Best Tent Camping near Mitchell, OR

Recent Tent Reviews near Mitchell, OR

286 Reviews of 45 Mitchell Campgrounds

• H

  Hannah N.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 8, 2017

  Big Bend Campground

  Amazing time

  Great spot for tent camping, friendly people.

• 

  Leili K.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 8, 2018

  Skull Hollow Campground

  Simple

  This is a simple, wide open tent camping area and it's really close to Smith Rock. You can wake up early to see the sun on the rock formations and then hike to the climbs in approximately 20-30 minutes.

• M

  Mike W.

  Scout

  

  May. 5, 2019

  Ochoco Lake County Park

  Better in Off Season

  This is located just out of Prineville and can get a lot of local traffic in the summer months. It is a fairly nice CG, with bathrooms and hot water. CG is set up for RV or tent camping. Primary feature is access to the water.

• 

  Kelsea B.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 20, 2018

  Ochoco Forest Camp

  Fantastic Campground

  great campsites and frIendly host. $13 a night, tent sites were super dusty but not much of the dust came with us. The sites are visually stunning with all the Pondarosa’s (we’re not used to big trees) 10/10

• B

  Bob S.

  Traveler

  

  May. 15, 2022

  Skull Hollow Campground

  Nice open spaces,

  We spent one night here in mid May 22. The sites are reasonably spaced considering how open the area is. Lots of tent sites. New out house. 2 bars of Verizon so an ok connection. Only about 15 a minute drive to Smith Rock State Park.

• 

  Travis H.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 6, 2018

  Prineville Reservoir Campground — Prineville Reservoir State Park

  Prineville Reservoir!

  One of The nicest glamping trips I have had! the cabins were amazing and the tent sites looked great too. stay in the cabins on the hill above the lake! seriously! The past k even has a amphitheater and cabins with workshops for kids. Fishing at the lake too!

• 

  Ariel & John W.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 5, 2020

  Bear Hollow County Park

  Meh

  We were the only ones camping here for a night in October 2020. Sites are OK, some pull-throughs, some tent sites, too. Each site has a fire ring, picnic table. Pit toilets were dirty. Good location outside Fossil but kind of expensive at $20 for no hookups and dirty toilets, plus it’s right next to road so there’s some road noise.

• C

  Cynthia W.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 28, 2021

  Palisades Campground

  Fishing & Views!

  This is my go-to spot for a quick weekend getaway. I’m lucky enough that this is only about an hour from home. Usually good fishing! Spacious pull through first come first serve sites. Good for mid-size RV’s, trailers & tent camping. You can generally find a spot if you arrive Thursday evening or before 3:00 on Friday. Right on the river with beautiful canyons surrounding you.

• 

  Abby F.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 1, 2019

  Ochoco Lake County Park

  Tiny site, beautiful lake

  Tiny little campsite with spots right next to each other. 10 walk up tent sites, most are right along the water. Everyone is so close together you get to know your neighbors pretty well. Dogs must be on leashes at all times, walk up sites have porta potty style bathrooms but if you walk up to registration there’s hot showers and hookups available!

• M

  Mark W.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 26, 2024

  Ochoco Lake County Park

  Cute small campground - Dry Camping

  Cute small campground on a little hill overlooking a lake.  Tent sites by the lake's edge. 
  Very Clean bathrooms with code for campers. Pits for public areas. 
  Since there are no RV services be prepared to hear some generators running occasionally.  Quiet hours 10PM-7AM.  Water is available but may not be close enough for a hose to your RV.  Most sites have good Starlink view of skies.

• 

  Kelly N.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 15, 2018

  Prineville Reservoir Campground — Prineville Reservoir State Park

  Worth the drive!

  Great campground with boat access and cabins. They have the best fishing dock and cleaning station that I have yet to see. We had great luck catching many crappie here which made great fish tacos for our Camp dinner. Not all cabins and tent sites are open year round. The rangers were great and very helpful. Make sure to look at a map before headed out because Gps will take you on a dirt road adventure to your campsite.

• 

  Kevin R.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 30, 2019

  Ochoco Divide Group Site

  Top of the pass

  Camp ground is high up over 4700 feet so even in the summer it tends to get a little chilly at night but not bad.

  This is a medium busy campground right on the maon road, but its never too noisy after dark.

  The place is very clean and the vault toilets well looked after and not stinky!

  The spaces are a good size and the ones for tent camping are at the back of the loop.

  Not much trails but you can find something to do. 

  One of my best nights camping was ip here. During the week late summer, Huge full moon, then the coyotes began to yip/howl..magnificent

• 

  Jennifer R.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 12, 2020

  Skull Hollow Campground

  Dramatic views, cozy campground and dispersed sites.

