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Oregon

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With a strong reputation for adventures in nature, Oregon sits high on many hikers’ and campers’ outdoor bucket lists. And with over 50 percent of state land declared public, camping in Oregon is literally everywhere. To help you get started, here’s some of the best spots to pitch a tent and catch a view!


While the Cascades mountain range used to be a major obstacle for settlers riding the Oregon trail, it has now become an outdoor adventurer’s playground. Mt. Hood, the fourth highest peak in the Cascades and just two hours outside of Portland, is home the most popular park for campers looking for a taste of Oregon’s natural diversity. Aside from the snowy mountain top, the old-growth forests and flowing water features make this a prime location for camping in Oregon. 


Lake lovers might appreciate the serene views of the Wy’east at campsites around Trillium Lake. Waking up to the fog that drifts on the lake and Mt. Hood standing tall behind it is a picture-perfect moment every camper dreams of. Rent yourself a boat, canoe or kayak and spend the day gliding around the 63-acre lake or angling for local trout.


If you’d like to ditch some of the crowds around Mt. Hood while also getting a hike in, make your way through a canopy of old-growth forest on the Old Salmon River Trail. The backwoods sites along the trail offer a natural escape to some of the best camping in Oregon.


If you’re looking for a more active natural beauty, venture about three hours south from Mt. Hood to Silver Falls State Park outside of Salem. People call it the “crown jewel” of the Oregon State Parks system, and once you visit, you know why. The scenic waterfall hike offers a 360-degree view of a 178-foot cascade (where else can you hike behind a waterfall?) With sites a hike away from the falls, anyone looking for camping in Oregon can’t miss this spot. Throughout your exploration around Oregon, you can find all the best campsites with The Dyrt.

The best camping in Oregon awaits you on The Dyrt! Campers like you are sharing their reviews of Oregon's best campgrounds every day so that you can plan trips with ease. Get out and go camp!

The Best Camping in Oregon | 100+ OR Campgrounds

Summer Lake

$300 to Eddie Bauer, $200 to Full Windsor, and 1 year of The Dyrt PRO

Full Windsor

Christmas Valley base Camp is 4 miles south of Christmas Valley. We are a private campground with a great cabin with a large picture window overlooking the Black Hills. We also have a tipi bunkhouse tents and RV hookups. A super firepit where the world problems are solved and memories are made.

Christmas Valley Base Camp

Overview:

Featuring panoramic views of the lava flows, cinder cones, and the desert landscape of the Fort Rock and Christmas Valley area of central Oregon, the Green Mountain Campground offers a remote camping experience perfect for photography, solitude and stargazing. Whether using it as a basecamp for exploring nearby attractions like Crack-in-the-Ground and the Four Craters Lava Field, or simply seeking an out-of-the-way site with stunning sunrises and sunsets, visitors willing to brave its rough access road will not be disappointed. 

Know Before You Go:

Open Season Green Mountain Campground is open YEAR ROUND.
Four-wheel Drive Vehicles Recommended. Access is via rugged dirt roads that may be impassable at times.
6 primitive campsites with picnic tables and fire grates; first come, first serve.
Vault Restroom.
No Drinking Water available.
Pack Out Your Trash.
The Nearest Services are in the nearby towns of Christmas Valley Oregon.
BLM’s Crack-in-the-Ground Trailhead located nearby.
Point of Interest:

There is an active fire lookout atop nearby Green Mountain that is staffed from June through October.



Green Mountain Camp Site

Fremont Point Cabin is located on top of the Winter Rim in North Central Lake County, Oregon. The newly constructed cabin, which was completed in the summer of 2015, sits on the same footprint as its predecessor, which was destroyed during a forest fire in 2002. Through numerous donations of funding, materials, and volunteer labor, the cabin has been rebuilt and is now ready for you to enjoy. While the cabin is available year-round, off season access may be limited to foot or snowmobile depending on weather conditions, as the roads are not maintained in the winter.

Recreation

Recreational activities within close proximity of Fremont Point Cabin include horseback riding, wildlife viewing and photography, mountain biking, OHV riding, hunting, fishing, kayaking and boating. Numerous trails including the Fremont National Recreation Trail and Oregon Timber Trail are also nearby.

Facilities

The large two-sided deck provides ample room to sit, relax and enjoy the vistas. Inside, the cabin contains one set of bunk beds (two twins) and one queen-size bed. There is room for additional sleeping arrangements, which guests must provide. Also included in the cabin are an LP Range Top, refrigerator, several LP lamps, and a wood stove for heat, firewood is available at the cabin. A newly constructed vault toilet is available next to the cabin. The closest convenience store is a 45 minute drive one-way; so visitors are reminded to bring their own water, bedding, and any other necessary items for their stay.

