Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Maupin, OR

In terms of the 5 or so campgrounds to choose from along this easy-to-access gravel BLM road, this is in the second tier for —proximity to main road (dusty drive-bys) —distance from Maupin (no Need to drive extra) I choose beavertail campground first, and if no sites there, this is a fine alternative. BRING FUN WATER STUFFS!

First come first serve sites with fire rings. There is overflow camping in the lawn without a fire ring but with a picnic table. Restrooms are very clean and campground is well maintained. Winds can pick up in the canyon so be sure to have strong tent stakes. Right next to the John Day River great walking path along the River. Fenced dog park for your pet and free bicycles for use.

Cove Palisades state park is pretty rad, especially if you’ve got a family! There’s a playground, a fenced in dog park, trail heads, showers, and a cute little camp store. If you’re looking for seclusion, this probably isn’t the park for you. But if you can get roll with the communal feel, Cove Palisades is great.

We arrived on a Monday afternoon of a long holiday weekend in October and the campground was about 1/4 full with half the sites closed for the season. Lots of trees, level paved pads, and electric and water hookup at all sites. $33 per night as of October 2020. Everything was clean and well maintained including a nice, roomy trash/recycling station and dual dump stations with lots of room for lines. Good distance between sites and the campground was very quiet. There was a separate grassy fenced dog area as nice as some of the dog parks in our neighborhood in Portland. We usually go for a more rustic/dispersed setup because we don’t want to be right on top of our neighbors when we camp, and we were pleasantly surprised by how idyllic this site was. Would stay again!

Decent campground, nicely kept, clean, very friendly rangers. Really nice and big dog park. Nice hikes right from the campground. We couldn't go to the water, since we only have an RV and no tow car, and it seems that the water is the main draw to this campground. Lots of jet skis and boats and screaming kids.

Cell reception was ok.

We went up to the upper campground on our way out to dump, and there is no water spigot there. Heads up. We flagged down a nice ranger who hooked us up but you may not be able to fill your tanks here.

Sites in this campground vary in size. We fit into one of the tent sites in our 26ft class c. You'll probably have to drive through the loop first before picking a site if you're trying to stay here in an RV.

Pelton park was clean and well taken care of during our visit. The park is very family-friendly, with easy physical access to restrooms, the docks and playground equipment. Pet-friendly too, stocked poo bags, poles by restrooms to hold leashes and a small fenced-in area to let the dogs run and play. Docks were clean and safe. Rental boats were well-maintained. The yomes are small, 6 people and 2 dogs is tight and gear had to stay outside with that many people, but we all fit. The lake itself is beautiful, good fishing, and appreciate the 10mph speed limit throughout the majority of the lake.

We followed our RV GPS and WAZE, which agreed until we got near the state park. We checked out the confirmation email, which stated to follow the signs. We could have gotten to the campground(CG) following either our RV GPS or WAZE but held steady on following the signs. We arrived at the upper Crooked River CG early, so there was no one at the check-in; however, a ranger pulled up just as we were looking at the information board and she checked us in. We then proceeded to back-in site E61 with water and electric(50/30/20 AMP). We had no problem backing into our site, and the pad was just long enough for our 40’ fifth wheel and F450. We only paid an$8 online booking fee with the Oregon State Park Disabled Veterans Pass. The utilities were in the middle of the site, so that was convenient. The water pressure was close to 60 psi, and we used a reducer. Verizon was 1 bar, and as we were on the northwest edge of the CG, we had no problem getting a north shot for Starlink. There are mature trees in the CG, mainly on the interior sites, so satellite could be iffy in some sites. We were here the first week of October; only the first loop and the associated bathhouse were open. Sites on the NW edge of the CG from E71- E41 could be good for north or south satellites. Sites E65- E55 on the edge provide very nice mountain views. They have a large(about 1/4 acre) fenced dog park on the east side of the CG. Madras, 15 minutes away, has your major amenities. We enjoyed seeing deer moving around the CG, plus amazing views of the mountains and canyon.

