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Best Dispersed Camping near Mapleton, OR

56 Reviews

Dispersed camping near Mapleton, Oregon occurs primarily on BLM land and within Siuslaw National Forest, with several established primitive areas including Kentucky Falls Road, Hult Pond Recreation Area, and Forest Road areas. These public lands permit free overnight stays in undeveloped locations with minimal services. Several pullouts along Kentucky Falls Road offer paved access with views, while the Siuslaw National Forest provides more secluded wooded sites on forest service roads.

Many forest access routes require careful navigation, particularly during wet conditions. Several reviewers note that Forest Road 55 features steep inclines requiring AWD or 4WD vehicles, especially after rain. Most dispersed sites lack amenities like drinking water, trash collection, or toilets, though Hult Pond Recreation Area does provide basic vault toilets. Fire restrictions vary seasonally, with complete bans common during dry summer months. Cell service is extremely limited or non-existent throughout the region, particularly at Hult Pond where reviewers specifically mention no signal for miles.

The camping experience varies significantly across locations. Kentucky Falls Road sites provide sunset viewing opportunities and relative quiet despite occasional logging traffic. One camper described it as "Great spot! Quiet and if you walk a little over through a trail you'll get an amazing view of the sunset." Siuslaw National Forest offers more remote experiences with limited established sites. A reviewer cautioned about navigation, noting "The way Google took us to this spot was terrible. Instead of keeping us on the gravel road, it had us drive through an overgrown dirt path." The forest's deep darkness and isolation create a true wilderness experience, with one visitor describing it as "dark, and I mean truly dark in there when you shut off your lights, and silent as a tomb."

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Best Dispersed Sites Near Mapleton, Oregon (10)

    1. BLM Kentucky Falls Road

    5 Reviews
    Walton, OR
    11 miles

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

    "Didn’t feel super safe solo due to some of the characters I drove by on the way up. Soot definitely had trash and such around, very sad. Obviously, remember to pack out what you pack in."

    2. Hult Pond

    18 Reviews
    Blachly, OR
    23 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. Suislaw National Forest Dispersed Camping

    5 Reviews
    Yachats, OR
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (541) 750-7000

    "I drove back in a few miles and camped along the road, in some old growth forest. It was dark, and I mean truly dark in there when you shut off your lights off, and silent as a tomb."

    "Excellent spot up 2 steep inclines. Some of the most beautiful views. Good fire ring. Do not attempt if wet."

    4. Corn Spur Road BLM

    1 Review
    Walton, OR
    11 miles

    5. Near Fawn Creek Campground (BLM)

    2 Reviews
    Scottsburg, OR
    17 miles

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

    6. Forest Road 55 Pulloff

    1 Review
    Yachats, OR
    20 miles

    "It was awesome to car camp here. I only saw two others- one camper van going further in the forest where there were several other spots."

    7. Forest Road 51 near Beaver Creek

    15 Reviews
    Seal Rock, OR
    34 miles

    "There is almost nowhere to stay in the Newport/Oregon Coast areas, so this spot was a life saver! After you hit the dirt road, there are a few good but smaller pull off spots and a few bigger ones."

    "The marked coordinates are a little overgrown, but there's a good tent spot a couple hundred feet beforehand. Pretty chilly evening, but it was definitely secluded and peaceful"

    8. Elliott State Forest Dispersed

    13 Reviews
    North Bend, OR
    41 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."

    9. Doolittle Butte

    2 Reviews
    Cottage Grove, OR
    45 miles

    "Very remote. Climb an easy dirt road back a few miles. A few deep potholes but nothing too technical."