  Variety of camping options available, both in the organized campground and the dispersed sites beyond the campground. This listing says dispersed camping is no longer allowed, but there were many designated options when we were there as of mid October 2020. Mostly simple pulloffs, but also some larger areas for tent camping.

  The campground was a little tight and the sites felt a bit on top of each other. They had several double sites available that were twice the cost ($20 rather than $10), but in our small RV, it seemed worth the cost and we had the benefit of a roomy site plus the other double site next to us never got claimed so we had a pretty private experience with some pine trees in between the sites.

• 

  Serene L.

  Traveler

  

  Feb. 26, 2020

  Painted Hills Dispersed

  Awesome Views & Solitude

  First off, I had a great time staying here. Before I arrived I had some ideas of what my stay would be like and while I did have a nice stay, it was not exactly the trip I had expected. I am a female in my early twenties and was tent camping solo for the first time. I grew up camping with my family so I am experienced but this was my first time camping completely alone. When I planned my trip I assumed this was a spot where other travelers and campers would stay so I was hoping that the presence of other people would provide some comfort to counter the fact that I was camping alone. When I arrived there were people in the day use area but as I drove back to where people would normally camp there was nobody in sight. As the evening came I realized there was not going to be any other campers for miles. Needless to say I made it through the night just fine with no emergencies but I was so nervous the whole time that I had a very restless sleep with my hand practically on my bear spray all night.

  I woke up the next morning, went on a beautiful hike with some amazing views and continued on my road trip. Overall the location is great, I would camp here again if I were with other people or if I were staying in a converted van or camper of some sort. But being a solo, young, female tent camper in this location without any other campers around for miles was a little too scary for my taste.

• 

  Michael

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 19, 2021

  Mitchell City Park

  Camped here on bike tour

  Near the painted hills of Oregon! Not much to it, but there are restrooms with running water. Caught a ride from here to the hills for sunset.

  Mitchell is a nice little town in central Oregon.

• 

  Corinna B.

  Legend

  

  May. 30, 2018

  Mitchell City Park

  If Everywhere Else is Booked, This Place is Just Fine

  Flush toilets (across the street), water, swing sets and plushy grass for your tent, all for $10. They even have an RV area (more of a parking lot) with water and electric hookups. If you're in the John Day area and all the other campgrounds and booked, this is a decent place to spend a few hours and sleep. There's absolutely no privacy since you're right on the road, but at least it's a bit of a drop down to the grass. You can tell the town is trying, and there's some funky/fun play structures scattered about, though you feel kind of like you're camping in someone's front yard. Mitchell Oregon has some restaurants and antique stores that looked fun but they were all closed by the time we got there. At a minimum, this is a good place to stop, stretch your legs, use the restroom and play a bit, and okay if you need a place to sleep before heading somewhere else and the state park up the road is booked.

  Pros: Cheap ($10), decent facilities (watered grass, covered eating area).

  Cons: Bathroom across the dusty road. Right in the middle of town/wide open area.

• G

  Gil W.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 13, 2024

  Mitchell City Park

  NICE SPOT IN A CITY PARK

  Not sure what some people are complaining about. This small four site RV “Park” located in a public park in the town of Mitchell, Oregon is perfect if wanting to visit John Day National Monument. Very close to the painted hills and the road to Fossil. For only $25 with electric and water, it's a steal, especially after boon-docking for a few days. Close to a small store that carries a lot of stuff. Plus the Tiger Town Brewing—all any camper needs. Right ? Would definitely stay here again.

• D

  Dave B.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 3, 2021

  Mitchell City Park

  City park no frills

  First come first serve spot in Mitchell. Grocery store, cafe and brewery within walking distance. Nice lay over spot with easy access to the painted hills. Sites are close and tight getting into the spot with a trailer….but doable. Friday night of July 4th weekend we were the only ones in the campground. We would stay again if passing through here.

• 

  Amelia A.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 23, 2021

  Ochoco Divide Group Site

  Group site is huge but right by the highway

  There aren’t a lot of reserve-able campsites in this area, so I was happy to find the group site a few weeks before our trip to the Fossil Beds.

  The good: location can’t be beat - though if you’re looking to explore all of the units in the Fossil Beds monument, it’s gonna be a lot of driving no matter where you stay. The camp host, Gloria, is great, and the kids loved Ricky, her dog. The outhouse is clean and if you’re in the group site you’ve basically for your own. Mitchell is ~20 minutes away for groceries and ice. 

