Best Tent Camping near Umatilla National Forest

We were able to find an available spot on Labor Day weekend 2021. Most campsites between the town of Lostine and Irondyke campground were taken by 7pm on Friday. The access road was narrow and in pretty rough shape, lots of horse trailers hauling livestock up and down the road. The road remained busy until late at night and during the weekend with other campers and day hikers… we stayed in a tent camp site that allowed horses, so it was ample with a clearing that provided sunny areas. Picnic table and rock fire pit were available at the site. A toilet is Located on the opposite side of road and shares with other 4 or 5 sites. If you want a quiet, peaceful camping spot, this is not for you!

Although this park is near the highway, it makes for a great day visit or overnight camping. The river is very close and the Umatilla National Forest is a just a short drive up the river.

Good views of the mountains. Beautiful lake. Impressive marina for those who are trailing boats. Emphasis on RV camping rather than secluded tent camping and I prefer tent camping. Bathrooms clean.

We stayed here in a tent site (no hookups) on our way back to Portland from Nevada. As an overnight cut-off campground, it’s lovely: Nice-sized sites set in beautiful Oregon forest (we’d been out of state for a couple weeks and REALLY appreciated the trees); clean bathrooms and showers; long “tent” sites that allowed us to back in our 18ft trailer without uncoupling for the night.

However, it’s right on the interstate. While you kind of tune it out after a while, the road noise is constant and definitely interferes with any sense of “wilderness”.

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.

We spend a night there in July on our way to Boulder Colorado. The campground is quite nice and bathrooms were clean and providing all needed functionality. Large and tall trees provided a very welcome shade during the heatwave we were going through. The only issue was that, we were tent camping and being close to the highway it was quite noisy.

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.

Terrible tent camping experience. This campground is TOO close to the highway and too noisy even with ear plugs or music. We could barely sleep nor have a conversation while sitting across each other for breakfast. I would advice to only stay here if you have an RV camper. The bathrooms were very clean, great trails and the interpretive center was very educational. No complaints there.

The campground is somewhat primitive. There are flushing toilets on the lower loop, vault toilets on the upper loop. no showers, but you can refresh in the lake. The nights get chilly, so be prepared with warm socks and a beenie, especially if you’re tent camping.

There are no power boats allowed on the lake, so it is raft, kayak paddle board friendly.

The path around the lake is an easy walk, just don’t expect to sit on a bench and enjoy the view of the lake, the trees have grown up.

this campground was always my favorite growing up and it still is today! they have very spacious camp sites, lots of variety (ie tent sites and full hook up sites) that would fit anyone’s needs! There are very helpful hosts onsite campfire you can buy and a jr ranger program my kids love! They also have a playground for the kids in the heart of the park! Wallowa is well worth the trip!

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.

My husband and I love this campground. It's close to the mountains without being too far away - about an hour and a half from us living in Tri-cities. There are showers and water spickets, room for horses, and great hiking trails. There is room for both tent and RV camping. We have only ever gone tent camping, and the size of the campgrounds for us has been great. There is room to set up hammocks and chairs.

The only unfortunate aspect about this campground is that it is somewhat close to the highway. After the first weekend we spent there, we got somewhat used to the sound - it can sometimes be soothing. It's also a good idea to bring something to provide added shade to either the tenting area or sitting area as it gets quite sunny in the morning.

A group of friends and I went and tent camped in spot 14 for a couple days and had a great time. The site was fairly trashed when we got there so we did some cleanup but besides that it’s surrounded by a beautiful forest and even on a 95 degree day the shade is perfect and the water was refreshing to swim in. I liked the spot we stayed in, it was spacious enough for 3 tents (10 person, 5 person, and 2 person tents) it was shaded and fairly spaced out from other spots. The lake was pretty busy and there were lots of people but it’s easy to find places on the water to have to yourself. There was also an awesome rope swing maybe half a mile from the camp site, super fun!

This is a nice little RV park that is close to most things in the Joseph area.  There are several RV sites as well as tent sites.  There are also several sites that look like full time RVer's that live in the park.  The sites were a little close together, but they were able to move us after the first night so we had a little more privacy.  The bathrooms and showers were clean.  The campground was very quiet with great views of the mountains.  There is a little store onsite that also has games and books to barrow.

We tent camped for the weekend in mid-July. The plan was to camp at Jubilee Lake, but it was full when we arrived Friday evening. Target Meadows is just a short drive from the lake, but there were plenty of sites available. The campground is heavily wooded with beautiful evergreens. Sites are private and well spaced. This is a rustic campground, so there is no water or power. Amenities include (very clean!) pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits with cooking grates. There is a lot of dry timber on the ground, so it is easy to collect your own firewood. There is easy access to hiking, including Burnt Cabin trailhead. Most campsites are trailer friendly, including a few with drive-through access. We really enjoyed the area and will be back again!

This park accepts Good Sam discounts. There are a few full timers but are kept clean. The park is right on the edge of town. Nestled between a river and a horse farm he will hear a rooster everyday you will hear a donkey. There are wild turkey in the area but they're quite quiet. I paid just under $150 a week. Laundry machines work well there are two washers and two dryers buck and a quarter each. They have showers. They have a tent area for tent camping. There is usually no one on duty but they do have propane I just don't know how to use it or get it. There is a Wi-Fi password and the cell phone signal is not bad. I use T-Mobile. 5 minutes away from a decent grocery store. 30 minutes away from Miller's home improvement and Walmart. And did I mention full hookups.

We spent Memorial Day weekend at this park. It was fun, the kids rode bikes, we rented a row boat (they have kayaks, SUP's, etc). The town of Joseph is about 10 minutes with a cute main street area. We stayed in A25 and I think it is the smallest tent site in the whole park (the reason it got 3 of 5 stars). We had a small creek that backed the spot that limited tent placement to one slightly sloped spot squeezed between the road and the picnic table. It was nicely treed by the picnic table which was nice. If we go back, the spot to the right of us (A26) was a really good one (would've been a five star for sure) - spacious, multi tents, etc. This end of the campground was the closest to the lake access, store and docks.

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.

Jubilee Lake is probably one of my favorite places to visit. I am definitely not the only one that feels this way because it is a little crowded during the summer months. Jubilee Lake is amazing, so it doesn't surprise me how busy it gets. There are 53 campsites to choose from, and it is on a first come first serve basis. I would advise to get there early and grab your spot. The campsites are a decent size, however when it is busy you do feel like you are right next to your neighbor. This really didn't bother my family and I because we were gone most of the day. It cost $17 to camp in a single unit campsite, and I believe its about $5 more to stay in a double campsite. Jubilee Lake is apart of the Umatilla National Forest, so it is surrounded by beautiful greenery. There is quite a bit to do here, which is great for the whole family. You can fish in the river, boat (there is a boat ramp), or other fun water activities. There is a 2.8 mile hiking trail that takes you around the lake. My mom and I walked this every morning, and it was gorgeous. There are also picnic tables, toilets and water available. I would definitely check the website for closures, because I believe it closes for the season sometime in October. You also have the option to either camp OR just come for the day. I believe there is a fee to park for the day ($5 maybe?). I brought my hammock and hung it between 2 trees right next to the water. I love people watching, so this was a great spot to hang. Highly recommend bringing a hammock if you have one. Great way to relax. Overall, I would recommend either coming for the day and enjoying the beautiful Jubilee Lake, or coming and camping! Can't go wrong.

Excellent 1/2 point between home in Idaho and the Oregon Coast. Tent and full hook ups with helpful campground hosts.

Yes, you can hear the freeway from the campground - so it may not be recommended for tent campers.