Searching for a tent camping spot near Sumpter? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Sumpter, including sites, reviews, and tips. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Hilltop Hideaway is a 1930's era cabin that allows guests to relax in the outdoors and step back in time to the bygone gold mining days. Hilltop Hideaway is part of the Fremont Powerhouse complex, a hub for mining built in the early 1900s. It is one of four cabins located at the site near the town of Granite, and provides great flexibility for larger groups. The surrounding valleys once teemed with mining activity, primarily gold. The Fremont Powerhouse was built as an economical power source for mining. Two dams were constructed at Olive Lake and the water was piped through an 8-mile wood and steel pipeline to the powerhouse to generate electricity. Homes were constructed to shelter workers who monitored the pipeline. Today, these same homes are available for the public to enjoy. Hilltop Hideaway is the cabin farthest uphill from the Fremont Powerhouse. Winter access may require skis, snowshoes or snowmobiles. Click here for a virtual tour of the area.
Guests can hike on trails into the North Fork John Day Wilderness or go mountain biking on forest roads. A drive along the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway is a treat, as are other activities like huckleberry and mushroom picking, bird watching, wildlife viewing and photographing the vast landscape. Nearby Olive Lake offers boating, fishing and swimming.
The cabin sits at an elevation of about 5,000 feet, on a hillside overlooking the expansive Umatilla National Forest near the North Fork John Day Wilderness. A grassy lawn in front leads to the other three cabins in the area. The forest lies in the Blue Mountains and is home to Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. Birds in the area include the black-backed woodpecker, American kestrel and the Boreal owl. Black bear, cougar, wolves, elk and deer are among the native land mammals. Click here to learn about bear safety.
The cabin is located less than 6 miles from Granite, Oregon, a ghost town that once bustled with prospectors and pioneers. The town provides groceries and fuel.
$55 / night
Grande Ronde Lake Campground is one of three campgrounds in the Anthony Lakes Recreation Area. Located above Grande Ronde Lake in the cool pine-fir tree forest, it offers picturesque views of the lake and meadow. Popular activities include fishing, canoeing, day hiking, and outdoor photography. This campground offers 8 tent/trailer sites, 3 of which are accessible.
Strawberry Campground is located at the edge of the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. Set amongst ponderosa pine in a beautifully wooded area, the campground is an excellent starting point for anyone wanting to hike, hunt, fish or simply relax. Strawberry Basin Trailhead is located at the campground. Strawberry Basin Trail #375 connects to other trails in the wilderness allowing for day hiking or backpacking trips.
This small campground along the Scenic Middle Fork of the John Day River set back amongst beautiful ponderosa pine trees is a great spot for fishing and viewing spawning steelhead in the fall. The campground is a good starting point for hunters, hikers and those wishing to see beautiful scenery, wildlife and wildflowers. The campground sets just off of the county road allowing for easy access to all variety of vehicles and bicycles.
Welch Creek Campground has long been a favorite gathering spot for family reunion camp-outs and group hunting trips. The campground's open area and easy parking access make it ideal for such events. It features 6 campsties an accessible vault toilet, and 4 stall recreational stock corral. There is no potable water or garbage service, so please pack your garbage home. Local attractions include hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, sight-seeing, photography and a trailhead for the Desolation OHV trail system. Olive Lake, where there is fishing, boating, and swimming is about 13 miles to the east along Forest Road 10.
Dispersed camping is a popular camping method for many visitors to the Forest. Choosing to camp along a stream or adjacent to a meadow where there are no picnic tables, toilets or firerings allows campers to enjoy a more primitive experience.
It is recommend that dispersed campers keep to traditional campsites off of established 'two-track' vehicles routes which have been used in the past. Most of these routes are less than 300 feet from a designated open road.
There are some areas on the Forest that are closed to dispersed camping. These include administrative site, special use permit area, or sensitive areas for archeology or wildlife.
Please remove all temporary structures before you leave such as meat poles, toilets, furniture, and ditches around your tents. To find out more about minimum impact camping please visit our outdoor ethics section. Some general rules of use and restrictions also apply to visitor using dispersed camping sites. These include regulations like forest-wide camping stay limits; use of camp fires, firearms, and fireworks; and controlling pets.
