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Top-Rated Tent Campsites near Oxbow, Oregon

436 Reviews

Wallowa-Whitman National Forest surrounds Oxbow, Oregon with numerous tent camping opportunities in high-elevation settings. Tent campsites in this area range from developed forest campgrounds with spring water to primitive backcountry sites reached only by trail—giving tent campers a wide spectrum of options, from sites with vault toilets and natural spring water to trailhead-access wilderness camps. Fish Lake Campground, located at 6,990 feet in pine forest near Halfway, offers tent campsites with basic amenities from June through October. Primitive tent camping is available at Lake Fork Campground, which operates seasonally from May to October. For backcountry enthusiasts, Aneroid Lake provides dispersed tent sites accessible only by hiking trails within the Eagle Cap Wilderness, where north-side camping areas offer solitude and alpine views.

Most tent campgrounds in this region feature minimal improvements, with sites typically set on natural forest surfaces. Vault toilets are common at established campgrounds, but potable water is rare—Fish Lake Campground is an exception with natural spring water available on-site. Access roads to many tent-only camping areas require high-clearance vehicles and may become impassable during spring snowmelt or after heavy rains. Campers should bring water filters or sufficient water supplies, as most backcountry and primitive tent sites lack water sources. Fire restrictions are common during summer months, particularly at higher elevations where tent camping is popular.

Tent campers frequently note the temperature variations in this region. According to one visitor at Fish Lake Campground, the high-elevation sites offer "beautiful views" but temperatures can drop significantly at night even in summer. Hurricane Creek Campground receives consistent praise for its tent-friendly layout, with one camper noting that "campsites are spaced quite far apart, some only large enough for a tent," making it ideal for those seeking privacy. Walk-in tent sites at several locations provide better seclusion than drive-up areas. Wildlife sightings are common, with deer, chipmunks, and occasionally bears reported near tent camping areas. Many tent campsites serve as gateways to extensive trail networks, particularly those bordering the Eagle Cap Wilderness.

Best Tent Sites Near Oxbow, Oregon (60)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Oxbow, OR

436 Reviews of 60 Oxbow Campgrounds

  • E
    Aug. 4, 2019

    Rainbow Point

    Open and grassy campsites

    Nice grassy sites, water right there, vault toilets, fire rings and picnic tables, tent camping or RVs. Not a lot of shade but cools down nice at night. Lots to do nearby!

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 11, 2025

    Hazard Creek Dispersed Camping

    Nice spot off the beaten path

    Nice flat spot with a stone fire ring. Hazard creek nearby isn't too loud and sounds great. Not much firewood is around as its all been picked already.

  • Jim B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 10, 2021

    Hurricane Creek Campground

    A lovely place

    We scheduled three nights here but after two nights of amazing lightning storms, we skipped the third night. Still, this is a beautiful place, very private, secluded, and shady. The fast-moving creek creates a soothing white noise that we found calming. The campsites are spaced quite far apart, some only large enough for a tent. No hookups, but there is a clean vault toilet. We planned to hit the nearby hiking trail, but when we got to the trailhead, the parking lot was completely packed. When we go there again, we will stay and relax at the campground.

  • Amanda C.
    Aug. 24, 2021

    Amanita

    Good camping close to Town

    This is a typical campground with Vault toilets, no showers, no water or electric hookups. However, it is just a couple miles from nice dining, mountain biking, and hiking.

  • T
    Jul. 27, 2020

    Sugarloaf Campground — Lake Cascade State Park

    Middle of the road

    We have high expectations since we’ve been at so many places, so please bear that in mind when reading this.

    1. Only vault toilets and water spigots placed randomly around.
    2. No electric/water hook ups, flushing toilets, or showers
    3. Outside of one vault toilet building some animal made a nest above out of dirt where they continually poop out of that looks like it hasn’t been touched in months so when you go to use the restroom you walk by a giant pile of poop.
    4. Pea gravel pads where they encourage you put your tent, not bad if you have a blow up mattress. It is nicely raked upon arrival.
    5. Campsite was clean.
    6. Most sites had trees, but not all so definitely check site pictures online if you need shade.
    7. Most sites have a view of the lake, since it’s almost like a peninsula campground.
    8. Nice boat ramps and lots of parking for boaters to leave trucks and trailers.
    9. Bugs would get a bit crazy at random times of day depending on weather.
    10. 20 minutes south of McCall if you wanted to get out and see a quaint little town.
    11. Cows on opposite side of water from campground; you can hear them, but not smell them.
  • K
    Aug. 13, 2023

    Rapid Creek Dispersed Camping Area

    Great secluded spot

    The fir trees stand tall and still. I can’t figure out if they are waiting for something to happen or if they simply don’t care.

