Deschutes River State Recreation Area

We had no issues finding this campground(CG). We followed the instructions on our confirmation email where we got off I-84 east of the CG where there was signage to the Recreation Area and CG. We entered the park and there was no check-in gate, so we proceeded to back-in site A-27 with water and electric(50/30/20 AMP). Our nightly rate was$0 due to the Oregon Disable Veterans Pass. You do not have to be a state resident to get this pass. The back-in was fairly easy with plenty of room to maneuver. We had enough room for our 40’ fifth wheel and parking our F450 truck at an angle. The electric worked fine and the water pressure was on the low side, but fine for our overnighter. The A loop has water and electric where the other loops are dry camping with B loop able to support RVs or tents. Our site was about 50 yards from the Deschutes River and there are tie downs along the river for boats. There are a lot of mature trees in the A loop so satellite could be iffy. We did not put out Starlink for this overnighter. We got 1 to 2 bars on Verizon. There was a shower house not too far from our site. There isn’t dump station in the CG, but there’s a COE and other options near the CG. We had a nice view of the Deschutes River. There was loud train noise as they blow the horn and the trains run all night. There's an Oregon Trail and other historical memorials within the CG area that are worth checking out. The nearest gas/diesel and minor amenities are about 15 minutes away in Rufus. All in all we enjoyed our overnighter and would not hesitate coming back.

Caught 4 Small Mouth Bass out of the river. The campground is clean. There is $10 Tent spots on the river.

I loved this campground, until I had to pack up & move on. My tent was infested with earwigs. Hundreds crawling around under my tent, & all over the inside & outside.

Aside from that, I had a great time. The campground itself doesn’t allow for much privacy, but if you explore up & along the river, there are a few access points that you can enjoy by yourself. Great for birdwatching, & swimming.

I didn’t mind the train sounds, I actually kinda liked them.

Beautiful camp right along the Deschutes River. Very peaceful except for trains that go by and blow horn. Full hook ups and tent camping areas. Bathrooms are very clean. Good hiking trails along river.

Lovely peaceful campground. Very quiet except when trains go by and they blow their horn. Very well maintained with a great field for kids to play in. The trees smell amazing in May in the evening. We would definitely come back.

We’ve been camping here for over 20-years and every time a memorable experience. Whether your needs are for a full hookup or a simple tent site, they’ve got them all. This evening there were only 3 other sites occupied, on a Saturday! With the river song of the Deschutes in the background and a large population of geese, ducks, turkeys, vultures and, eagles, and deer, the wildlife are never far. Also a popular spot with fishermen, rafters and kayakers, it can get busy in the summer but always a people-watching extravaganza.

Camp is well located , very clean, super great park ranger and very spacious , beautiful river bank and lots of space to walk with a dogs

Beautiful spot right on the Deschutes. Water and bathrooms closed for the season.

Bordering the Deschutes River the sites were primarily grass with trees. Not crowded in October. Full hookups in one area and no hookups in another. Clean bathrooms.

Great setting right in the Deschutes! We loved the scenery here and proximity to the river. We stayed two nights, which was perfect. Not a lot here to do other than swimming, hiking, and fishing. We’ll be back for another quick stay. The only drawback was the proximity to the train, which passes by regularly and is pretty loud.

We usually cross the Columbia River into Washington state at Biggs Junction, Oregon. We don’t want to stay at Maryhill State Park in Washington as we had stayed there before. We found this campground on our Benchmark Oregon Atlas.

There are separate areas for RVs who want full hookups and those who don’t plus tenters. We fall in the latter category. Actually, our area was quieter than the full hook up loop which was closer tomI84 and the train tracks.

We had clean vault toilets, potable water, picnic table and fire ring. There were camp hosts for each loop. They sold firewood and were very helpful. There was a garbage dumpster and several recycling bins. The sites were in a grassy area with heavenly scented locust trees. There were geese with their goslings. There were trails along the Deschutes River but our neighbor camper said she saw several large gopher snakes.

The only drawback was the goose poop. And, snakes on the trail.

We would stay here again. B49/$10

This is an update on a previous review I wrote.

We stayed here again this time in mid-May and it was completely full. Despite that, it felt peaceful and lovely.  We stayed in loop T with our van. Only $10 per site plus $8 for the reservation online. They allow vehicles up to 24 ft in this primitive loop and in my opinion is the prettiest, most natural looking and furthest from the highway.  Lots of birds, gooses and goslings and great access to the river for a refreshing swim. Very hot this last week-end!  We used the vault toilets near this loop but there are bathrooms with flushing toilet a little further. Toilets were very clean.  The campground host for this part, had ice and wood to sell.  Good cell reception on AT&T.  This will be our to-go- place to stay anything we are heading south east of the mountains. Highly recommend it!

If you enjoy hiking, mountain biking and fishing, then this campground is for you. We typically stay in the first come first serve. Great staff and camp hosts. Love this place!

