Best Tent Camping near Mount Vernon, OR
Tent campsites near Mount Vernon, Oregon provide secluded forest experiences in the Malheur National Forest region. Established options include the primitive Billy Fields Forest Camp, which features a stream running alongside its sites and a vault toilet, and Oregon Mine Campground, a free horse camp offering access to hiking trails and potential wildlife sightings, including wild horses. Strawberry Campground, located south of Prairie City, offers additional tent camping options with picnic tables and toilets.
Road conditions can present challenges for tent campers, particularly at higher elevations or after rainfall. The final miles to Strawberry Campground involve forest roads that become progressively rougher, with one camper reporting, "The ruts and holes in the road began to increase. When I was about 2 miles away from Strawberry Campground, I turned around." Most tent sites in the area lack potable water, so campers should bring sufficient supplies or equipment to filter water from nearby creeks. Vault toilets are available at some locations, including Billy Fields and Strawberry, but facilities are minimal and follow pack-in, pack-out principles.
The surrounding Malheur National Forest provides tent campers with excellent access to hiking trails and wilderness areas. Sites along streams offer pleasant background sounds that enhance the camping experience. A camper noted, "There is nice hiking in the area in this simple campsite in the middle of nowhere. There are toilets but no water, there's a creek so boil or treat the water there." Wildlife observations are common, including deer, snakes, and at Oregon Mine Campground, wild horses that occasionally graze near the tent sites. Mosquitoes can be problematic at streamside locations like Billy Fields, especially during warmer months. Most tent campsites feature natural shade from ponderosa pines and other forest trees, providing relief during hot summer days.
