Join the fun near Fossil. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Fossil is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Oregon camping adventure.
For a rustic overnight stay deep in eastern Oregon, let your tires roll past the Painted Hills-one of Oregon’s Seven Wonders-and drive deep into John Day River Territory to the Priest Hole Recreation Site. Although primitive, camping here lands you in the middle of the Wild and Scenic John Day River, designated for scenery, recreation, fish, wildlife, and geologic values. Camping is allowed everywhere, including on the gravel bar northeast of Priest Hole, where you sleep to the gurgle of the river and stepping out of your tent or trailer lands your foot in the water. Know Before You Go: Open YEAR ROUND but the rough road can make access difficult in winter. ACCESSIBILITY is primitive and not easily accessible for people with disabilities. NO FEES for camping or floating the one-mile section around Priest Hole. There is one toilet; NO potable water, trash cans or campsite amenities. PETS ARE ALLOWED under owner control. Watch for rattlesnakes. HUNTING/FISHING LICENSES ARE REQUIRED. Fire restrictions run June 1 – September 30 (liquid gas or propane only). Point of Interest: Priest Hole is a local favorite for fishing and swimming. Stopping here is a natural part of a visit to the Painted Hills, Sutton Mountain Back Country Byway and eastern Oregon! Priest Hole Brochure Explore Oregon Recreation: Priest Hole ADA Access: Priest Hole Recreation Site is primitive and not easily accessible for people with disabilities.
$10 / night
Dispersed camping is allowed on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service (USFS) lands without a permit, but it is recommended that campers obtain a map that shows current property boundaries. Please contact the BLM , (541) 573-4400 or (541) 416-6700, or the USFS, (541) 575-3000 or (541) 416-6500, for more information.
While camping is not allowed within the three units of the monument, there are many nearby campgrounds. Some have full service amenities, some are quiet and remote, some are in the forest, and some are right on the John Day River.
$20 / night
Wheeler County Fairgrounds, located in the heart of Fossil, hosts the Wheeler County Fair during the first week of August and several other events throughout the year. The Isobel Edwards Hall is offered for rent for meetings, reunions, parties, and other special events. Adjacent to the fairgrounds is a 12 space RV park with full hook-ups, as well as restroom and shower facilities.
Pioneer hospitality and an authentic ranch vacation await you at Wilson Ranches Retreat providing exceptional lodging in central Oregon. Immerse yourself in a peaceful ranch environment rich in history and love on a 9,000 acre working cattle and hay ranch in the beautiful Butte Creek Valley, three miles west of the small town of Fossil, Oregon.
Our historic 1910 Sears Roebuck Ranch House is the setting for our bed and breakfast, which features six pristine ranch-style guest rooms and your stay includes a delicious country breakfast every morning.
If you prefer to stay overnight in your own RV or Travel Trailer, we offer a parking site located by the side of the barn and corral or by the haystack, both in a graveled area. Your reservation includes a Ranch Picnic Breakfast for two guests each morning. We can accommodate additional guests for breakfast by request with an additional fee.
Required to be a fully self-contained RV or Travel Trailer and site rate includes:
Wilson Ranches Retreat also offers our guests a unique opportunity to go horseback riding. Immerse yourself on our authentic working cattle ranch by joining the Wilson family on a scenic horseback ride, cattle drive, pasture move, riding for strays or checking fence lines as the Wilson family done has for seven generations.
The Ochoco Divide Group Site is a convenient place to camp while traveling across scenic State Highway 26 by bicycle or car. Resting at the top of the Ochoco Divide at an elevation of 4,700 ft., the group site is set on a hill away from the road as an extension of the general campground. Summertime in the Ochoco National Forest brings pleasant temperatures; the campground is closed during winter.
The group site of the Ochoco Divide Campground is mainly used by touring cyclists. It is also a good place to take a relaxing stroll through the woods. There are opportunities for hunting, mountain biking and hiking in the national forest surrounding the facility. Several trailheads begin at the Bandit Springs rest stop about one mile from the campground on Highway 26.
The group site is part of the main Ochoco Divide Campground. There is excellent quality drinking water throughout the main campground and near the group site. The group site can comfortably fit up to 12 people; no more than 35 are allowed. Parking is limited. Campers must park at the base of a small hill and walk up to the site. There is a large group size fire ring as well.__
The scenery surrounding the campground alternates between thick Ponderosa pine forests and grassy meadows, though shortly beyond the campground the road descends into lower-elevation, arid canyon lands. One of the most unique geologic features of the Ochoco National Forest is the 'thunder egg,' Oregon's official state rock. Thunder eggs are small, colorful, round volcanic rocks similar to geodes that have been exposed over time. The U.S. Forest Service has designated specific sites for rock hounding.
