Looking for the best campgrounds near Prineville, OR? Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Prineville campgrounds just for you. Find the best campgrounds near Prineville, OR. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
"Also very hot and dry, as to be expected in the high desert. The scent of Mock orange hung heavy in the evenings air and the waterfalls area had a pool nearby you could hang out in."
"Breathtaking drives and not hard to find with given coordinates. Dirt roads are not too hard to drive but during the dry months it is extremely dusty."
"This spot is great for watching a meteor shower, gets a little windy and not too much shade during the day."
"The road leading to the edge is a rough drive (Mazda CX-5), but it is absolutely worth the view."
"Nabbed a nice quiet spot about a mile up the dirt road. The fire ring looked like a bottledrop convention, but I quickly "Molly Maided" the site and was back to camping in no time."
"We loved this spot, it was a perfect place to stay with our camper van. Easy to find in the dark and the roads, paved & dirt, were easy to maneuver."
"Great secluded dispersed camping. It was obviously meant for folks with horses, but I was the only one there, so there were no horses in sight."
"Trees for shade and relaxing. Nearby trails to find mud holes 😁 great time all around when we go!"
"If you keep driving on the forest service road past the Skull Hollow campground there are many designated spots to car camp along the road. The road is dirt but 2WD/low clearance is fine."
"Open grounds away from everything. There was a dirt square right off the dirt road we parked in. The only noise was the power-lines close by, which weren’t bad. Decent stargazing and had no issues."
"Love this dispersed campsite! So much wife open space. We were the only campers here last night. So quiet that you can hear a pin drop. Oh, the 360 views are fantastic!"
"Has a nice area to turn around a big truck. Looks like people have been cutting firewood here. There some litter and obvious signs of people."
"Drove all the way out this way to stay at Steelhead Trail, but it was packed for the holiday weekend. Used my map to find closest BLM land and headed here. Actually pretty decent spot."
"There is a bunch of BLM land here. We drove a little past the coordinates on the Dyrt site and turned right into another section of the BLM. There were multiple roads to take."
"My fiancé and I stopped to car camp on our way to Portland. This stop is less than 5 minutes from the freeway yet quite. We had a zoom meeting in the morning and the service was great."
"This is about 20 minutes east of Bend Oregon. You have a number of options here. Right off the road there is a lot where I saw an RV camped. I’m sure there would be some road noise there."
LegendWe kind of stumbled into this free spot while heading to a more formal campground near Pelton Dam. As the daylight faded I spotted a pullout/turnaround area which then led to a rather private loop with a great view of the Deschutes River and Lake Simtustus. I had to confirm with the Dyrt BLM map overlay, but I was glad to find myself on public land. It’s not really a place I’d choose to spend more than one night, since it doesn’t really connect to any trails or walking areas, but it was a handy en-route overnight spot, complete with a nice view and bright sunset. It’s only a few miles off Rt. 26, following signs to Pelton Dam. There was plenty of room to turn around my 26’ skoolie. However, I didn’t really see a good place for a tent, but I didn’t look very hard. There were signs of previous users, including a fire ring (which I didn’t use). Since it was the eve of Earth Day, I did collect a bagful of empty cans and trash. Leave no trace, people!
LegendThis was by far my favorite place we stayed on our entire 4000+ mile road trip…. and it was free! We stayed at Priest Hole, which is a few miles past the Painted Hills visitor center on dirt roads. We saw a few vans and a pop-up trailer, but no RVs. The road was okay but not great, so not sure if regular RVs would make it or not. Fine for cars, trucks or vans.
It's Bureau of Land Management land, which means all camping is free. We camped right on the banks of the John Day River and it was amazingly beautiful. The water was the perfect temperature for swimming and crystal clear. There were people a couple hundred yards from us on either side, so not too crowded. We were there on a Thursday and pulled right up to an empty spot.
Only vault toilets. Bring your own water. No showers, picnic tables, etc. The only drawback, besides lack of a nice bathroom and not much natural shade, was quite a few earwigs and other bugs attacking the outside tent at night when we had our light on. Not the worst thing, but slightly annoying for the kiddos.
When the river is higher (sometimes in the winter) there's a large grassy area in the center of the area for tents, but a bit far away from the water. But in the summer when the river is lower you can camp in any of the rocky dry stream beds and be safely right on the water.
ScoutJust a forest service road. The area close to the road is closed to camping entirely. I showed up at 1am and missed that part since I'm so used to seeing no campFIRES and was hassled by a local for making their scenic walk less pretty. But if you look at the map posted you just need to be further in from the road - you'll see new signs for 14-day limits. Lots of mountain bikers riding past since there are a ton of trails out here. They also seem to be grumpy about seeing a vehicle parked out here, but oh well.
I don't know who is marking this area for services and water and toilets and RV hookups.... it's just a dirt road. However I do get 2-3 bars LTE on AT&T and Verizon even further in where you can camp.
GuideIt’s free camping so who can complain! Pull off from the main road onto a dirt single lane road. Many “campsites” along the road. No amenities. Quiet place.
TravelerNabbed a nice quiet spot about a mile up the dirt road. The fire ring looked like a bottledrop convention, but I quickly "Molly Maided" the site and was back to camping in no time. (Leave no trace, peeps!) Snow started to fall early in the evening and through the night. Woke up to single digits, but overall it was a perfect overnight getaway just outside of town.
LegendWe were looking for a dispersed camping site on Forest Service land outside of cell range so we used The Dyrt PRO maps to help us find this spot. It is just off of paved roads on a smooth gravel road that our RV easily handled - it is a pull off from Whiskey Jack road and has room for 1 RV or several tents on flat land with some soft ground cover from grass and pine needles. There are no services so this is dry camping and you’ll need to be self sufficient. There is a fire pit circle but with recent fires we wouldn’t use it and it may be prohibited. I am sure this road could be snowed in in winter months but was dry and clear in June. We picked the spot with fewer trees as we were testing out a Starlink satellite dish on our RV to see if we could get internet access deep in the woods. Lots of ponderosa pines, manzanita bushes, and chirping birds in warm weather days and cool nights. There is some traffic passing the site during the day but there is a road that a 4 wheel drive could travel if you wanted to get away from the road for some extra privacy and quiet. Overall a classic Oregon Cascades mountain meadow location that is only 10-15 minutes off highway 20 and makes you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere to rest and rejuvenate!
GuideIf you keep driving on the forest service road past the Skull Hollow campground there are many designated spots to car camp along the road. The road is dirt but 2WD/low clearance is fine. The campground has public, dry toilets near the entrance of the road. Some sites are shaded by juniper trees.
TravelerFirst time we have stayed here. Spent two nights along the river. Quiet, serene and peaceful. Each campsite had recently been upgraded with heavy duty Pilot Rock fire pits, fresh gravel,restrooms were clean. These upgrades were done over the past several years according to BLM Prineville staff. Maintenance of this nice area will be difficult since temporary staff and seasonal help have been reduced from 20 employees down to 2. Pack it in and pack it out. Appreciate and protect what these public lands have to offer.
GuideHiked up on Friday night and got the last spot. No amenities, and a 2 mile straight uphill hike to get here. Theres a map of the campsites, but they are hard to find. None are near te lake so fill upwater in bulk! Stunning sunsets and sunrises. Made for a nice striking point to the summit. Gets busy. Have bug spray handy!
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Prineville, Oregon, where you can immerse yourself in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. With a variety of options available, outdoor enthusiasts can find the perfect spot to unwind and explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Prineville, OR is Steelhead Falls Trailhead & Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 17 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 56 dispersed camping locations near Prineville, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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