    If you’re looking for sone sort of gorgeous panorama, this might not be the place for you. It’s really just a small meadow in the mountains that the BLM put a vault toilet and a couple of fire rings in. That being said, this place is beautiful.

    You can’t see rapid creek from the campground but you can hear it. And that’s really just as good. The white noise from the creek matched with the occasional bird or other nature sound is one of the most relaxing things on the planet.

    It’s high enough in elevation that this place gets nippy at night. I stayed in early August and the temps dropped into the upper 30s at night.

    The campground is well maintained and the vault toilet was reasonably clean when I arrived. It became Kevin clean shortly after I set up camp.

    There are trails from both sites near the vault toilet that lead down to Rapid Creek.

    I never saw any bear scat but signs on the property warn of them so be smart with your food.

    All in all, Rapid Creek dispersed camping is excellent if you just want a quiet place where no one is around. It’s amazing but not for the reasons people usually like in my opinion. ◦

  • Hannah O.
    Mar. 16, 2021

    North Fork Catherine Creek Campground

    Peaceful and free to camp

    Lovely location in the mountains of Oregon. We drove a few thousand feet up a gravel road to get to this campsite. Easy access for my little sedan. I typed the latitude and longitude (found on the website) into my gps but lost service maybe 15 or 20 minutes before we arrived. Luckily it still was able to track our location and tell us “you have arrived” but as the campsite description said, these sites are spread out along the road, so it took us an extra 10 or 15 minutes to find the site we were going to stay at. The easiest campsites to find are at the trailhead of the North Fork Catharine Creek trail, which has a large parking lot with a minimal parking fee. The vault toilets are at this parking lot. For us, we crossed the bridge right before the parking lot and found a pull-off loop that had a few trailers with what seemed to be seasonal campers. They were cheerful and friendly. We went to the very back of the loop and found a nice secluded spot that was literally yards from the river. It was a primitive spot; it had no picnic table and only a fire ring made of rocks but since we had chairs we didn’t mind.

    The forest floor was extremely easy to drive stakes into, and the river made a lovely background noise to fall asleep to.

    The only thing I didn’t like was a couple bags of trash sitting on the side of the loop. We figured they were from the seasonal campers who put them at a distance so they didn’t have to deal with the smell. Not a great idea since an animal could get into it though. That’s something to keep in mind; THERE IS NO DUMPSTER so you have to pack all trash back out.

    We stayed in the middle of July and it was delightfully cool, in the mid 70s during the day and dropped down to the upper 40s over night.

    All in all a lovely overnight trip. I would go back.

  • Kelsey G.
    Aug. 30, 2020

    Pittsburg Campground

    Beautiful area, ok camping

    Beautiful area, incredibly scenic and photographable, but a few things to be aware of.

    There is a heck of a drive to get into this place, there’s a very winding and steep road to get there and it took us about an hour from White Bird. That being said, it was a very lovely and scenic drive, and based on the number of trailers and boats that were down there it doesn’t seem to deter many people. Just be aware you’ll want to come prepared with whatever you’ll need while you’re there because it’s not a quick ride back into town to get supplies (and make sure you have enough gas in your tank)

    Also, word of warning to any dog owners; I discovered as soon as we unloaded from the vehicle that there are sticky burs absolutely everywhere on the ground and our furry labradoodle was soon covered with them. The first thing we did when we got back into cell phone range was call and schedule him a grooming appointment to get shaved because they were on every inch of his body and would be impossible to comb out.

    The campsites are all pretty close together and since this is a desert area there are very few trees, so you will be able to see your fellow campers and they will be able to see you. Each site has a little canopy thing for both shade and I suspect some wind protection (it got extremely windy one of the nights we were there).

    It was $8 a night when I was there in August 2020. There was a burn restriction in place from July 1st to September 15th according to posted signs.

    If you do not have a trailer, there are some dispersed camping sites at the “Upper Landing” that are clearly marked. They are walk in only but didn’t appear to be too far to walk and seem that they would afford a bit more privacy if that’s what you’d looking for.

  • Brandon K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 12, 2020

    Farewell Bend State Recreation Area Campground

    Riverside desert experience

    Farewell bend is a day use state park and campground located near Huntington Oregon and nestled on the Snake River.

    The park is a dry desert setting with yellowing grasses, tall spiny trees and sand dunes. The snake river is a deep emerald green flowing with foam from the upriver reservoir.

    The campground has three large loops that can accommodate the largest of personal busses down to the classic sleeping bag. There are electric and water connections, a sewer dump and a boat launch. There are a couple of rentable waterfront cabins available on C-loop.