We've camped here twice, and it's a fine campground. There are several campsite areas, and we've only stayed in the "T" loop, at the back of the campground. We did here the trains at night, but it never bothered us and we didn't hear any road noise despite the proximity to the interstate.

Facilities near the T loop consist of pit toilets, but we walked to the nicer bathrooms on the A loop when they were open. Most A loop campers were in RVs, and the bathrooms weren't crowded. The bathrooms were clean as were the shower stalls.

A loops has more trees, so I would suggest staying there when possible as it gets hot in the summer.

The Deschutes River Trail leaves from the campground, and it's a nice 16-mile-long bike ride, though it can get a bit rough. This area can get very windy.

Found this place on the map while searching for a place to camp at the Washington/Oregon border. This lovely little state park is near the mouth of the Deshutes River into the Columbia and it’s a great location for somebody heading south from Washington into Oregon and beyond on 97.  Staying here will avoid most of the I 84 and allow you to stay in a pristine natural area right on the river. The only disruption might be for some the noise of trains that ran across the river. The state park has several campsite loops, we stayed in the primitive tent site T Loop were there no hook ups and only a picnic table and fire pit. They also have electrical hooked up sites on loop A. A dump station is also available. Bathrooms with flushing toilets in loop A, otherwise many very clean pit toilets all throughout the park. There are 2 hiking trails and an old railroad bed bike trail departing from the state park and continuing south along the River. Many primitive campsites further up with only hike-in or bike-in or boat access. We saw two cyclist with overnight bikepacking gear staying here. We had reservations but did not need them on a midweek day in March but I suspect this place gets quite busy on weekends and in the warmer season. Good AT&T cell reception.

Great park...clean, easy access, good hiking, good fishing, beautiful scenery, sites are flat and not jamb packed. Only problem is trains go by at night and blow their noisy, loud horns. Suggest camping at the back of the park, the horn may not be as bad (we were near the front).

Lots of amenities, and nicely located on the deschutes and Columbia rivers. The sites are pretty close, but the whole place is very well kept. Bathrooms available. It was very busy for the weekend in the last couple weeks of August as you’d expect. Really beautiful grounds, just felt a bit cramped.

Not my favorite but a nice park camp area. Nothing too spectacular. Small hiking trail. Beautiful river runs through the ground. Fishing is good. Boat launch on the opposite side of the campground. Privacy is limited between sites.

Camping on this stretch of the Columbia doesn’t offer many choices, but we were so glad to have found Deschutes River SRA. The campground doesn’t seem like much when you first arrive, but walk along the river towards the end of the park and you’ll find lovely shallow beach areas and fun little rapids. Kids had a great time walking among the rocks, building sand castles and swimming down the rapids. I did see a rattlesnake in the beautifully maintained lawn, so be aware when walking around.

Had a great time here. Kind hosts, lots of amenities and close to lists of activities. Just a hope to wineries, Stonehenge and hikes. Right on the river. Really enjoyed this campsite and would definitely stay again.

We've stayed at the Deschutes River State Recreation Area twice now. It's the perfect spot if you are traveling across Oregon and need a nice place to stop before continuing to another state, or eastern Oregon. 

The campground is relatively small. The bathrooms and showers are clean and the spots are flat. It has an accessible path along the river and is great for family fishing. 

Due to it's proximity to the gorge, it can be very windy but, it is quaint and the sunsets are amazing.

The best part of this spot is the incredible outdoor Oregon Trail Interpretive display! I highly recommend this park for families with small children.

Lovely secluded area. Vault toilets a bit meh (off season, not sure about now). Right along the river. Take a hike up above the river as well, not just along it!

Our family really enjoyed this campus my spot. It‘s right along the Deschutes River and is a fishers delight. Even the kids were pulling in fish both in the morning and evening.

It is near the interstate and train tracks are across the river so don’t be surprised by a bit of noise. Fortunately, the lovely campground and gorgeous river make up for the noise.

Additionally, they have a nice educational structure that talks about the Oregon Trail. This park was really close to the substation fire. Note how close it came to the ranger station - yikes!!!

easy water side access for tents and RVs. Bonus: 24 mile gravel path from the campground with dispersed camping through out the trail of you are willing to make the hike in

big wide open park with lots of green space. overnight parking available for bikers looking to pack in.

The upper hike alone makes this campsite great. It's very clean and well maintained. If you are into glamping this would be a great place for you!

being so close to the Columbian river, made it very windy!!

This campground really has nothing exceptional to brag on. The river isn't terribly safe to swim in and to put in any sort of flotation device you have to leave the campground and drive over to the other side of the river to pay a fee. If more than one person is using the device, they must also pay. The outhouse toilets are not well kept and smell awful. And the most frustrating thing is the nearby train tracks with trains running through a few times in the night, making for a bad night's sleep. I do not recommend!

If you like the desert and a little more solitude, come check out this site. The amenities are simple, be sure to bring plenty of water.

This is a fairly small Campground with a lot of room to play and access to fly fishing in the shallow part of the river. It's pretty open and flat butt a great time can be had with family.