There are 2 campgrounds in The Cove Palisades; Crooked River Campground, which is the upper or rim campground, and Deschutes Campground, which is the lower campground at Lake Billy Chinook level, another 5 miles drive down into the canyon past the upper campground. This review is for Deschutes Campground.  We stayed at Deshutes a week with our travel trailer in loop A in mid May.  We would stay here again.  I would not want to stay here during wildfire season due to the smoke and low visibility (personal preference), plus I'm not crazy about hot weather and it would certainly be hot in the high desert in summer as well as crowded which is also not my thing. Every time you come and go from this campsite, you have a 5 mile drive in or out of this canyon. I have Republic Wireless on Sprint and had no signal within the canyon but did at the top.  Husband has Cricket on AT&T and had a signal in the canyon. Our antenna did not pick up any TV channels so download some Netflix to your device before coming here, or maybe have a better antenna than we do if you desire to watch anything. The hosts take great care of the grounds. I do not know the condition of the bathrooms but heard and read they were very clean as well. We spent most of our time away from the campground but the time we were there was pleasant and quiet.  Our spot backed up to the road which was slightly above us so didn't really affect our view and there were some trees and shrubbery between us and the road.  Occasionally a vehicle would go by that was quite loud which would be louder and more frequent in the busy season. We had a large gap between us and the campsite to our right as well as a view of the palisades on that side.  We usually travel with our dog, but she recently passed away unfortunately so this trip was dogless, but I still view things from the eyes of a dog owner.  They had a large, grassy, fenced-in dog park that would be a great respite as the campsites aren't that grassy, mostly dirt with some juniper trees, sage, and boulders.  Watch for foxtails which we saw in spring, as well as rattlesnakes.  We didn't see any rattlesnakes at the time we were there - a rainy, cool week in mid May. Because of all the rain, everything was still very green and all the wildflowers were in bloom. On a clear day you can see at least 6 mountain peaks from the top of the canyon.  This is a great spot to explore Central Oregon.  In fact, we need to go back because we didn't get to everything we wanted to do but we visited Richardson Rock Ranch, Smith Rock, Bend, Lava Lands, Oregon High Desert Museum, Glass Buttes, and more.

This beautiful campground was loaded with amenities. The gorgeous John Day River, was perfect for fishing, swimming, floating. There was several trails within the campground as well as trailheads around the perimeter. We brought our own bikes but if you don’t bring yours, they offered loaner bikes and there were little bike workstations on the grounds. Pet friendly! Including a fenced in dog area (about an acre) and doggie poo bags readily available. We have a truck with camper but the tent sites each had a solar panel to provide electricity for charging the essentials. The grounds must have been a farm originally and the campground designers did an awesome job of using the existing structures to add to the rustic nature and maintain the land’s historic relevance. Cottonwood Canyon surpassed our expectations, especially considering the very low price tag. I cannot recommend highly enough.

Lovely, well -described campground. Intermittent Verizon cell signal adequate for texting and reading/sending email, but buy more than that. It's near Pine Hollow, which won't be dry like this one, which is lovely regardless. Many Forest Service roads nearby of you want to boondocks and then day use at Rock Creek. Also not far from the lovely Central Oregon towns of Maupin and Dufur.

The White River BLM Campground is north of Maupin along the Deschuted River BLM access road. I think there's about 5 sites. These sites are all located along the Deschutes, between Maupin and the 216 highway. I think the sites were $16/night. 

The sites are pretty basic, with vault toilets and no running water. There is a picnic table and fire ring at each site.  The highlight is the amazing river access and views. Fishing and rafting are the main activities here. 

I loved the sound of the Deschutes as you fall asleep.

Read up on this location with some good info. Flat paved sites for dry camping.

Lost Creek Campground has 10 single-family campsites and is located on one of the largest pyroclastic volcanic mudflows from Mt. Hood’s “Old Maid” eruption in the 1700s. Fortunately all of the mudflows have cooled. Campsites can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. Two yurts are also available. Campground amenities include a picnic area, drinking water and vault toilets. Firewood is also available for sale from the camp host.

Lost Creek / Mt. Hood Area Recreation

Outdoor recreation includes fishing. Visitors also enjoy fishing, hiking, mountain biking and wildlife viewing.  The Wild and Scenic Sandy River is also not far from the popular Ramona Falls Trailhead. Mt. Hood is just southeast of the campground offers visitors the opportunity for a nice a day trip.

