Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Sunriver, OR is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Sunriver is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Sunriver and user-submitted reviews.
"One of the few places near Bend that was actually open for disperse camping in the winter. We stayed in a nice sight just across from the quarry, right by the turn around area."
"Plenty of areas to set up camp with an RV or tent, but obviously you won't run into any other amenities."
"There is dispersed camping around the area. We found a site that was shaded by trees with no neighbors."
"Luckily we already had an Oregon sno-park permit so we were able to put it to good use in this area."
"Old school resort on the shores of beautiful Paulina Lake. Wonderful, small log cabin lodge with amazing food."
"Great out of the way location!"
"Woke up to a beautiful sunrise and fire in the fire ring with wood another camper had left. The perfect pit stop going into the city!"
"This is about 20 minutes east of Bend Oregon. You have a number of options here. Right off the road there is a lot where I saw an RV camped. I’m sure there would be some road noise there."
"They are located at the northwest corner of the lake, next to designated campsite markers. If you didn't know they were there, you would probably miss them."
$8 / night
"The Climber's Bivouac is a walk-in campground located on a rim next to the Crooked River right in the heart of Smith Rock State Park."
"Walk-in site (the Bivy) is chill. walk-in, pitch tent, done. Yeah you have a lot of neighbors, but people are nice and the price is right ($8 per night for up to two weeks)."
"It's all so close to the reservoir and not too far from town."
$22 - $24 / night
"We didn’t have reservations (which I highly recommend if you want a vault toilet)."
"This is a wonderful Lake, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, and camping. We go every year. It is dry camping, no hook ups. But beautiful.."
LegendOur first time here at East Lake Campground in the last week of September 2023 just 1 day before the park closed for the season. Because East Lake Campground is 6500 feet in elevation the nights were very cold, from 44 to 31 degrees but normally the days were in the morning windy and about 62*. The camp has 29 sites and NO hookups.
There is flush toilets, NO showers, but had drinking water. East Lake also had 1 boat launch but the water was very low, some 40' down from the edge of the bank to the water. Great fishing and a great place for kayaks. Each site has a picnic table and fireplace. Most Sites on the lake side has pull-thru that were about 50' long. Some back-in sites were only 35'. Very quite campground and not too close to each others camp site. We camped at East Lake Campground in a Travel Trailer.
Restrooms Flush toilets, faucet water. No hookups, No electric, No water hookup, No sewer hookup. You can fill your water tank FREE at the ($10) Dump Station so you don't have the weight in your rig. Dog-friendliness Lots of space to run and play.
TravelerI've been to Odell twice but always seem to pick a weekend with weather that makes you want to stay in your sleeping bag!
The campsites at Odell are a little on the smaller side and may not have the trees your looking for to hang a hammock. Not that you should if you're camping any time earlier than July!
The southeast side of Odell can be subject to cold winds coming off the lake, so be sure to keep that rain fly up on your tent and a fleece handy. If you're feeling a little too chilly, the resort keeps a fire burning in the den.
There are plenty of snowshoe trails around Odell as well as some hiking trails in the Diamond Peak wilderness that also connect to the PCT. The trail we took did give us a bit of elevation gain and later some nice views of the smaller peaks in the area.
If you're planning to camp here, bring warm clothing and rain gear! It may be a bit chilly, but the nice hikes in the area make it all the more worth it to get up and get moving.
TravelerSo when I first found this campground I wasn't sure what to expect being as reviews and info were sparse so I'll do me best to sum it up. Things to know that arent stated. It is free may require NW forest pass. It's a drive, hike, bike and walk in. I didn't see any spots big enough for RV but there is space to park that isn't officially a site.
Location: Beautiful sits about 5,000 feet right off McKenzie Pass Road (closed from November to June)
Sites: I saw 6 drive in with fire ring, picnic table also 2 vault toilets.... There's more walk/ hike in but we had to much gear to do that.
