Best Tent Camping near Sumpter, OR

Very 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.

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.

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.

We 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.

Tent 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.

Loved 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.

Between 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.

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.

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.

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.

After 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.

In 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.

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!!

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.