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The Macks Canyon archaeological site is a large, prehistoric village locale overlooking the Deschutes River in north-central Oregon. The site is characterized by shallow, circular, semi-subterranean house depressions, surface artifacts, and riverine shell deposits. Limited excavations conducted in the late 1960's indicate that the site was the location of a winter village occupied by Sahaptin-speaking people of the Columbia Plateau. Although the main period of occupation appears to have occurred within the last 2,000 years, the site may have been occupied as early as 5,000 BC. A campground and boat ramp are situated at the end of the Access Road along the east bank of the Lower Deschutes River. The area is popular with boaters and fishermen. The route to Macks Canyon is also a National Back Country Byway. ADA Access: The archaeological site itself does not have accessible facilities. However, the nearby campground has an accessible campsite, vault toilets and parking.
$8 - $35 / night
Located just off of the sleepy John Day Highway, this campground offers 8 primitive campsites and an unimproved boat launch accessing the John Day River. The ancient river canyon weaves through the area providing spectacular views with ever-changing light and shadows in the early morning and late evening hours. A picturesque grove of ponderosa pine trees lines a section of the riverbank opposite the campground and the site itself has a large, solitary pine prominently situated. The surrounding layer cake geology is exposed in various peekaboo angles from the campground.
Open year-round Six drive-in campsites; two walk-to campsites. All campsites are available on a first come, first served basis; no reservations are available. Two wheelchair accessible vault toilets. No utility hookups or potable water are available No garbage service - please pack out your trash An annual fire closure is in effect from June 1 through October 15. Prohibited acts include building, igniting, maintaining, attending, using, tending, or being within 20 feet of a campfire, charcoal fire, or any other type of open flame; smoking, except while in non-public buildings, closed vehicles, in boats on the water, or while standing in the water.
Although located along State highway 19 the sights and sounds of the John Day River dominate over any road noise making it easy to forget the highway is even there. Bring a book as there's no cell phone coverage here.
$55 / night
Fairview Camp is drive-through loop off State Highway 207 offering five campsites and an accessible vault toilet. Two campsites directly across from the toilet are fully accessible. A free-flowing water fountain provides potable water from May to October. Remnants from a wildfire in the late 1980s can be seen along the egdes of this small campground. There is no garbage service, so please pack out all garbage and dispose of it at home. The campground is used primarily for hunting and OHV riding--its trailhead accesses 80 miles of OHV roads and trails on the Heppner Ranger District. Also, Morrow County OHV Park is only 6 miles north on State Highway 207 and offers over 200 miles of OHV marked and groomed trails. The main season of use is from late fall to early winter during big game hunting season. It also serves as an overflow camping site when Bull Prairie Lake Campground is at full capacity.
Ranger
Stayed 3 nights and had a great time rafting on the river. Lots of options for RV and tent camping. Group sites are available (3). Restrooms could use an update but functional. All camp staff hosts are helpful and friendly. Will come back again. This campground is popular and books up quickly.
Guide
Arrived afternoon on Labor Day to find an empty campground. Sites are large, but not very level for an RV.
ScoutOverall experience was great…. with a caveat. It’s a small camping park, sites are small and close to each other. However the park is clean and well maintained. Our only issue is that our first night, at about 2am, I was woken up by footsteps outside our trailer window. I looked out to see we hat appeared to be a younger adult male dressed in all black who pulled the coolers and chairs out from under our trailer and pulled two booze bottles out of the cooler and had them on the picnic table getting ready to take them. I opened the door and scared him into running by yelling at him. This is my first time, in 40+ years camping that I’ve had anything like this happen. So at 2:15 this morning, I was outside hauling all of our gear into the trailer. Joke was on him though, the bottles were filled with water to freeze and use as ice. Just beware, this is a nice little park, but don’t leave your valuables out overnight.
We reported it to the office, who told us they’ve been having the issue recently, that they think it’s local teens, but their hands were being tied by local police on how to catch the thieves. I called local non emergency and reported the incident to them in hopes they might step up patrols or something.
