park and I'm sure summer requires advance planning.  The weekend we were there was pretty full and our site was at the top of the B loop.  Monday, however, the park cleared out to much fewer campers.   The lake was actually mostly full and the views were beautiful.   Some of the amenities were boating, of course, lake views from some sites, a nice dog park along with the normal state park fare.  We'll definitely make another trip!

This is another Oregon state park gem... best to visit offseason if you are not a boater, jet skier or love motor noise.  I go every spring and get a spot overlooking the lake/reservoir.  Ice and firewood available. Hot showers and nice bathrooms.  This time of year I sleep in my car and so having full bathroom facilities is nice.  A great horned owl visited the tree next to my site at 1:00 am and hooted away.  Very nice.  This is also a dark sky park and if the moon is not bright the stars are amazing.  There is a hike you can take along the shore of the reservoir - 4 miles out and back.  Great geology as well.

Nice clean place to park RV or camper. Has all the amenities.

Rght next to Fair-when it is in town!

Bike touring thru and they have some shade for your tent, grass, nice showers, about all u need passing thru. It's at the fairgrounds. Tent spot $15 and just set up wherever in the grass, nice grass. About 8 small trees for shade. RV folks on gravel in the sun

Camp host was nice, easy access to sites. Showers/bathrooms clean but dated.

Three night trip to Sisters, OR.  Very happy with this RV spot.  Nice staff, clean, flat pull through spacious spots.  Great amenities, with wonderful bathroom/shower facilities.

One of my favorite perks was if you put out your propane tank in front of your spot, they'll pick it up, refill it and deliver back.

Definitely recommend, and will stay here again.

This place is beautiful. The bathrooms are wonderful. The fairgrounds are next door and we were able to let the pups run free there. The staff was very helpful and friendly. They were there to help, but not pushy or nosy. Great little mini golf course. The sites are updated, level and clean. Stayed an extra night since we liked it so much.

Nice spaces with pavement and full hookups. Catch and release fishing at the on-site pond for trout the size of steelhead. Each space has a nice green lawn and fire ring. Facilities also include a store, pool, and hot tub. Would definitely get reservations as there is always something going on in nearby Sisters and next door to the Sisters Rodeo.

Site 11 is perfect for those who prefer to be near a spa-like bath house in an RV park. Heated floors, huge showers. Fantastic.

We were RV park virgins and this intro will set a high bar for our future travels!

Arrived after the office closed and started to read late check in rules and available spaces. Helped to look up to see on the other side of the door envelopes with names, including ours. Access is easy for even large rigs. All sites are paved. Space between sites is reasonable. On site restrooms are very nicely presented. There is an on site pool and outdoor gathering place, a general store, propane vending, a dog walking path and large property behind the park to take pets with a reminder to clean up and pack it out. Garbage service is nice - place the bags by the road and maintenance staff will take it away.

You are a few miles from sisters and about 15 from the outskirts of Bend (the side that has the big box hardware and all purpose stores).

The RV park is quiet and comfortable. There are plenty of trees and green grass at each site. The way the park is laid out, it’s more of an RV neighborhood of travelers.

Top end RV resort with something for everyone. Just outside of Sisters with easy access to Bend and to many recreational sites for hiking, biking, fishing.

Although all the sites were taken, we were given a spot near a cabin with fullhook-up facilities. Also the use of picknick bench and chairs for tat cabin. The cabin was blocked for rental. The campground was very well maintained.

This place is loaded with just about everything you need from putt putt golf to a fully stocked pond (barbless un-baited hooks only, catch & release). We loved the giant dog park, huge sites, and the staff were absolutely amazing. They not only brought the bundles of wood to your site for you but they also come and collect your trash from your site.

We will definitely be going back. The only problem I have with this place (and it can also be considered a good thing when dealing with bad dog owners that don’t pick up after their pets) is that they have signs everywhere saying to keep the dogs off the grass and are pretty rigid about enforcing it.