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is less than an hour away. Hike amongst the Painted Hills and famed fossils, take a journey through time at the museum at Sheep Rock or picnic beneath the beautiful mountain scenery. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
$50 / night
Bull Prairie Campground is a local gem; a beautiful, woodsy place to enjoy a vacation, host a family reunion or social event, and to enjoy multiple recreational pursuits. This moderate-sized campground is located adjacent to 28-acre Bull Prairie Lake, which is stocked annually with trout. An accessible, family-friendly paved trail along the lake is ideal for morning jogs, bicycle rides, picnicking, and shore or dockside fishing. The lake has a boat ramp, dock and trailer parking area, but only non-motorized boating is allowed. Nearby trails connect the campground and lake with the Morrow County OHV Park, 8 miles away. Note: ATVs are only allowed at the dump station and in the north part of the campground (sites 25-28).____ While this campground offers potable water, there is no garbage service so please pack out all garbage and dispose of it at home.__
An accessible, family-friendly paved trail around the lake is designed for people who enjoy morning jogs, bicycle rides, picnicking, and shoreline or dock fishing. Non-motorized boating is allowed with a boat ramp, dock, and parking area for trailers. Within the campground adjacent to the lake is a large day-use picnic area with accessible facilities. Besides beautiful scenery, the lake offers many opportunities for wildlife viewing and photography. Hunting activities can be undertaken nearby, but not within this recreation site.
This campground features 28 tent/RV campsites, 2 tent-only campsite, 3 double campsites, 1 group campsite, and 8 accessible vault toilets. Potable water is available seasonally throughout the campground and picnic area; no RV hookups are available. A 1.2 mile paved trail loops around the lake, together with 3 accessible fishing docks.__
This campground is fully forested with Ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, grand fir, and spruce. Trout are stocked in the nearby lake. Deer, chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits frequent the campground and waterfowl inhabit the lake and shore. It is also possible to sight an occasional elk in the nearby area. Bears and cougars live in the surrounding forest, but rarely enter the campground and bear-proof storage is not required. Mushroom and berry picking occur seasonally.
The Morrow County OHV Park is located 8 miles north of the campground. Heppner, OR, located 41.5 miles to the north, is the closest town for supplies and gasoline.
Cancelling a Reservation: Customers may cancel their reservation prior to arrival either online or through the call center. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. Depending on when you cancel in relation to your arrival day, it may be considered a late cancellation (see below). Individual Campsites: A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): Customers who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.
$25 / night
For a rustic overnight stay deep in eastern Oregon, let your tires roll past the Painted Hills-one of Oregon’s Seven Wonders-and drive deep into John Day River Territory to the Priest Hole Recreation Site. Although primitive, camping here lands you in the middle of the Wild and Scenic John Day River, designated for scenery, recreation, fish, wildlife, and geologic values. Camping is allowed everywhere, including on the gravel bar northeast of Priest Hole, where you sleep to the gurgle of the river and stepping out of your tent or trailer lands your foot in the water. Know Before You Go: Open YEAR ROUND but the rough road can make access difficult in winter. ACCESSIBILITY is primitive and not easily accessible for people with disabilities. NO FEES for camping or floating the one-mile section around Priest Hole. There is one toilet; NO potable water, trash cans or campsite amenities. PETS ARE ALLOWED under owner control. Watch for rattlesnakes. HUNTING/FISHING LICENSES ARE REQUIRED. Fire restrictions run June 1 – September 30 (liquid gas or propane only). Point of Interest: Priest Hole is a local favorite for fishing and swimming. Stopping here is a natural part of a visit to the Painted Hills, Sutton Mountain Back Country Byway and eastern Oregon! Priest Hole Brochure Explore Oregon Recreation: Priest Hole ADA Access: Priest Hole Recreation Site is primitive and not easily accessible for people with disabilities.
$10 / night
Dispersed camping is allowed on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service (USFS) lands without a permit, but it is recommended that campers obtain a map that shows current property boundaries. Please contact the BLM , (541) 573-4400 or (541) 416-6700, or the USFS, (541) 575-3000 or (541) 416-6500, for more information.
While camping is not allowed within the three units of the monument, there are many nearby campgrounds. Some have full service amenities, some are quiet and remote, some are in the forest, and some are right on the John Day River.
Wheeler County Fairgrounds, located in the heart of Fossil, hosts the Wheeler County Fair during the first week of August and several other events throughout the year. The Isobel Edwards Hall is offered for rent for meetings, reunions, parties, and other special events. Adjacent to the fairgrounds is a 12 space RV park with full hook-ups, as well as restroom and shower facilities.