Natural Features

Poised on the edge of an escarpment at almost 3,000 feet above Summer Lake, Fremont Point Cabin offers a breathtaking view of the valley below. Due to the remoteness of this site, visitors can enjoy the opportunity for personal reflection while watching a variety of weather patterns across Summer Lake.

Nearby Attractions

The panoramic view from the edge of the Winter Rim is amazing. And, the National Recreational Trail which skirts along the escarpment edge provides an endless number of opportunities to view the valley below. A short hike west from the cabin finds a totally different ecosystem, thriving with large ponderosa and lodge pole pine. Thirty minutes to the south are the headwaters for the Wild and Scenic Sycan River, which is an easy day hike on the historic Hanan Trail from the developed trailhead on FSR 28.

ADA Access: N



Fremont Point Cabin

Hager Mountain Lookout sits at an elevation of 7,195 feet, offering guests spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding area. It is one of a diminishing number of lookouts still staffed for fire detection annually during the fire season and is open to guests in the winter months. The site is available for rent from November 15 to May 15, offering a unique lodging experience for guests seeking a bit of solitude and relaxation. For the remainder of the year, it is staffed by Forest Service personnel. This rugged, winter destination awaits the most enthusiastic outdoor adventurers as it is only accessible by foot, snowshoes or cross-country skis. Skiing or snowshoeing can take from a couple of hours to half a day or more, depending on weather conditions and one's physical endurance. Travel into remote locations in the winter requires experience and advance preparation. Expect windy conditions.

Recreation

Hiking, wildlife viewing, stargazing, snowshoeing and skiing are popular activities. Hager Mountain is used during fire season to keep watch over the surrounding flat lands for any sign of smoke. During the winter, it becomes a winter wonderland and has one of the best snowshoeing climbs available in southern Oregon. The strenuous 4-mile hike up the west side of the peak leads to a panoramic view of the landscape. The lookout is a great spot for winter camping.  

 At night the lookout is an ideal setting for stargazing, as constellations and planets put on a dazzling display.

Facilities

The fire lookout is a 14' x 14' room that can accommodate up to four people. It is furnished with three beds and mattresses. It is also equipped with a countertop, woodstove and propane stove. Firewood is provided. A picnic table is provided outside. A pit toilet is also located near the lookout. There is no water on-site, so guests must bring sufficient supplies for drinking, cooking and washing. Guests must also provide their own food, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, a light source, towels, dish soap, matches, cooking gear, first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags.

Natural Features

A series of dome-building volcanic eruptions occurring about 8 million years ago gave birth to Hager Mountain. The lookout is perched on the bald cap rocks that make up this mountain and offers 360 degree views as far as Mount Hood and Mount Shasta on a clear day.  

Surrounded by towering snow-capped peaks, volcanic landscapes and wide-open sage basins, the area is known for scenic vistas and wild places where guests can still find solitude.

ADA Access: N



Hager Mountain Lookout

Historic Currier Guard Station is nestled in a scattering of fir, pine and aspen, providing an ideal setting for guests seeking relaxation and recreation in the Fremont-Winema National Forest. The guard station was named after a local ranch owner, and was constructed in 1933 as an out station for the Paisley Ranger District to house forest fire prevention and suppression crews in the field. Fire crews occupied the station seasonally until the early 1990s. Today, the cabin offers guests a secluded getaway in a landscape abundant with wildlife and nature. Although the cabin provides some amenities for those seeking a comfortable lodging experience, guests must bring several of their own supplies.

Recreation

Currier Guard Station is a wonderful location for hiking, fishing, horseback riding and biking in summer and early fall. The cabin is located one mile north of the Sycan Wild and Scenic River, a scenic spot for fly fishing. The river corridor winds from a steep canyon to broad meadows, containing a diversity of landforms, rocks and vegetation. Coniferous forests intermingle with riparian vegetation, and expanses of sage and bitterbrush grow in the drier areas. The river supports rainbow, brook, brown and bull trout. Hikers and equestrians will enjoy numerous trails threading through the forest.

