Camping sites near Trail, Oregon cluster around the Rogue River basin at approximately 1,500 feet elevation with temperature swings from freezing winters to 90°F summers. Higher elevation sites receive significant snowfall between November and March, while lower elevations along Highway 62 remain accessible during shoulder seasons. Many campgrounds feature vault toilets and limited amenities due to the remote nature of this mountainous region.
What to do
**Fishing opportunities: Camping at Rogue Elk County Park provides direct river access for anglers. As one visitor noted, "Nice quiet little camp ground and the kids always enjoy playing in Elk Creek."
**Mountain biking trails: Joseph H. Stewart County Park offers paved pathways for cycling. "There are paved walking paths throughout the area and a few playgrounds for kiddos. Great views of Lost Creek Lake just a short walk from the campsite," explains a recent visitor.
**Swimming holes: The creek areas at Elderberry Flats Campground provide natural water recreation. "There are 12 sites with 5 being beside Evans Creek. There are small swimming holes, lots of crayfish and salmon spawning beds," reports one camper.
**Wildlife viewing: Mornings at campgrounds near Crater Lake offer bird watching opportunities. One camper shared, "The wildlife is so cool. Great spot for birdwatching! Be wary of bears though. Each site provides a bear box to help ward them off."
What campers like
**Fire-side entertainment: Crater Lake RV Park hosts evening gatherings with food and music. "They have a Saturday Campfire, with music, food and drink. Open to the camp. It's a great place to kick back and relax with some live music," shares a visitor.
**Spacious campsites: Many sites at Joseph H. Stewart County Park offer room to spread out. "We stayed 7 nights in site # B8. It was a big site with a beautiful BIG Red Cedar tree," reports one camper.
**Dog facilities: Multiple campgrounds feature dedicated pet areas. "This campground has one of our favorite dog parks. It's nicely mowed, thick grass, beautiful surroundings, and huge," notes a regular visitor.
**Quiet atmosphere: Several campgrounds maintain peaceful environments. "This was by far my favorite place so far. Clean, host was super nice and our space was big," reports a visitor to Crater Lake RV Park.
What you should know
**Seasonal accessibility: Most campgrounds operate between March and October. "The gate was closed when I went due to the current situation so about 500 feet before the actual entrance on the right is a road down to tons of dispersed campsites," notes a visitor to Elderberry Flats Campground.
**Insects: Large flying insects appear during summer months. One camper at Rogue Elk County Park reported, "There were also a lot of fish flies crawling and buzzing around. If you've never seen a fish fly Google them they are quite large and like to land on you!"
**Road quality: Access to remote sites requires caution. "FIRSTLY, do NOT take Sykes Creek Road or May Creek Road to access this campground. Google Maps will try to take you on the shortest route. Both of those roads are treacherous," warns a visitor to Elderberry Flats.
**Dump station limitations: Facilities may be closed or unavailable. "The dump station is out of commission, for good. The host said the nearest dump station is in White City," explains a visitor to Rogue Elk County Park.
Tips for camping with families
**Playground access: Valley of the Rogue State Park Campground offers recreation areas for children. The campground includes "a volleyball court, day use area, riverside trail, and green-way paved trail through the park."
**Site selection: Choose locations away from busy areas. One camper advises, "Site #27 is right by the playground, so heads up on that!" when discussing Rogue Elk County Park layout.
**Swimming safety: Creek areas require supervision. "The river at this time was extremely swift so be aware if you have dogs or kids," cautions a visitor at Rogue Elk County Park.
**Kid-friendly programs: Some campgrounds offer organized activities. Valley of the Rogue State Park includes "a kids program, campfire nights and the camp hosts are very helpful."
Tips from RVers
**Hookup availability: Threehorn Campground offers free primitive camping without hookups. "It is a beautiful campground. However there's one shower for ladies in the bathroom," notes a visitor to a nearby developed site.
**Site leveling: Check pad condition before setting up. "Road is rough but site blacktop are somewhat level but rough old blacktop. Some sites are too close to the road and some nice ones by the river," explains a camper at Rogue Elk County Park.
**Electrical reliability: Infrastructure at some sites needs maintenance. A visitor to Valley of the Rogue State Park reported, "The power stations are breaking down, the maintenance staff has trouble fixing things because they have no parts, so it's sort of make do."
**Pull-through dimensions: Larger rigs may face space constraints at some sites. "Pull thru sites are short my 35 footer and car just fit. Multiple sites car were sticking in to the road making it a little close pulling out in the morning," cautions a KOA visitor.
