Middle Fork

This is a very nice Forest Service campground along the Middle Fork of the John Day River. The sites are nicely laid out and are a fair distance from each other. Although the campground is adjacent to a paved road, there was little traffic during our two night stay.

The river is a little difficult to access because of shrubs and small trees, but this is actually good news because so much of the Middle Fork has been damaged by mining and cattle. Continuing west on the road brings you to several very interesting locations with information boards that describe the reclamation efforts of the Warm Spring Tribe on 2,000 acres of land through which the river runs.

We stopped here after a long drive from Stanley, ID enroute to Reno. Found the campground on The Dyrt app. Only 3 campers were at the site. Very quiet. Our dog swam in the river. The toilet was clean & didn’t smell. Very shaded sites.

We have spent 3 nights total at this USFS campground. It is a small campground along the middle fork of the John Day River. There are 2 vault toilets to service this small campground. There is no water or garbage so bring your own water and pack out your garbage. The sites are very spacious and you are far from your neighbors. The road is close but there was little traffic. When we were there in May, there were wildflowers everywhere. We were the only ones there. You are surrounded by large pine trees. Along the access road, there has been reclamation of the John Day changing it from a dredged out mess to a meandering river with newly planted pine trees and tree trunks to enable the salmon to return.