Dispersed camping is allowed on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service (USFS) lands without a permit, but it is recommended that campers obtain a map that shows current property boundaries. Please contact the BLM , (541) 573-4400 or (541) 416-6700, or the USFS, (541) 575-3000 or (541) 416-6500, for more information.

While camping is not allowed within the three units of the monument, there are many nearby campgrounds. Some have full service amenities, some are quiet and remote, some are in the forest, and some are right on the John Day River.

Painted Hills Dispersed

This was by far my favorite place we stayed on our entire 4000+ mile road trip…. and it was free! We stayed at Priest Hole, which is a few miles past the Painted Hills visitor center on dirt roads. We saw a few vans and a pop-up trailer, but no RVs. The road was okay but not great, so not sure if regular RVs would make it or not. Fine for cars, trucks or vans.

It's Bureau of Land Management land, which means all camping is free. We camped right on the banks of the John Day River and it was amazingly beautiful. The water was the perfect temperature for swimming and crystal clear. There were people a couple hundred yards from us on either side, so not too crowded. We were there on a Thursday and pulled right up to an empty spot.

Only vault toilets. Bring your own water. No showers, picnic tables, etc. The only drawback, besides lack of a nice bathroom and not much natural shade, was quite a few earwigs and other bugs attacking the outside tent at night when we had our light on. Not the worst thing, but slightly annoying for the kiddos.

When the river is higher (sometimes in the winter) there's a large grassy area in the center of the area for tents, but a bit far away from the water. But in the summer when the river is lower you can camp in any of the rocky dry stream beds and be safely right on the water.

Absolutely the Best. And free!

Good note: You can camp on BLM and Forest Service lands without a permit! This place is amazing. It's no wonder it's one of the seven wonders of Oregon. It's a quick drive from Bend, and to see the Wallowa burn aftermath is humbling.

Otherwordly campsite

My husband surprised me with a trip to the Painted Hills! The views are amazing!! The little hikes to lead you to even more spectacular views are definitely worth it!! Loved it and can't wait to go again!!

Breathtaking views!!

We tried to go to the GPS location stated at this listing but at one point the road was closed. We tried a different route and found couple of camping spots but without any signs. Luckily there was an other car camping there so we settled, and after all it was a beautiful location!

Beautiful location, but part of the camp is closed

First off, I had a great time staying here. Before I arrived I had some ideas of what my stay would be like and while I did have a nice stay, it was not exactly the trip I had expected. I am a female in my early twenties and was tent camping solo for the first time. I grew up camping with my family so I am experienced but this was my first time camping completely alone. When I planned my trip I assumed this was a spot where other travelers and campers would stay so I was hoping that the presence of other people would provide some comfort to counter the fact that I was camping alone. When I arrived there were people in the day use area but as I drove back to where people would normally camp there was nobody in sight. As the evening came I realized there was not going to be any other campers for miles. Needless to say I made it through the night just fine with no emergencies but I was so nervous the whole time that I had a very restless sleep with my hand practically on my bear spray all night. 

I woke up the next morning, went on a beautiful hike with some amazing views and continued on my road trip. Overall the location is great, I would camp here again if I were with other people or if I were staying in a converted van or camper of some sort. But being a solo, young, female tent camper in this location without any other campers around for miles was a little too scary for my taste. 


Awesome Views & Solitude

Worth it. Looks as beautiful or better in person. 
Plenty of trails for any hiking/walking level. 

Great spot for photography, meditation, exploring solo or with company. 
Make sure to be able to download maps when traveling in this area, as there is cell coverage, but lots of out of pocket spots as you travel to and from this area of Oregon. 

Perfect road trip stop.

We came here about a week ago to explore the painted hills (obviously). And this camp spot was perfect! Our first night we were completely alone. Súper se Ulises space that doesn’t seem to be widely known. It seemed that most visitors were just passing through and not staying over night. It’s just down the road past the last hike on the left which I think is called red hill. You’ll find a little pullout to the right and there are at least four camp spots. If you had an suv you could probably go a bit further than we were able as the terrain was a bit rough. 

Super chill camp spot

Super nice dry camping just 5 miles from the John Day Fossil Beds Painted Hills, and conveniently right off the main road. Also a small creek nearby to cool off in!

Pretty geology and colors!

This site is just off of the main road to the Painted Hills area. There are no restrooms or facilities of any type. We had the furthest most spot from the entrance off of the road and had great access to a small stream that we could sit in and cool off. 

Stream access

We spent a weekend in June celebrating our anniversary in this stunning location. The Painted Hills are so beautiful. The hikes and trails are so well thought out and maintained. The camp spot that’s described in other reviews is the best we found. The coordinates however are not accurate.  Pass the last parking area (Red Scar Knoll trail) on the main road, cross a cattle gate, and it’s on your right. If you have higher ground clearance you can go through the main camping area and take a dirt road just a bit further to a single spot that’s flat and shaded. We rented an off-road teardrop so this was super easy. Here are the correct coordinates to that single spot:
44.637881 -120.296011

Amazing campsite, coordinates NOT correct

We stayed at 44.612620,-120.211000 - it seems like that's not the location posted here but I don't know if that's a good site as well so I won't edit the record.

We stayed here one night when we were visiting the Painted Hills. This is a great spot if you’re visiting the area. It’s easy to get to and plenty of room, and an easy drive to the Painted Hills. There were 4 of us camping here the night we stayed (3 other RVs and one van), and everyone cleared out in the morning. 

It’s not really a place I’d stay at for more than a night. There is a bunch of dumped garbage and an abandoned car at the end of the loop, but there were plenty of spots and room before you get to that spot. There's some rutted parts of the road when you get off the paved road, just watch for that, especially after rains.

The area is nice and quiet, you hear the creek and lots of birds. You’re near the road so you do hear cars but it wasn’t bothersome. You hear the creek but really you can’t get to it, it’s very marshy and overgrown and no real path to the water. Verizon had zero cell reception (weboost didn’t help) and ATT had one bar LTE. 

No amenities here, please pack out your trash and human and dog waste.

Good For An Overnight

campsites were super easy to find &amp; best of all..free! it was SO quiet out there, so lovely. just a little drive even from the furthest most campsite to all of the little trails around the painted hills! super lovely place to stay the night if you’re just passing through! :)