Traveler
Wonderful little place between a park and an orchard. Camp hosts are cool, they all live in Skoolies. Right on the river. Clean facilities. One star off for the noise. There’s a highway and railroad tracks in the backyard and the same across the river. If you’re a rail-fan, you’ll dig it. But it never really quiets down, you get used to it a bit. Campers are courteous and friendly and quiet. Sites west of the entrance seem to have a bit more shade than sites to the east. The wind can be a factor. Nice place to bring the dog. This is my second time here, I’ll keep it on the list.
Scout
This is a nice little park, it’s a little misleading when you pull in as there is an Indian reservation next to it that looks like a bunch of homeless camps, so be careful where you park your rig. Also if you’re tent camping, I found out from the camp host that you may want to check with him before you set up a tent as there are automatic sprinklers that come on certain days
Legend
We had no issues finding this campground(CG). We followed the instructions on our confirmation email where we got off I-84 east of the CG where there was signage to the Recreation Area and CG. We entered the park and there was no check-in gate, so we proceeded to back-in site A-27 with water and electric(50/30/20 AMP). Our nightly rate was$0 due to the Oregon Disable Veterans Pass. You do not have to be a state resident to get this pass. The back-in was fairly easy with plenty of room to maneuver. We had enough room for our 40’ fifth wheel and parking our F450 truck at an angle. The electric worked fine and the water pressure was on the low side, but fine for our overnighter. The A loop has water and electric where the other loops are dry camping with B loop able to support RVs or tents. Our site was about 50 yards from the Deschutes River and there are tie downs along the river for boats. There are a lot of mature trees in the A loop so satellite could be iffy. We did not put out Starlink for this overnighter. We got 1 to 2 bars on Verizon. There was a shower house not too far from our site. There isn’t dump station in the CG, but there’s a COE and other options near the CG. We had a nice view of the Deschutes River. There was loud train noise as they blow the horn and the trains run all night. There's an Oregon Trail and other historical memorials within the CG area that are worth checking out. The nearest gas/diesel and minor amenities are about 15 minutes away in Rufus. All in all we enjoyed our overnighter and would not hesitate coming back.
ScoutDay I arrived was very windy and being a first timer I thought that was normal. Spoke with many campers who had been coming to Peach Beach for years and they said it was very unusual. Next few days, glorious. Lots of trees so shade from hot sun is plentiful. Tons of stuff to do: Maryhill Winery (ya gotta try their charcuterie board!!), Marhill Museum (better set aside at least an hour for this), Stonehenge. In July the peaches are plentiful and delicious. Camp was quiet (except for trains all day and night - bring earplugs and you'll be fine), bathrooms are extremely clean and modern. Shower did rotate from hot to cold every 30 seconds or so...not sure what that was about. Overall, had a good time with friends and will go back for sure.
Traveler
Good parking area for us, not many here or could get a little tight depending on how people park. It does not have shade so a little warm in August! Be self contained 😀
Traveler
The price for FHU was very reasonable. Access to the wifi was great. The views were interesting. Once you get past the big industrial plant, the sunset in the river was nice.
4 trains rolled by in the middle of the night. They blew their horns every time.
GuideThis is more like a large parking lot for day tourists with a few spots right by river side. There are no designated camping spots. There is one vault toilet which is clean. There are mostly fisherman or boaters staying here. No shade. For a overnight stay fine but I would not stay longer.
TravelerArrived late and found an envelope with all my check in details posted in front of the office, including park map with highlighted route to my site. All of the facilities were clean and the ground were clear of litter and well maintained, which must be a challenge considering the lawns between the sites. Rufus itself is not a destination; we were in and out in one night, but we found the Rufus RV Park to be a peaceful and dog-friendly stopover.
Guide
Antelope is a strange and beautiful little place. Part ghost town, part living community, it is often a welcome oasis on the Oregon Outback cycling trail. The path north out of Prineville is a beautiful ascent-descent of the Ochoco Mountains, which is pretty exhausting. If weather is a factor (we arrived in cold, wet and punishing wind) Antelope is a much better place to camp than Shaniko which is 8 miles up on a plateau.
The RV Park is a work in progress. We arrived without a reservation and were given a very nice spot to camp behind an old diner. Some small a-frame cabins are available with more being built, and a few spots to park campers with sewer dump and 30 amp hookups.
