Looking for tent camping near Prineville? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
2021: Open with capacity limit due to COVID-19. If you enjoy scenic views of deep river canyons or rock climbing, Smith Rock State Park is the place for you. There are several thousand climbs in the park. More than a thousand are bolted routes. We also offer miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. Along your trip through the canyon, you might see golden eagles, prairie falcons, mule deer, river otter and beaver. Note: Some climbing areas are closed or have limited access from about Jan. 15 to Aug. 1 to protect nesting raptors. Drones are also not allowed during this period. Check the park advisories on this page for exact dates and affected areas. Due to the uniqueness and fragile aspect of the park, park rangers enforce the animal leash law and ask all park users to stay on trails. Bivouac Camping Camping is open early spring through late fall, as weather allows. Walk-in bivouac area for tents (No reservations) Showers (overnight guests only) RV camping, sleeping in vehicles and open fires are not allowed
$8 / night
Unlike most of the other campgrounds along the Crooked River, this 14.5-acre campground is set back some from the Lower Crooked Back Country Byway, providing some isolation. Campground facilities include fourteen mostly broad, spacious campsites, vault toilets and an accessible fishing pier. All but one of the campsites are at river level and accessed by a single-lane road.
Open year-round on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations are accepted. Potable water is available year-round at the upriver Chimney Rock Campground, 0.8 miles north on State HIghway 27. Cell phone service is not available in the campground. Watch for bicyclists: the section of State Highway 27 between Prineville and Bowman Dam is designated as the Crooked River Canyon Scenic Bikeway.
The site takes its name from nearby rock outcrops composed of basaltic lava which form the steep, formidable cliff faces across the river from the campground. ADA Access: Accessible fishing pier and trail.
Along the Chimney Rock segment of Central Oregon's Crooked Wild and Scenic River, Chimney Rock campground offers a relaxing woodland setting amongst Western Juniper trees and beneath massive Columbia River rock formations. Fly-fishing and hiking on the nearby Chimney Rock trail offer day-long recreational fun. Enjoy plenty of easy river access along the adjacent Crooked River Back Country Byway, State Highway 27.
Chimney Rock Campground is open year-round and is equipped with 16 campsites and vault toilets. No reservations are accepted; site is first-come, first-served only. Water is available in the campground and an accessible fishing platform is located near the campground entrance. When recreating on public lands, practice Leave-No-Trace Principles. Don't Move Firewood: Please protect Pacific Northwest forests by preventing the spread of invasive species. Firewood can carry insects and diseases that can threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by obtaining and burning your firewood near your camping destination.
Check out the campground's namesake butte located prominently above highway 27 opposite the campground. Access to the trailhead is across the highway at the Chimney Rock Trailhead. For a different view, visitors can ride the 18-mile Crooked River Canyon Scenic Bikeway from Prineville to Big Bend Campground. Designated in 2018, this moderate route takes riders from picturesque farms to towering cliffs.ADA Access: Fishing platform and vault toilets are accessible.
With views of nearby Chimney Rock, this campground offers year-round camping and Crooked River access along the Lower Crooked Back Country Byway. Campground facilities include seven campsites with excellent access to the Crooked Wild and Scenic River.
Open year-round on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations are accepted. Potable water is available year-round at the nearby Chimney Rock Campground, 1.3 miles north on State Highway 27. Cell phone service is not available in the campground. Watch for bicyclists: the section of State Highway 27 between Prineville and Bowman Dam is designated as the Crooked River Canyon Scenic Bikeway.
The campground takes its name from nearby rock outcrops composed of basaltic lava. As these formations cooled, a multi-sided joint pattern formed which seemingly resulted in the appearance of a pile of posts stacked vertically. The geologic phenomena is known as columnar basalt. ADA Access: No accessible facilities.
This trailhead is located just off of Highway 26 and provides access to Rimrock Springs Trail (#850), which gives visitors an opportunity for wildlife and nature viewing. The trail is ADA accessible and short, so it's perfect for stretching out your legs and getting some fresh air. There are also picnic tables at the site for anyone who enjoys eating outdoors.