Directions: Very easy to find spots all along lake and Google maps took us right to spots.
Activities: Great! Had a kayak/boat launch also had the Scott Mountain TH right there within 1/4 walking distance on dirt road. It seems that a forest fire was pretty recent ontop but the grounds seemed kind of untouched
Warnings: This was my first time up this pass. Elevation is very high which means incremental weather. Aka woke up in October with snow which happened to us.
Overall 5 stars must visit. We will be coming back next year when less snow and road reopens
Travelerbeautiful views of the cascade mountains, gorgeous reservoir. free camping. dispersed, first come first serve. no amenities. LEAVE NO TRACE!!!!
road is a bit rough but I made it in with a Honda Accord though I wouldn’t recommend for low clearance vehicles.
fire rings available during burn seasons. plenty of fire wood. please do not burn during no burn/dry seasons. the forest is very dry!
bring plenty of water during the summer it’s very hot and dry. you can probably drink the reservoir water if you bring a good filter.
RangerThis CG is right on Paulina lake in the middle of Newberry Crater. There are 50 sites along the shoreline. They all have the standard picnic table and fire ring. We had the first site on the left as you enter the CG. It had a great view of the lake and surrounding ridgeline and Paulina Peak. It also allows for a wonderful sunset.
The campground is generally crowded. The sites are decent but you will have other campers relatively close, The CG is easily accessed by foot, car or boat. It does have a boat ramp. RV's / Campers can get into most sites. There are 5 Vault toilets, drinking water, no showers, no hook ups. each site is in close walking distance to the lake. The CG is accessible to various trails in the area including the Big Obsidian Flow trail. A bonus hike should be taken to the Paulina Lake hot springs on the north side of the lake. You can also get to the hot springs by boat.
TravelerCampground is a more rustic/primitive camping experience. It does accommodate small to mid -size rv but there is no hookups. Drinking water faucets, vault toilets, picnic tables, and firepits are the only available services. Quiet and flat lake for kayak,canoe, and fishing. Nice beach area for kids to play. Close to Crane Prairie Resort if you need supplies or showers.
GuideFriendly and knowledgeable camp hosts. Vault toilet, mix of tent sites including some walk-ins that are up against the reservoir- you can hear the peaceful running water all day and night. Brand new picnic tables, brand new fencing, and excellent trails. Perfect mix of sun and shade for many of the sites. We stayed at 15 and I can’t wait to go back. Very spacious sites can hold multiple tents of all sizes. Beautiful drive to and from campgrounds- the McKenzie River area is definitely worth exploring!
GuideLava Lake is not for those that glamp. It’s real camping with dirt, pitch, dust and bugs - and it’s pretty cool. There are several lakes to paddle on, many trails to hike and conveniently located not to far from Sun River.
We stayed in site 35, which is a back in. The site was easy to get into and level. Privacy was about a 5 out of 10 only because there is a walking path next to the site.
Days can get hot and nights can get cold - pack accordingly.
The fire rings in my opinion appear to be on good shape, but the picnic tables were worn; exposed legs and checks may get a splinter or two :(
Camp host was friendly but didn’t hover. Bathrooms were clean and dumpsters were not over flowing (dumped regularly it appeared).
We used solar panels to charge the trailer batteries and had no issues.
TravelerI had read online that this camp ground had a really bad bug problem but I hardly saw any. Especially for being next to the river. My campsite (48) had a short path down to the river. Current is strong but could easily soak feet.
My biggest complaint was that the picnic table was really close to the bench. A bigger person like myself can’t sit there. But I just pulled a camp chair up to the edge.
Restroom was clean, even though I could see one of my camping neighbors there was plenty of space.
Camp is very dusty.
Tent camping near Sunriver, Oregon, offers a variety of scenic spots for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sunriver, OR is Dispersed Rock Quary with a 4.4-star rating from 7 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 74 tent camping locations near Sunriver, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