Big Creek Campground is small and increasingly popular with OHV recreationists, located just off the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway. It also provides access into the North Fork John Day Wilderness and there is ample parking for truck and stock trailers at the trailhead. It is set in a riparian area, so surrounding areas can be quite wet well into June. It features 3 campsites and an accessible vault toilet. There is no potable water or garbage service, so please pack out all garbage and dispose of it at home. Trail access: This campground contains a trailhead into the North Fork John Day Wilderness that accesses Big Creek Trail #3151 to the south. There is nearby access to Tower Mountain Trail #3156 to the north of Forest Road 52 that also accesses the North Fork John Day Wilderness where Wilderness regulations apply. There are three OHV trails that connect into the campground: Tower Loop Trail #3040, Meadow Creek Trail #3193, and Christensen Trail #3185. Attractions at this campground are wilderness hiking, hunting, fishing, and OHV trail access. If you like to drive, you can pick up the Ukiah-Granite Roadside Geology tour brochure at the Ranger District and take a day trip to Granite. Huckleberries abound nearby in mid August.
The Umapine Campground is located west of Vey Meadows between Squaw and Umapine Creeks in a ponderosa pine forest. It offers 3 group sites (including one pull through site) and 5 single sites. The rustic campground is a central staging area for the Winom-Frazier OHV trail areawhich gives off-road riders access to more than 140 miles of challenging trails.
Traveler
We tent camped here for 2 nights with 2 kiddos and it was a great experience. Come prepared to deal with mosquitoes - they are very prevalent. Staff were all great and very helpful. Hot springs are amazing and were the perfect temperature.
The tent sites are next to the canal so you hear lots of birds and frogs.
The bathrooms have recently been updated and were very nice.
TravelerVery nice facility. We stayed in a tent, the tent sites are away from the RVs. Nice setting across a creek and in the trees. Beautiful starry sky at night, and we woke up to an impressive amount of birds singing. Take bug spray!! Mosquitoes were awful in the evening before we got spray on.
The bathrooms and showers are clean and nice. They have a pool and soaking tubs from the natural hot springs (unfortunately we didn't get time to check these out thoroughly, they look nice though!) Bit of a walk to the restroom from the tent sites, but there is a portapotty closer if you prefer.
TravelerPretty place to camp. Tent sites were relatively close together, but all along a small river that you can fish. Great stop.
GuideMainly for rv's but they do have yurts available and nice tents spots. Very clean bathroom and shower, nice place all around. The tent sites are away from the rv's so the view is spectacular.
ScoutThis place is beautiful! Mountain views in the distance, quiet safe camp sites, great amenities (washer, dryer, sink to wash dishes, clean new bathrooms and showers and soaking pool). We tent camped with our two young kids. Would definitely be back!!
Ranger
This really is an RV spot. Yes, you can tent camp here but it's expensive ($24 for Oregon residents, $34 for out of staters) and it's right next to the road. It's loud. Really loud. Wake you up when you're sleeping loud.
That said, it does have all amenities: good Verizon service, firewood for sale, hot showers, tables, fire pits with grills, etc. And it's close to town. So for that it could be the right fit for people needing all that.
For me, I'd skip it, especially if you're in a tent.
Guide
Strolled in on a Thursday eve and got a tent site w/o issue. Amenities as listed are accurate: flush toilets, drinking water, no showers. Water level in reservoir was very low (early-Sept.) We had no mosquitos - mega bonus.
GuideThis is where we start our camping season...on Mother's Day weekend! This is a small campground. Has a vault toilet but no potable water so bring your own. Each site does have a fire ring. Site 1 can hold about 2 RV's or 4 tents and possible 10 people. Site 2 is good for 1 RV or tent, Site 3 is closest to the river, tight fit for a RV but a small pull behind fits nice - could fit 2 tents. Site 4 and 5 is small. Site 6 can fit 4 to 5 tents or 1 RV/trailer. Taking a "Sunday drive" up and around is amazing! Great area if you have OHV's!
GuideWe were surprised how quiet this state park was during our visit. Very clean and beautiful green grass through campground. Enjoyed the river trail along the John Day river. Perfect to cool off in during the hot summer months. Mosquitoes definitely come out at night and we were tent camping. A little highway noise at night but not bad.