Located south of Prineville, Oregon, this six-site campground offers year-round camping and Crooked River access along the Lower Crooked Back Country Byway. Castle Rock looms above its namesake campground on the Chimney Rock section of the Crooked WIld and Scenic River. An ADA-accessible vault toilet is onsite. __ Know Before You Go: Open year-round on a first-come, first-served basis; no potable water available. Cell phone service is not available in the campground. Watch for bicyclists: the section of State Highway 27 between Prineville and Bowman dam is a state scenic bikeway Point of Interest: Castle Rock Campground is the first in a series of twelve Bureau of Land Management recreation sites along the Crooked Wild and Scenic River, south of Prineville, Oregon. Eight additional campgrounds, two day-use areas and a trailhead offer ample access to camping, fishing, hiking and photography. ADA Access: Vault toilet is accessible.
Traveler
The best thing this park has going for it, is also a negative. The campground is in Sisters, OR., which is a great little town in Central Oregon, a jumping off location for lots of outdoor activities. Sisters also is yupped up with several cafes, bistros, art galleries, breweries, and tap houses too numerous to list here. It's also the home of Preston Thompson Guitars! The negative is that US Hwy 20, a main East/ West artery and vein for Oregon runs right through the middle of Sisters, and within just a few yards from this campground. So, you do get a lot of highway noise. However, the speed is low there and so that helps.
The campground manager was the friendliest manager that I've ever met. She makes it feel like home for you and genuinely wants you to like the park as much as she does. Mind you, she is probably a city employee as the the campground is part of Creekside City Park. But, she treats it as hers, and she wants you to come back. We had a FHU unit which rocks after spending several nights on the Oregon Coast in State Parks w/o FHUs.
The sites are close to one another, and the road around to the sites serpentines throughout the campground. Be mindful if you pull off in your rig in front of the office, as that gravel parking lot also serves as a drive out for the dump station. You very well could block off someone who wants to leave the dump station. I had an altercation with such a RVer because a Class A pulled right behind me, blocking the guy in, while we were getting directions from the manager. But, he saw it all as my fault and that is where the rub was. He wasn't very nice about being blocked in, even if it was for about a minute, and certainly ruined my day.
ScoutQuiet, close to Bend, numerous sites in Ponderosa forest.
TravelerI have stayed here a couple times on motorcycle trips around Oregon. There are lots of sites that have been used and it's a great place to spend a night or two. It's close to Sisters so you can grab what you need.
You're close to the Rodeo grounds so you can hear what's going on if there are any events there. Overall, great free place to camp if you're in the Sisters, OR area.
Guide
This is an active shooting range, so if you're looking for peace and quiet or a spot that is not littered with pulls of trash, you've come to the wing place.
On the upside, when there is not shooting, the quarry is an ok view (if you can get past the litter), and there is endless space and open skies for solar or starlink. It's also easy to reach and rig friendly, but not far from main highway for access.
GuideNice open spot with some shade. Quiet and close to town. May get busy during day with riders. A good parking spot.
GuideLong term campers and trash. Some interesting folks for sure. Prob harmless but camp at own risk.
Guide
Amazing views. Access to water. Gorgeous sunsets. Not far from toilet if you're up for a walk, or have wheels. Firepits. This site has it all.
Room to back in 15' trailer to camp or of.
Early October, 70 f during day 30 f at night.
Traveler
Friday night rest stop boondocking. All to ourselves. One jeep came out after we set up and 2 trucks went past us in at 20:30. Lovely sunset nice place to let dog run.
ScoutThere are several spots off of the road to the Spark Lake Day Use area. The road is very rough, but taken slow does not require a 4wd.
Traveler
We went as a group of 8+ families, booking a number of different campsites in two groupings, one on the riverfront, one on the backside of the loop. The campground layout is a large loop with a road down the center, so was great for kids riding bikes around and playing.
