Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Pendleton, OR is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Pendleton is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Oregon camping adventure.
$22 - $74 / night
"It's close to the mountains without being too far away - about an hour and a half from us living in Tri-cities. There are showers and water spickets, room for horses, and great hiking trails."
"Oregon always has beautiful state parks. This one is no different. It is close to Hwy 84, so there is road noise. The campsites don't seem to be as on top of each other as some places."
"in the surrounding aria there are plenty of dispersed campsites that can hold any size RV Around the form almost completely shaded to full sun."
"It’s direct access onto the road from the highway exit. It’s a rough road about 1.2 miles, that’s bumpy and has lots of pot holes. Snow coverage on the road was minimal, max 2”."
"Primitive dispersed campsites with rock fire rings right off the highway. Down side is it's a little too noisy for my taste."
"Many options for private pull-offs once you drive past established NF campgrounds—likely tough to do without high clearance and/or 4WD when wet. Only “traffic” was the occasional ATV/OHV."
"Pit toilets are located in one of the loops, but there are bathrooms with showers near the host site. There is a hiking trail directly from camp into the forest."
LegendOne of the few national forest campgrounds on road 53, or the Blue Mountain Scenic Highway. It was a beautiful drive to the campground. There are no spot numbers for this campground and is free to camp. There are only 5 picnic tables scattered around a large cul-de-sac parking lot. I choose one at the bottom of the cul-de-sac with full view of the parking lot and no one on either side of me. This is definitely a campground geared for equestrians with a horse corral available. The only amenity is a pit toilet. Aside from the horse trailer/RV that ran its generator most of the night and morning, it was a great spot to camp. There was even a short hike (2.5 round trip) up to Gibson Caves with great views along the way. The only reason I gave it 3 stars is cause of the RV running it's generator all night and being annoyed.
GuideLet's start with the positive folks. This site as an amazing parking area that is large enough for rvs and horse trailers to be able to turn around without any issues. There's a wooden pin to be able to keep horses safe and secure over night. Almost all campsites are shaded. There is a trail for either a long hike or a short one. With two littles, we did the short on which around trip was under 3 miles. It looks like if we would have kept going there is definitely an uphill climb to continue the treck, but I'm sure the few is gorgeous on top! Now is time for the negatives that really just makes this place not that great. The campsites are very close together. The ground isn't very level, so tent camping would be bumpy and on an incline. There's also little tree trunk scattered out through out the whole place so it is kinda dangerous for kids to ran around a play. Mosquitos can be murdereres so lots of bug spray! Last thing, it is rather close to the main highway so lots of noise from the traffic.
ScoutMy husband and I love this campground. It's close to the mountains without being too far away - about an hour and a half from us living in Tri-cities. There are showers and water spickets, room for horses, and great hiking trails. There is room for both tent and RV camping. We have only ever gone tent camping, and the size of the campgrounds for us has been great. There is room to set up hammocks and chairs.
The only unfortunate aspect about this campground is that it is somewhat close to the highway. After the first weekend we spent there, we got somewhat used to the sound - it can sometimes be soothing. It's also a good idea to bring something to provide added shade to either the tenting area or sitting area as it gets quite sunny in the morning.
TravelerThere is a small campground with 6 sites mostly good for campers or tent in a grove of trees with a vaulted outhouse. in the surrounding aria there are plenty of dispersed campsites that can hold any size RV Around the form almost completely shaded to full sun. It is a designated ATV aria with tons of trails used by hikers and horses in the fall it is a favorite spot for hunters
cell service is serves is sporty from 3 bars to none
TravelerOregon always has beautiful state parks. This one is no different. It is close to Hwy 84, so there is road noise. The campsites don't seem to be as on top of each other as some places.
RangerWe stopped for a night in a rustic camping cabin at Emigrant Springs in July of 2015. It was a welcome dose of green after a long day of brown along the interstate through Idaho and western Oregon. The cabin was rustic, the shower house was in good repair with nice hot showers. There seemed to be good space and shade around the sites offering some privacy. Great spot! Take the time to stop in Meacham on the West side of I-84 tomstop at The Oregon Trail Cafe - literally the ONLY store in this teeny town. Wonderful hospitality, the local ‘scoop’ and great breakfast.
LegendThis has been a historic place to stop on the way through the Blue Mountains since the Oregon Trail. It has a fair amount of freeway noise these days, though. Reasonably private sites with good shade. I would recommend it as a traveler's stop, but probably not as a multi-day vacation destination.
TravelerThis campground has full and partial hookup sites. The roads are gravel and wind their way up a steep hill, but the sites provide decent privacy. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. Pit toilets are located in one of the loops, but there are bathrooms with showers near the host site. There is a hiking trail directly from camp into the forest. We loved the serenity of being away from town in the woods where all we could hear were the birds and the creek nearby (and the thunderstorm that passed thru).
GuideCool quiet place. It’s plowed in the winter. There wasn’t much snow here on January 5-6th, 2025. It’s direct access onto the road from the highway exit. It’s a rough road about 1.2 miles, that’s bumpy and has lots of pot holes. Snow coverage on the road was minimal, max 2”. The actual camp area is concrete platforms with a picnic table and fire pit in a roundabout around the vault restroom.
Oregon offers a variety of horse camping options, perfect for equestrians looking to explore the great outdoors with their trusty companions. From well-equipped campgrounds to scenic trails, there's something for every horse lover.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Pendleton, OR is Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area with a 3.5-star rating from 25 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Pendleton, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