RangerTent camping is away from the RVs at this site. Comfortable, clean grounds with included hot springs pool access, indoor store, and full bathroom facilities. We loved it so much that we stayed here two nights. Beware of ticks near the grass area. Cool off with ice cream and cold drinks at the store. Everyone was wonderful to work with and speak to.
GuideThis place is great!!! They were so friendly! The tent sites are large and grassy with plenty of shade! You even get WiFi at them. They have a pool and hot tub that is heated by the hot springs! Fairly priced and fun! Bathrooms were nice and clean. There is a gravel road if you go in one way so take the next exit.
GuideLoved the campground. Little spendy @ 22 a night & 10 a night for extra vehicle, but the bathrooms were super clean and not fly infested for vault toilets. Lots of sites are creekside, ours was one. Tons of exploring opportunities. Sites vary in size from single small tent sites to large/ group size sites. Upper Rogue River Trail is right by the campground. Short walk to Union Creek store, cafe, and ice cream shop.
GuideBetween the John Day River and the highway outside of John Day, this campground is beautifully maintained. The lawns are green, the bathrooms spotless. There are full hookup rv/trailer sites, tent sites, and hiker/biker sites. The restrooms include free individual shower rooms. There is some traffic noise but it isn't too bad. This is a first-come campground so no reservations are available. Get there early during the summer months.
Traveler
This site as a primary function: OHV camping.
Which makes sense as it sits at the heart of a designated OHV area, with hundreds of miles of trails connecting campgrounds to the north, east, and west.
Three large group sites are the main draw for most people, with plenty of room for RVs, trailers, and extra vehicles. 1 or 2 other spots are secluded enough for tent camping, but even then you won’t avoid the presence of roaring engines and mini tours around the park.
All in all, a wonderful site in the heart of the Umitilla Forest, but beware the motored groups if it’s not your cup of tea.
GuideVisiting in April on a Sunday to do day use has defined my idea of heavenly. The snow-covered peaks, the clean air, the sounds of the spring birds, and the silence are magical. The hot tubs are small, but it really doesn't matter if no one is there. They are pool noodle friendly when it's not high occupancy. The Verizon signal is strong. Day use is open until 5:00 p.m. and next door there's a lodge that has even more hot springs that I'm going to have to visit sometime. The setting is pretty incredible with views all around of lovely Eastern Oregon mountains and valley. Spring green is abundant and it is an enchanting time. Very cute tent campsites, as well as a variety of lodging. This place is wonderful.
Guide
I want to start off saying that this is a park type camping site. So most things are kept up really well. The grass is well maintained and green. There's an area for day picnic use and then another area for camping. There's areas for you to park rv and vehicles and tent camping. I dont RV so I'm unsure on hook up use. This site is close to the main road so must watch kiddos and dogs at all times. It is also close to the river, so watch those kiddos. There's a wonderful trail with a wooden bridge to start off. This area is heavily used, so if you like to be alone, might not be your thing, but the site is very well taken care of and is a beautiful place to check out of the modern world and enter God's country.
LegendMay 17-26, 2019 Very nice campground. Site C6 walk-up site had electric and water. Park has dump station, Restrooms had flush toilets but no hot water and no showers. Elevation 4,097. Verizon had 2 bars 4G. Address: 17564 Sumpter Stage Highway, Baker City Oregon 97814. Hike 16 mile trail around the lake. Legally sale cannibus in Sumpter - 10 miles from the park. Enjoyed D&J Taco Shop restaurant downtown. No sales tax in Oregon.
Legend
Philip's lake is a delightful small Lake in the hills near Baker City Oregon and Sumpter Oregon. Is generally great weather and beautiful surroundings make this day wonderful small campground to relax and enjoy nature. There are only 13 campsites.. Non reservable. It is operated by the Anthony Lakes the Anthony Lakes management company. Not maintained in the winter but open and free. 15 spots available in this campground. 3 bars of Verizon cell service.
GuideDry camping with a put toilet, very clean. The camping sites were pretty level. Site 11 we feel was the best. Baker city was just about 20 minutes away along with the old gold mining town of Sumpter about 10 minutes away
Scout
This quite little gem of a camp ground is our favorite spot to get away for a weekend or longer. Beautiful old growth trees, with a stream running through it. Close to Sumpter if you forgot something, or there is always some street activity or flea market happening.