The riverside sites were beautiful but ours was very close to an outhouse that was extremely full and smelled very bad. It really needed to be cleaned out and clearly hadn't in a long time.
Also the river was super cold and very fast moving, which at times was a little scary with a ton of young kids running around.
Camp Sherman was only a mile away and has fresh donuts in the morning. I was able to ride over on my electric skateboard and it was a beautiful enjoyable ride.
There was also a small bridge 7-10ft above the river that folks jumped off of which was fun.
We didn't have any major problems with bees or mosquitos as some other folks mentioned that they had in previous reviews.
We had one morning evening where fog was rolling across the river and it was uniquely beautiful. Overall it's a great spot, but would have been perfect if the maintenance had been better and the outhouse smell wasn't so bad.
Ranger
Never again, hovering campground hosts kept the place clean but they made us feel like we were on the watch list. Campers left the campsite and no joke, the hosts were in raking the dirt as the people were vacating.
Guide
This is across river from Big River Group campground. Only about 10 sites. Most of the Sites are small. Pit toilets. Fire pit. Picnic table. Close to road. Somewhat on the dirty side. Some sites back to Deschutes River.
Ranger
Stayed in one of the cabins, it was clean and made a nice getaway for a couple days.
Bathrooms are a long walk in the middle of the night so I should have chosen a cabin with a bathroom, my mistake.
Campground sites are tightly packed and lack privacy. If you like to take nice long walks there are hiking paths as well as the paved roads in the campground.
Guide
A good open area with lots of nice smelling juniper. Theres parking at the few trailheads or off the road. The best spot, with some nice features such as lava rocks, is the 3rd right from the main road. Some folks may be particular about their "spot". No toilet, trash nor water but good trails. About 20 mins into town. Didnt see any snakes but was checking just in case. Prob best for RV or car camping. High desert gets to 40s at night this time of year.
Scout
This spot was close enough to town that we could call an Uber to Hayden Homes after we set up, then Uber back when the concert finished. The main red dirt road is gorgeous with various pull offs spaced decently far apart. I saw one or two neighbors to the left and right of our spot but it was far enough that our spot felt private. Really quiet and felt remote while still accessible to town and had cell service.
Traveler
We stayed here twice with a short gap between our 2 times. Comfortable park, very clean. Big rig friendly especially in the center areas without trees. If you're using Starlink this would be a good choice. Able to do laundry both times we stayed (credit card instead of quarters!). Full hook ups (we paid $50 per night). Good location for visiting Redmond and Bend.
Traveler
We were only there one night. We had a pull through which was nice. Sites were gravel and there was grass in the park, also nice trees. Sites were fairly close together. Nicely stocked shop available. Pool looked nice but we didn't use it. We could smell cigarette smoke which was unpleasant so the park must not be smoke free. Part of why we only give it 3 stars. We felt like it was on the spendy side but park was easy to get to and camp staff seemed pleasant.
Legend
Found this small spot after searching entire area for a last minute campsite. Multiple fires around south of City Of Bend so not many choices tonight. Very quiet spot, only one camper close by but can't see them from thus site. There is a fire ring built by rock but no open fires allowed. Great last minute spot.
Ranger
This small, primitive campground is just about a mile from the McKenzie Pass on Hwy 242, the old McKenzie Hwy. it has 9 sites, 2 of which are walk-in. Lava Camp Lake is a small alpine lake and most of the camp sites have views of the lake. You can also see Mt. Washington and Black Crater from most places in the campground. Part of the area is a burn scar from a 2017 (I think) fire in the area. But there are a lot of trees around the campsites and plenty of shade. Lots of deer. One well-maintained pit toilet. No water.
We stayed in site 6 in our small camper van. It was mid-week in early September (after Labor Day) and there was only one other camper there for one night. It was so quiet and peaceful. perfect.
Scout
They don't allow vans but they will allow teardrops.
Hypocritical
Van campers are good campers too.