    10. shotgun Creek

    Be the first to review!
    Cottage Grove, OR
    45 miles
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Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Mapleton, OR

34 Photos of 10 Mapleton Campgrounds

Dispersed Camping Reviews near Mapleton, OR

56 Reviews of 10 Mapleton 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.

  • Anna P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 2, 2025

    Forest Road 51 near Beaver Creek

    Peaceful, limited spots

    Nice area up a narrow forest road. When you get to the top of the road it Ts with another forest road, where there was a pull off that would fit one or two cars/vans. Turn left (where the GPS coordinates indicate) and there are three more sites, two are a few minutes down this other road. Turn right and there is one more spot. A few other very small pull offs. Very quiet, lovely views of the sky at sunset. The Beaver Creek park at the bottom of the forest road has a pit toilet and picnic tables for day use.

  • 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.

Guide to Mapleton

Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Mapleton, Oregon, where nature lovers can find serene spots away from the crowds. With a variety of locations to choose from, you can enjoy the great outdoors while embracing the freedom of camping without designated sites.

Top Activities While Free Camping Near Mapleton

  • Enjoy fishing and swimming at Hult Pond, where the tranquil waters provide a perfect backdrop for a relaxing day by the shore.
  • Explore the scenic trails in the Elliott State Forest, which offers over 550 miles of roads and trails for hiking and wildlife viewing.
  • Experience the thrill of off-road adventures in the Suislaw National Forest, where you can navigate through winding paths surrounded by towering trees.

Dispersed Campers Should Check Out Hult Pond

  • This location is ideal for those looking to disconnect, as it offers a peaceful environment with minimal cell service, perfect for a digital detox.
  • Campers can enjoy amenities like picnic tables and fire pits, making it a comfortable spot for a night under the stars at Hult Pond.
  • The area is pet-friendly, allowing you to bring your furry friends along for the adventure.

Scenic Attractions for Dispersed Campers

  • The Near Fawn Creek Campground (BLM) offers stunning views and a secluded atmosphere, making it a great choice for those seeking solitude in nature.
  • For a unique experience, visit the BLM Kentucky Falls Road, where you can enjoy the beauty of cascading waterfalls and lush greenery.
  • Campers at Forest Road 51 near Beaver Creek can take advantage of the peaceful surroundings while still being close to the coast, making it a perfect pit stop during your travels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find dispersed camping sites near Mapleton?

Several excellent dispersed camping options exist near Mapleton. Elliott State Forest Dispersed offers over 550 miles of roads and trails leading to numerous camping sites, including old lookouts and fishing holes. For stunning views, Forest Road 55 Pulloff provides spectacular vistas off paved and maintained gravel roads, with pulloffs perfect for car camping. Other nearby options include the Siuslaw National Forest and BLM lands near the coast, all within driving distance of Mapleton. Most sites are accessible via forest service roads, though road conditions vary seasonally and with weather.

What are the rules and regulations for dispersed camping in Mapleton?

Dispersed camping in state forests near Mapleton follows Oregon's standard regulations. At Hult Pond, seasonal fire restrictions apply – during high fire danger periods, no fires or barbecues are permitted, though propane stoves and lanterns are typically allowed. The Forest Road 51 near Beaver Creek area follows standard dispersed camping protocols. Generally, campers should practice Leave No Trace principles, pack out all trash, stay on existing sites, camp at least 200 feet from water sources, and limit stays to 14 days within a 30-day period. Always check current fire restrictions before your trip and obtain any required permits through the appropriate land management agency.

What amenities are available at dispersed camping sites in Mapleton?

Dispersed camping sites around Mapleton are primitive with minimal to no amenities. At Near Fawn Creek Campground (BLM), you'll find a quiet retreat in dense forests but will need to bring all necessities. Most sites have established fire rings, though fire restrictions may apply seasonally. Cell service varies significantly by location - some areas in Corn Spur Road BLM have no reception, while others like Elliott State Forest surprisingly offer AT&T coverage in spots. No potable water, toilets, or garbage service is available, so campers must be self-sufficient with water supplies, waste disposal systems, and pack out all trash. Some sites offer scenic views, fishing opportunities, and primitive trails for recreation.

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