TravelerWe went late in the year and it was very quiet. Clean, low traffic. Based on size of day use area it looks like the lake is probably busy during the summer. Nearby Sumpter is a neat little town with lots of history. Be sure to tour the Dredge.
Guide
We chose Dixie because it was a little closer to civilization than Yellow Pine, Wetmore & Oregon campgrounds further east on Hwy 26. There is no host, it’s at a higher elevation and it is a little off the highway. The loop is kind of on two levels so some spaces are well spaced out. Vault toilets distributed around the loop. The one we used was clean and supplied. There were only 2-3 other sites occupied and no one near us when we stayed. No reservations. We chose a site that sat a bit downhill from where our car was parked but was a really lovely spot. We didn’t mind hauling our stuff down. The wind picked up the first afternoon we were there and we actually saw a tree fall in the distance which was a little disconcerting. Just be aware of where you place your tent and the trees around you. Absolutely beautiful area with wild strawberries and blueberries and salmon berries, currants and more. Loved the peace and tranquillity of this campground but close enough to Prairie City which is where we got firewood (from Mountain View mini mart, no wood at Huffman’s Market & no wood at Austin House market at the top of the pass). We visited the little Sumpter Railroad interpretive site and Bates State Park both great for walking around with kids. Would definitely come back and do more hiking in the Blue Mountains.
Ranger
Just arrived today. I’ll update after our full stay. Come here to explore Sumpter and the mines. Dispersed but tables and fire rings. Some pull throughs. No hookups or trash service. Beautiful setting. 3 bars AT&T.
Sites are not level. Large rigs will be fine, ours is 30’ TT
After stay review. Had a great time. Cranes were hanging at the lake, two Bald Eagles were close by. Great location with a lot to explore.
TravelerAfter dry camping for 3 days, we needed a hook up site but prefer campgrounds to RV parks. This campground fit the bill with a water and elec hook up. We made reservations about 2 weeks in advance.
The campground is on Lake Phillips but you can’t see the lake from most sites. The water level was pretty low when we visited. The camp host was nice enough to deliver ice to our site since the concession area was closed due to Covid. We spent our days hiking on some great trails nearby and our friends kayaked on the lake and visited the historic town of Sumpter. Some sites are pretty exposed and hot if it’s sunny.
LegendIn general, Oregon State Parks are great. This is another nice one with plenty of tent and RV sites available. Bathrooms and showers on-site. The park sits nestled in a picturesque treed area, near the Painted Hills. Great location if you are wanting to get to the Painted Hills area of central Oregon.
Ranger
Touring through Oregon with my buddy on motorcycles, we had finished a great day of riding. Wanting to use his Oregon State Park benefits, we pulled into this spot. Although rather full, we found a great spot at the end of the ‘second loop’. Flat grass & plenty of room to pitch our tents far apart (he snores), gave me a great night’s sleep. Stunning sunset & lake views were gorgeous. Restroom & showers were clean!!
Guide
Hilgard Junction is a small, Riverside day use area, travel rest-stop and campground at the junction of I-84 and Highway 244 on the Grande Ronde river at the base of Mt. Emily.
This park is near La Grande, Oregon so if you are not just resting on your trip, you can run into a cute little university town to explore the Eastern Oregon local life.
Crystal clear water runs this high in the Grande Ronde, making for fun swimming and water play. Make sure to bring your gold pan to this shallow river bed, as it has been historically found all along this river. The RV park has no connections so bring your generator and solar panels with you. This is self contained type of camp, that provides two bathrooms and firewood.
It is an ADA friendly area with paved rv spots and designated well kept tent spots. Keep in mind this park is directly off of the interstate so there are a lot of random travelers coming and going at all hours of the day and night. One minor bit of awkwardness is that there is a youth correctional facility less than a mile up the road. So your traveling children maybe curious and ask odd questions if they see it.
Tent camping near Sumpter, Oregon, offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying a variety of outdoor activities. With several well-reviewed campgrounds in the area, you'll find the perfect spot to set up your tent and unwind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Sumpter, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sumpter, OR is Hilltop Hideaway with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 44 tent camping locations near Sumpter, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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