Overall I give this campground an outstanding rating. Hospitable, well-equipped, well-situated… great spot.
ScoutThis place is a pure gem. Heaven on earth. Make sure to take the road to or from Shiniko to see the view.
Guide
In the lower deschutes area, maupin is a busy spot. Oasis is straightforward, no frills, and just a few spots. They have electronic fee machine which was convenient.
ScoutCaught 4 Small Mouth Bass out of the river. The campground is clean. There is $10 Tent spots on the river.
ScoutI loved this campground, until I had to pack up & move on. My tent was infested with earwigs. Hundreds crawling around under my tent, & all over the inside & outside.
Aside from that, I had a great time. The campground itself doesn’t allow for much privacy, but if you explore up & along the river, there are a few access points that you can enjoy by yourself. Great for birdwatching, & swimming.
I didn’t mind the train sounds, I actually kinda liked them.
Guide
This is not a fancy place, but it is clean, well tended, quiet and beautiful. After 10 hours driving, I just wanted a quiet place to sleep. This was exactly that. I paid $35 for a pull through and a 30amp hookup for my teardrop. There are bathrooms which are immaculately clean. All in all, this place is a great find.
Guide
6 long level spots on the John Day. A few walk in tents spots too. 2 vault toilets No trash so pack in/pack out $5/night, self registration. Great spot in center of John Day Fossil Beds national monument. Across the way you could see the seasonal waterfall
GuideBasic no frills campground. Right on the river. Good for fishing or rafting. Gravel parking. No shade. Pit toilets, garbage, picnic tables and fire pits.
GuideBeautiful camp right along the Deschutes River. Very peaceful except for trains that go by and blow horn. Full hook ups and tent camping areas. Bathrooms are very clean. Good hiking trails along river.
RangerStayed two nights and loved it. Lots of boaters using the boat ramp and parking area. Lots of disbursed camping areas and short walking paths. Lots of birds also.
RangerWe had a great day camping and enjoying the river. A few spots to hike. Several other camping opportunities on the Deshutes byway as well. I would return. Plenty of opportunities for fly fishing in the area as well. Lots of falls nearby.
TravelerWould be five stars but train is very loud. Still, has all you could ever need. Boardman is nearby and there is a laundromat, a food truck court that’s open for breakfast, water fill station, bathrooms at campsite, and ample gas stations/other resources. Plus, you can wake up right on the water for free!
Traveler
Really good spot to get off the grid while still having most amenities. Stayed here for a few days and loved it. About 20 miles of gravel road will take you here and some small Rockwall to semi-worry about. Other than that most people you'll bump into are fisherman or overlanding.
Traveler
If you don't mind the sound of trains every few hours, this is a great campsite. Nestled by the Columbia River, each campsite has plenty of space and full hookups for RVs. There is also a separate area just for tent campers, a group campsite, and a day-use area with a beach on the river.
Tough to get reservations during the summer, but it is open year-round, if you want to camp during other times of the year. Being in the edge of the Columbia Gorge, it can get windy, so awnings are not always safe from damage.
Just below Mary Hill museum and Mary Hill Winery, and Stonehenge, a memorial for WWI. Waving Tree Winery has a tasting room as you enter the park area, as well. Great place to relax and enjoy some great wines.
Traveler
Pretty amazing State Park, lucked on weather. Trails on either side are both nice cruisers on bikes - green runs, but can make them more work, and the views are sublime.  The park amenities were top-notch, including a nice windbreak. Stars at night were spectacular.
GuideI was too tired to carry on and found this spot. It’s right on the river…and just below the interstate…and the railroad tracks are super-close, but the $10 charge for dry-camping was perfect! There are a few picnic tables and watching the river was great!
There is a dump, a boat dock, super-clean bathrooms and outdoor showers.
Tent camping near Mikkalo, Oregon offers a blend of stunning natural beauty and outdoor adventure, making it an ideal getaway for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mikkalo, OR is Hike in from Lower Deschutes State Rec Area with a 5-star rating from 4 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Mikkalo, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