  And this campsite is HUUUGE. Lots of shady areas, three picnic tables, Very nice fire pit (though burn ban meant no fires for us). We had three tents, a sun shelter and three hammocks set up with lots of space.

  The not-so-good: the group site is closest to the highway, so we did hear a lot of noise. (If I were to come back, I’d try my luck with the first-come-first-serve spots set further back.)

  Also, dry camping, so bring your water jug and things to keep you cool. We went swimming in the John Day near Burnt Ranch, which was perfect!

• 

  Jill R.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 5, 2017

  Mitchell City Park

  Read the review by Erin P. and then checked it out

  I had planned on staying at the Mitchell City Park until I read the other review about this location. It gave me HUGE pause. I'm glad I found the review because when I did check it out there's no way I would have stayed there. It's basically a dirt parking lot with tight, side by side slots. There's power and water, but the water was off as someone had backed over the piping. The other reviewer was also right about the bathroom. It's right across the street and in constant use. If you want a place to camp around The Painted Hills Unit, stay at Ochoco NF park. It's still close and way, way nicer.

• J

  Jessica

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 8, 2020

  Ochoco Divide Group Site

  Just what we needed

  We arrived mid-Saturday Labor Day weekend and less than half the sites had been claimed. It was perfectly positioned between our weekend activities: Painted Hills and Lucky Strike Mine. By late Saturday most (if not all) sites we're claimed.

  The sites are large and well looked after. Bathroom was surprisingly clean and not smelly. Camp host even provided a large tank of water (but I wouldn't count on that).

  Pro Tip: drive 20min East to Mitchell, Or and get a pint at Tiger Town Brewing. Great people, food and beer! We packed camp dinners for both nights, but ended up at Tiger Town every night because the atmosphere was so good.

• 

  Corinna B.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 1, 2017

  Bear Hollow County Park

  Way too much money for a weedy mess

  This place was okay. Near Fossil, Oregon and on the way to the Painted Hills. Lots of trees and a slope/hill to run around on for the kids. Sites were a decent size. But overall the whole place seemed overgrown and full of weeds. If it was free, I would have rated it higher. But at $25 for any camping including tents, it was way overpriced.

• 

  Bess N.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 28, 2021

  Stillwater Campground

  Nice little spot

  This was a great place to have a picnic, stretch our legs, and take a nap while exploring Central Oregon. It cost $8 for day use, and the picnic tables, fire pits, and vault toilets were exactly as expected. We picked up some trash, but there wasn't more than usual, although we found empty, unspent shotgun shells everywhere. Campers were friendly, and it seemed that everyone had a friendly dog. My toddler loved climbing up and down the river bank, throwing rocks in the river, tromping around in the tall grass, and meeting everyone's dogs. We will come back to this site with our tents!

• j

  john

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 11, 2021

  Jefferson County Fairgrounds RV Park

  Fairgrounds RV and tent

  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

• 

  Ted T.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 1, 2015

  Big Sarvice Corral Campground

  quiet, well-equipped, rocky for tents

  We visited this campground over a weekend that was going to be rainy in the Willamette Valley. Sarvice is listed on the Painted Hills park map with plenty of amenities- toilets and showers, mainly.

  The owners live across the street, a note on the main cabin said to leave the money ($10 for tents) in a lockbox by the bathroom. There was one other couple each night of the weekend, so it was incredibly quiet and peaceful.

  There are perhaps 15 RV pads. They tend to be clustered with 2-3 next to each other, but generally the campground is spread across a hillside.

  Amenities- there are a handful of cabins, the RV pads all have power and water (but not sewer). I think the RV pads are where tents are supposed to be- it's basically the only flat ground- but the large rocks mean you'll want a good tent footprint and thick sleeping pad or air mattress). There's a kitchen area with stoves and fridges. I didn't use it.

  Obviously this is a "corral", so there are horse facilities. That's all I know about that. I was on a bicycle, not a horse.

• 

  Ansgar D.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 29, 2021

  BLM John Day River - Priest Hole

  Hot in July, some trash

  Away from it all, had place to ourselves, very impressive scenery but some trash around, either very dusty or rocky and barely ok for our tents. Next time I’d rather go “dispersed”.

• 

  Charyl B.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 19, 2020

  Skull Hollow Campground

  Good Spot

  Super excited to see Smith Rock for the first time! Hike all day, when we came back in the evening we could tell that our tent had been blown over in the wind but the camp host (I think his name is Charlie) put in extra stakes and tie offs to keep our tent up right. So so nice and generous of him. The campground is very inexpensive and doesn’t have a lot of amenities and that’s all good by me.