Facilities

The 450 square-foot cabin has two rooms and can accommodate up to four people. The combination bedroom/living room is furnished with a set of bunk beds, a double bed, propane heating stove and a propane fridge. The kitchen is equipped with a table and chairs and a propane cook stove. A picnic table and campfire ring are provided for outdoor cooking, dining and campfires. A vault toilet is located near the cabin. There is no water on site, so guests must bring sufficient supplies for drinking, cooking and washing. Guests must also provide their own sleeping bags, sleeping pads, towels, dish soap, matches, cooking gear, first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags. Although propane lighting is available, guests are advised to bring an additional light source in case of emergencies. Campers can collect up to half a cord of firewoodfor use on site without a permit. 

Natural Features

Fremont National Forest is known for its towering snow-capped peaks, volcanic landscapes, wide-open sage basins, scenic vistas and wild places where visitors can still find solitude. Behind the cabin, an expanse of meadow stretches to meet the forest's edge, providing a perfect habitat for a variety of wildlife. Red tail hawks perch in treetops looking for field mice. Meadowlarks, Steller's jays and hummingbirds also frequent the area. Larger mammals, such as deer and Rocky Mountain elk find homes in the forests. In the early summer months there are a lot of musqitos, be prepared with bug spray and nets. 

ADA Access: N



Currier Guard Station

Bald Butte Lookout is perched atop the windy summit of Bald Butte in the Fremont-Winema National Forest in south-central Oregon. It is surrounded by forested hillsides and expansive views.  

The lookout was built in 1931 and served as a Forest Service fire detection site for over 50 years. It was constructed from an Aladdin L4 ground-mounted lookout kit in which all of the pieces were pre-cut in six-foot lengths or less so the entire kit could be packed by horses into the remote site. The total cost of the structure at the time was $668.49 and only took a few days to assemble.  

At one time, hundreds of these types of lookouts were in service throughout the Pacific Northwest. Today only two such structures remain in Oregon, providing a unique lodging experience for guests seeking recreation and relaxation.  

The lookout offers basic amenities, though for guests to enjoy their experience completely, they must bring several of their own supplies.

Recreation

Hiking, birding, stargazing and wildlife viewing are popular activities. Bald Butte Trail is a quiet all-season trail that offers a variety of terrain and wildlife viewing opportunities. Hikers traverse large open meadows filled with summer wildflowers, heavily wooded forests and ridgetop scrambles along Oak Ridge Trail and Surveyor's Ridge Trail, overlooking the Hood River Valley. Trails in the Gearhart Mountain Wilderness are also nearby.  

 At night the lookout provides an ideal setting for stargazing, as constellations and planets put on a dazzling display.

Facilities

The 14' x 14' lookout is furnished with two cots, a table, bench and storage cabinets. It is also equipped with a propane heater, cook stove, and lights. An outdoor picnic table and an accessible vault toilet are also on-site.   
There is no water on-site, so guests must bring sufficient supplies for drinking, cooking and washing. Guests must also provide their own sleeping bags, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, cooking gear, first aid kit, toilet paper, ice cooler and garbage bags. Although lighting is available, it is recommended that guests bring an additional light source in case of emergencies.

Natural Features

Fremont National Forest is known for its towering snow-capped peaks, volcanic landscapes, wide-open sage basins, scenic vistas and wild places where visitors can still find solitude.  

Nearby Gearhart Wilderness offers 22,823 acres of scenic views and primitive recreational opportunities. Throughout the remote area, streams rush through narrow meadows and Blue Lake lies nestled beneath a canopy of mixed-conifer forests. Rock formations cap most of the high elevation ridge tops.

ADA Access: N



Bald Butte Lookout

High camp with great views. Road from Christmas Valley is all washboard until Crack park, then it gets better. For BLM, it’s nice. Cold May morning at 17 degrees. 

Surprisingly nice BLM campground 

Cozy place great for large groups 
Has every thing a campground needs 

Private campground 

We were the only ones there, so peaceful. The views up top we're incredible. Sites are good size and bathroom was clean.

Only downside is the road getting there is VERY bumpy.

Great views!

Spent two nights in this great isolated spot- the first night we were the only ones there! The second night we were joined by several people who had car tents but we never felt like we were on top of one another. Wonderful flat area at the top of a hill that boast amazing views of the valley- gave us one of the best sunsets and moon rises that we have ever seen! There is a central pit toilet for all of the sites to share.

There is a fire tower a short distance away from the sites that you can walk up to the base of and hike around. Sites are also close drive to "Crack-in-the-Ground", which is a fascinating lava formation that makes for a good spot to hike around for half a day.

The road up to the site is washboard, so be prepared for a bumpy drive. There is a small store at Christmas Valley before the turnoff that has the essentials, including an emergency eyeglass repair kit when my husband was head butted by the dog. Oops!

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