AMENITIES

BBQ Grills

Campsite Tables

Comfort Station

Drinking Water

Fire Pit

Fire Rings

Firewood Available

Golden Age & Access Passports accepted

Grills

Pets OK

Picnic Tables

Restrooms (Vault Toilets)

ACTIVITIES

Biking

Bird Watching

Creek

Fishing

Hiking

Mountain Biking

Nature Trails

Photography

Picnicking

River

Walking Trails

Wildlife Viewing

This campground is big, with a lot of trees and a good number of sites have shade for the majority of the day (at least where we were), they have full hook ups and partial, cable with a great variety of channels, their WiFi is not good, not even by the “lounge”, tiny house and cabins available for rent (pet friendly options available) which is cool, laundry facility, cafe/bakery on site, nice store with good variety of food and drink options, DVD rental. The bakery is independently owned and opens daily, they bake cinnamon roles daily and the cream cheese is home made...OMG, worth having one or two with coffee! Gas station (72) and great grocery store (thrift away) nearby )1.5 mi away). We had a great corner site and we were not surrounded by a lot of people, there was one family at the site behind us and luckily no one to our right. The fact the campground was packed for Father’s Day and lack of cleanliness at their bathrooms and laundry facility makes me wonder how serious they are taking Covid-19. We’ve been to three campgrounds so far and two of them were taking it very seriously and keeping it clean and limiting the number of people using the laundry. Some didn’t open the bathrooms and the ones who did, kept is very clean. Not so much the case here, which was disappointing as this is a “resort”. If you are looking to spend a few days exploring MT Hood area, this is a good location, not too far out from MT. Hood, fun scenic drive to up to the lodge. We saw people skiing there! If you feel like driving an hour, make your way to Hood River, which is an adorable town, with a few clothing stores, pet store, bookstore, coffee shops, brewers and an amazing river...the Columbia River Gorge. You can take windsurfing lessons (which we did and it was super fun). Hood River is the windsurfing capital of the world. You can also take kite surfing lessons or just sit and watch all of them fly around! Across the Columbia river it is the state of Washington, and you can cross the Hood River toll bridge and explore WA. Riverside is a great Restaurant located at the Best Western Hood River Inn-they have a beet salad that is to die for. Calamari app is yummy as well as the mushroom fondue burger. Next day we had the beet salad again and two pasta dishes which were amazing (chicken Alfredo and Fregula & Sausage), they have a pressed lemonade that’s sooo yummy! Hood River is worth visiting! If it is sunny, pack up some beach towels, swimming suit and head there for a day in the water.

Amazing spot with some great views road past the gate a bit rough but nothing any 4x4 can handle. Very peaceful and secluded. Watch out for Siberian tigers, house cats and sugar gliders. I would recommend bringing at least one can of beans. Again please he aware of the crazy tigers. Also land leaches and water rats. As long as you bring ham and cheese you should be fine (tigers are scared of ham duhh) anyway bring your family here maybe a cousin or two.

We stayed at Maupin City Park between days rafting on the Deschutes. There was a happy vibe to the campground itself, and the facilities were clean and well-stocked. 

We enjoyed the proximity to the Imperial River Company restaurant, and quick short drive to a convenience store to restock supplies before our last day on the river. 

The sites aren't huge and are packed pretty close together, but that's not a huge issue when just making a pit stop. Parking for trailers is available, and everything is just a minute from the river itself. 

Boat tie-ups are available on the river that lead directly into the campground, so you don't have to pull up your boat for the night, and unloading is simple on the concrete dock.

G

This is a really low key, REALLY basic campground along the Deschutes River.

No reservations, self pay, no host, though a ranger did drive through daily. 

Fee is $8 for weekdays, $12 for weekends, and there's a group site for $25 for weeknights and $35 for weekends.  Trash dumpsters (no recycling) and smelly vault toilets on site.

Good cell reception for ATT and Verizon.

Lots of traffic coming through with tours and busses for rafters.  The train goes right along the river on the other side, which was neat for us but some people might not like the noise.

Half the sites are right along the river.  Each spot is different, but they're all kind of scattered about and none are fancy or completely private.

Nice basic quiet campground at a good price.  Close to the town of Maupin.

This is the best Oregon State Park in the entire state!!! Better than anything on the coast. Been to all so I know of what I speak!!! There isn't a lot of privacy in the sites, but I didn't really want to spend time in my site. There's the 6 mile Tam-a-Lau trail that starts on the west side of the park. With a 1 mile, 600' elevation gain, you find yourself up on the rim with about 3.5 miles of trail over looking Lake Billy Chinook and "the island". There's also a wonderful, huge, fenced off leash dog area with green grass. Only Farewell Bend SP has a nice large dog area like this. Always appreciated. The hosts and rangers really work to keep this park clean and in great repair and it shows.