Best Dispersed Camping near Roseburg, OR

This BLM area is a quick turn off the main road.  Take a right or left to start the loop and you’ll find various spots for dispersed camping. The road is mostly ok with some areas of high rocks but we made it in our 26ft Class C with only one ding on the steps. Larger vehicles might have problems along the lower half of the loop, but the upper half was doable.  There are some spots close to the river and others up above it more with nice views as well as shade.

There are a few “long term residents" here.  One was right on the water with a big mirror and a homemade sign warning of “thieves among us." The sheriff and ranger came by the next day and left citation on his camp. Nothing scary nor anything that made us feel unsafe at all. 

This is a dry camp with no amenities. Tent/car campers welcome but must have port-a-potties. You must pack out your waste and trash. We found several trash piles which we cleaned up. There are NO fires allowed at this time. Also be aware that there is a lot of poison oak around. 

Also there were unleashed dogs, one in particular that wandered into our camp site every morning. A lot of rafters and kayakers, especially on weekends, but they stay mostly on the water but can become quite loud at times. River access in this area is available in a only few spots that you have to walk to. There is no real shoreline to hang out in unless someone is not camped right in those areas. 

Zero cell reception from ATT, verizon and TMobile in this whole area.

My visit near Fawn Creek Campground in Oregon was a refreshing experience, surrounded by dense forests and rolling hills. The campground offers a quiet retreat with well-maintained facilities, making it a great spot for nature lovers. With temperatures ranging from 30°F in winter to 80°F in summer, it’s a beautiful destination year-round. Nearby attractions like Siuslaw National Forest and the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area provide plenty of opportunities for hiking and exploration. For families with kids, keeping them entertained is easy whether it’s exploring the outdoors or enjoying Toca Boca games, a fun and creative way for kids to play and imagine. Overall, this area is a perfect blend of relaxation and adventure, making it a great choice for a weekend getaway!

You have to drive some winding forest service roads to get to a spot then find one on or near the road but there's a couple good camp spots.

Dispersed camping is allowed in all state forests within Oregon. https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Recreation/pages/Camp.aspx

We found an awesome spot along Marlow Creek Road, about 4 miles into the forest (coming in from Allegeny). There are plenty of pull outs all along the way, with room for 2-3 cars, as well as full tents and chairs set up. The road follows a babbling creek which was amazing to sleep next to. There are no amenities, follow any postings about campfire restrictions. (When we went- no fires were allowed). This is a logging forest, so we had huge logging trucks roll by in the morning - because of this, it may not be the best spot for kids or off leashed dogs. The trucks went by very quickly, stirring up a lot of dust- keep your car windows shut and use a pot while cooking breakfast! We had very few mosquitos or bugs, and loved being encompassed by the mossy trees!

Ranger Review of the Matador Freerain 24 L Backpack

https://matadorup.com/products/matador-freerain24-backpack?variant=47744934037

As a Ranger, I occasionally get the chance to test out gear in the field. I was really excited about trying out this pack, as I do a lot of canyoneering, and dealing with waterproof bags inside of soggy backpacks is always a hassle. Or you have to figure out a way to secure a typical waterproof bag to you. The bag is made of a lightweight rainjacket-like material, and has a roll top to it’s main compartment. I took the bag on a 3 mile hike to some waterfalls, where I could test out it’s waterproofness. At home, I went to a nearby lake to try submerging it.

Pros

This bag was extremely light, small and pack-able! You have no reason NOT to bring it with you if you may be heading somewhere wet. It folds into a small drawstring about the size of a baseball.

This bag has separate storage compartments whereas most drybags are a long tube where everything falls to the bottom. Within this bag, you have 2 water bottle holders (where I tossed things like keys), a easy access zip pocket on the front, as well as the small drawstring that the bag itself can be stored in (I put my packs of gummies in here for safe keeping).

Cons

The bag does not have a chest strap, so there was the potential for the backpack to slip off if you were doing strenuous activity, it also didn’t sit perfectly comfortable because of this. It does however, have adjustable shoulder straps (which I didn’t see as necessary).

I was nervous about putting my 1 L Nalgene bottles into the water bottle pockets because of the material of the bag…with just 1, it made the bag extremely lopsided, or with 2, it seemed to put a lot of stress on the bag itself. I tossed my water inside the bag instead, which made it pretty lumpy since the packable bag doesn’t have structure.

The front pocket is as advertised, water resistant, but definitely did not pass the waterproof test when I submerged the bag. It’s OK for waterfall mist or a light rain, but I wouldn’t keep my phone in there if we were getting dunked!

Conclusion!

If this bag had the chest strap, I’d be in 100% for using it for canyoneering adventures, however- since it doesn’t seem made for more rugged situations, I’m not sure why you would need such a waterproof bag. Most daypacks nowadays come with a raincover, or are made of a water resistant material to keep your goodies from getting soaked - unless you are planning a very casual dayhike where you are literally walking under waterfalls, I would most likely invest in a different daypack solution..

Needed a last minute to car camp that was close to the coast, found these dispersed sites online and figured it try it out. There was surprisingly multiple spots that I had cell service (AT&T) so I was able to navigate myself around through a satellite map. Lots of nice spots with good views, just takes a bit of driving around to find the perfect one. Didn’t see anyone up there and I was there from Tuesday to Wednesday. Hope to return at some point! Just beware some of the side roads are a bit overgrown and can scratch up your car.

When we visited Crater Lake in April, we knew we'd have to find alternative camping because the park campgrounds would be covered in several feet of snow.

We were able to find many options for camping on the way to Crater Lake, before entering the park boundaries. Check the regulations and guidelines before you head out, because there are specific areas where you can pull off and find a place to camp. For us, there were plenty of small unpaved roads where we could find a quiet, flat place for our tent.

Crater Lake is one of the areas in the U.S. that receives the most snowfall each year, so their roads are often unplowed until well into the summer season. In the winter and spring, the park offers free snowshoe tours which offer an overview of the park and great views of the lake.

Even though much of the park is inaccessible during April, we'd still recommend going if you have the chance. The winter views are incredible, too!

You can read much more about our two days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Crater Lake)

The road getting up to it wasn't too bad. Some bigger potholes that we're easy enough to avoid. The pond at the top was beautiful with tons of bats flying around at night. Super cool!

Followed Marlow Creek road about 7 or 8 miles straight back until we reached the top of a hill. Cleared out from what looks to be trees that burned from a fire. Makes for amazing views. Definitely worth the bit of a long drive to get back here.

My husband and I were looking for a place to camp close to the coast during 4th of July weekend when every other campground was full. It was a nice drive, saw maybe 2 other cars the whole night. Our site backed right up to a little creek. The only downfall was the flys and bugs were killer - there were huge horseflies everywhere

This was beautiful but the only options were on the side of the gravel road. There were a few of these pull outs along the road but the road did have a few other cars driving by.

We checked this spot out and ended up moving on to keep looking, but would come back here if ever in the area.  

This is a recreation site / boat ramp, and it's wide open for camping as well.  When you pull in, you first see a large area that looks like a parking lot.  It wasn't until we left the spot and looked back on it from the higher road that we saw that the camp area extended a bit past the bathrooms into more camp friendly spots, with some shade and greenery.

No cell service in this whole area.

There is a pit toilet, and trash and recycling bins.  No fires at this time!