Guide
Although it's in the middle of the desert, this campground has amazingly soft parade grounds for for tons of outdoor games. The trails around the golf course and the views of the canyon and river are amazing. There is local restaurants and taphouses within a few minutes drive. There is a pool available to you for your stay that has a snack bar directly adjacent to it. If you are bringing an RV or travel trailer, I recommend bringing blocks for your stabilizers as some of the sites have a decent slope to them.
Guide
EDIT: We had a park ranger stop by and inform us that this location is closed to passenger vehicles. No passenger vehicles are allowed past the boulders. We are currently parked at the one and only camp slot that passenger vehicles are allowed, so this is a 99% dispersed camping location that you have to walk to your camp site location. The Park Ranger also reminded me that all BLM land is a 14-day stay for recreational camping only, and if you are living out of your RV, you are liable to be harassed more often then others.
Original Review: We parked in a space close to the main road. Minus the sounds from it, the place is very peaceful. There's lots of sage bushes, and trees are plenty but not clustered. There is a lot of wildlife in the area if the animal bones are anything to judge by. There are a lot of ant colonies and other burrowing creatures in the area as well. If you choose to walk off designated paths, watch your step, or you might end up in a shallow hole like I did. Some spots are more solar friendly than others, but none of the trees are overbearingly tall to completely block out the ability for it. Flies aren't too bad compared to other places, and honestly, I'm not sure if the ones we are dealing with are from here or left over from our 1 night stay at another location. The river is only a shortish walk away, and field mice do live in some of the boulders in the area.
Scout
Was by myself on motorcycle. Clear directions, plenty of tables, leveled spaces for tent. Gets cold at night.
Road here was a graded packed dirt, so a but bumpy but 2WD would make it no problem. Enjoyed my stay
Guide
Camp host was nice, easy access to sites. Showers/bathrooms clean but dated.
Guide
We have been here a few times. Gorgeous hikes and large sites. Sometimes other campers can be obnoxious with motorcycles and road in gets very rough the last few miles. Couple of fishing lakes within 1 or 2 miles
Guide
We enjoyed our stay here. We had a nice space with decent trees for shade and putting up some lights. We could easily drive in to Madras...or to the Crooked River Canyon to go bungee jumping!!!! We also took a nice drive out east in the hills. Firewood was a bit steep, at $8/bundle.
Guide
While staying here in August 2024: -Dog friendly -No hookups -2 bars on Verizon -No shade -Madras, OR only 10 minutes away. -1 acres fenced in dog park in Madras OR (15 min. drive) -Used my credit card at the automated self pay station (super convenient). -fairly clean bathroom (toilet only). -From travel trailers to Teslas, they all have made down the road and plenty of room.
Situated on the banks of the Deschutes Wild and Scenic River, Mecca Flat Campground is located just a mile and a half from Oregon State HIghway 26 near Warm Springs. The site features 13 individual campsites and one group use area. The southern terminus of the 7-mile long Trout Creek Trail can be accessed directly from the campground.
Know Before You Go:
All campsites, including the group use area are open year-round on a first-come, first-served basis; no potable water is available. The 1.6 mile Mecca Flat Road is narrow with few pullouts; use caution particularly when pulling a trailer. Access the nearby non-motorized Trout Creek Trail which fronts the Deschutes Wild and Scenic River for 7 miles where it terminates at Trout Creek Campground. Cell phone service is not available in the campground. Goathead, also known as puncturevine, is present in the area; protect your pets and bicycle tires Point of Interest:
The Deschutes Railroad ran on portions of the nearby Trout Creek trail and Mecca Flat Road for several decades, competing with the Oregon Trunk Railroad before abandonment in the early 20th century. Look for the historic, now-abandoned tunnel near Highway 26 - but stay clear of this degrading and unstable structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Prineville, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Prineville, OR is Smith Rock State Park Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 36 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Prineville, OR?
TheDyrt.com has all 61 tent camping locations near Prineville, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