    Many fisherman come here to enjoy the well stocked waters, keep an eye out for the other river wildlife commonly seen, rattle snakes. Other water sports are welcome here, boating and waterskiing happens all day long. The dunes across the river are a popular off-road and motorized fun location.

    The river is pretty much inaccessible from the campgrounds, the day use area allows for access to the rocky beach, but the waters edge is not clean sadly, polluted with litter and river foam.

    The park is a very warm and sunny Oregon escape with little to no cellular service.

Guide to Oxbow

Tent campsites near Oxbow, Oregon offer diverse camping experiences across varying elevations in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Summer temperatures at higher campsites can drop into the 30s overnight even when daytime temperatures reach 80°F. Access roads to remote camping areas typically open between late May and mid-June, depending on snowmelt conditions and seasonal rainfall patterns.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Fish Lake Campground provides exceptional trout fishing in a high alpine setting. As camper Patrick S. notes, the lake offers "outstanding action-packed trout fishing" that makes it a worthwhile destination for anglers willing to make the journey to 6,990 feet elevation.

Creek exploration: Hurricane Creek Campground features multiple sites positioned along a fast-moving creek with several swimming holes. According to Kaitlyn P., "The river is shallow in most places but right off this site it has a deep area where you can dip, the water is freezing even in late August, and there's a 3-foot jump down onto the bank."

Hiking access: Tent sites at Aneroid Lake Backcountry Dispersed Campsite require a significant hike but reward visitors with high alpine lake access. Camper Nick J. explains that "The dispersed camping for backpackers is on the North side of the lake" and mentions the lake "is stocked every few years with rainbow trout, and has a good supply of brook trout."

What campers like

Wildlife viewing: Hurricane Creek campsites offer consistent wildlife observation opportunities. Deb H. reports, "Deer wandered through the campground and there are chipmunks," while other visitors frequently mention spotting various mammals and birds during morning and evening hours.

Creek sounds: The rushing water at Hidden Campground provides natural white noise that many campers appreciate. Adam H. describes the campground as "Quiet, beautiful and river access" noting that despite arriving on July 4th, they "had no issues finding a site."

Natural spring water: Fish Lake Campground offers access to natural spring water, a rare amenity in the region. As Jim F. explains, the campground "is a pay site ($6/night) with on-site water and metal fire pits and vault toilets," making it exceptionally convenient compared to many primitive sites in the area.

What you should know

Site spacing and privacy: Campgrounds in this region typically feature well-spaced sites that provide good separation between campers. At Hurricane Creek, Janet K. describes it as a "Small campground by a beautiful but loud creek" with "sites private" and minimal crowds even during summer weekends.

Road conditions: Many forest roads require careful driving but remain accessible to standard vehicles. Kathy B. notes about Hurricane Creek Campground, "Before I drove down here, I'd read some reviews about the road not being pot-holed and washboard, but I decided to risk it with my van and so glad I did!"

Weather variability: Storm patterns can develop quickly in summer months. One camper at Hurricane Creek mentioned scheduling "three nights here but after two nights of amazing lightning storms, we skipped the third night," indicating the need for weather awareness and flexibility.

Tips for camping with families

Wildlife awareness: Bears have been reported in several campgrounds. At Hurricane Creek, Kathy B. advises to "Be bear aware here. Didn't see any bears, but they were around the week before I came." Food storage precautions are essential.

Water safety: Creek and river access points require supervision. Andrew L. cautions about Hurricane Creek that "if you have dogs keep them on a leash because if they were to get in the creek that would be all she wrote. That creek is appropriately named as it really moves."

Bathroom facilities: Fish Lake Campground offers maintained vault toilets that remain clean throughout the season. Brooklyn P. notes about another nearby campground that there are "plenty of clean bathrooms" making extended stays more comfortable for families with younger children.

Tips from RVers

Limited turnaround space: Many campgrounds have sites suited for tents or small trailers but lack adequate turnaround areas for larger rigs. Janet K. notes that at Hurricane Creek some sites are "accessible by car only (no trailer turnaround)."

Leveling requirements: Riverside sites often require leveling equipment. A Hurricane Creek camper reports, "took another closer to the river for the second night where I had to use my leveling blocks. But so worth it."

Site selection for size limitations: The campgrounds near Oxbow frequently have sites with varying capacities. Jim B. mentions that at Hurricane Creek "The campsites are spaced quite far apart, some only large enough for a tent," indicating RV campers should arrive early for the limited number of suitable spaces.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Oxbow, OR?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Oxbow, OR is Fish Lake Campground with a 5-star rating from 3 reviews.

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