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Activities

Free Camping Collection

Established Camping

Scott Lake Campground

Scott Lake Campground, near Blue River, Oregon, is a fantastic spot for those who appreciate the beauty of nature without the frills. This place is all about simplicity, offering fire pits, picnic tables, and clean vault toilets, making it a solid choice for a rustic camping experience.

Visitors rave about the stunning views of the Three Sisters mountains, especially during sunrise. The campground is clean and well laid out, with several sites right by the lake, perfect for setting up a hammock or enjoying a peaceful afternoon by the water. One camper noted, “The scenery is hard to match,” and it’s easy to see why.

For those who love to explore, there are hiking trails nearby, including access to Scott Mountain and Tenas Lakes. The area is also great for kayaking, although some campers mentioned the boat launch could use a bit of work. If you’re looking for a quiet retreat with plenty of natural beauty, Scott Lake Campground is definitely worth checking out.

Description

National Forest

Willamette National Forest

Overview

This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature. If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.

Fee Info

$5/vehicle/day or valid recreation pass

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Location

Scott Lake Campground is located in Oregon

Detail location of campground

Coordinates

44.21232 N
121.88801 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Available
  • Verizon
    Fair
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Available

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Group
  • Tent Cabin
  • Equestrian

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Water Hookups

FREE established camping

Enjoy camping on government land. Limited or no services at this camping area.


PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Scott Lake Campground needs a permit.

Contact

General Info


Reviews

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4.5

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5 Reviews

Reviewed Aug. 11, 2021

hidden gem

This campsite is amazing. We're pretty new to finding free and dispersed camping spots so it was a long shot to get here, but we lucked out and fell in love with this place. 

Getting there is fairly easy. GPS for us didn't give us the right lake but we drove on until there was a sign for the campground. There's no chance of you missing it. The drive is also very beautiful. 

The campground has a lot of spots. The first spot is the only one I'd considered "good" for an rv but I wouldn't bother trying. The first 5 or 6 spots and can pull your vehicle off the road and set up. There are a few hike in spots that we didn't check out but were well marked. 

There are fire pits, picnic tables, bathrooms, and plenty of good spots to set up a hammock. 

They also have a boat launch, but it didn't seem that great. I didn't see anyone use it to get boats or kayaks in the water-only people carrying their kayaks. 

We loved it here and really lucked out on our spot.

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Scott Lake Campground by Hannah  S., August 11, 2021
Reviewed Feb. 5, 2020

Beautiful late in the season

We went Scott Lake in early October 2019 and had the chance to receive the first snowfall of the season. There are a few spots right along the lake that are pull in for vehicles (a few that you have to hike to the lake but not that far). Farther down the road are hike in spots that we will be going to with family next year. It was peaceful and quiet and we never heard a peep from any of the other campers. The camp sites were super clean and very well laid out. The lake was low so I had to dock my kayak where the channel was between the two main parts of the lake was and explored the rest on foot. My three dogs loved it there and loved swimming in the lake. It was an overall great experience and we will definitely be back again next summer!

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Scott Lake Campground by Andrea R., February 5, 2020
  • Review photo of Scott Lake Campground by Andrea R., February 5, 2020
  • Review photo of Scott Lake Campground by Andrea R., February 5, 2020
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Oct. 5, 2019

Stunning!

So when I first found this campground I wasn't sure what to expect being as reviews and info were sparse so I'll do me best to sum it up. Things to know that arent stated. It is free may require NW forest pass. It's a drive, hike, bike and walk in. I didn't see any spots big enough for RV but there is space to park that isn't officially a site.

Location: Beautiful sits about 5,000 feet right off McKenzie Pass Road (closed from November to June)

Sites: I saw 6 drive in with fire ring, picnic table also 2 vault toilets.... There's more walk/ hike in but we had to much gear to do that.

Directions: Very easy to find spots all along lake and Google maps took us right to spots.

Activities: Great! Had a kayak/boat launch also had the Scott Mountain TH right there within 1/4 walking distance on dirt road. It seems that a forest fire was pretty recent ontop but the grounds seemed kind of untouched

Warnings: This was my first time up this pass. Elevation is very high which means incremental weather. Aka woke up in October with snow which happened to us.

Overall 5 stars must visit. We will be coming back next year when less snow and road reopens

  • Review photo of Scott Lake Campground by Mavrick S., October 5, 2019
  • Review photo of Scott Lake Campground by Mavrick S., October 5, 2019
Reviewed Apr. 14, 2019

Beautiful beyond compare

Camped here in mid October, not many people around but the view of the three sister mountains were phenomenal!!! Clean campground and nice camp sites

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Scott Lake Campground by Sarah A., April 14, 2019
Reviewed Oct. 18, 2018

Beautiful camping, easy access to gorgeous hiking and just primitive enough

This campsite is the perfect place if you enjoy secluded tent camping in a primitive style but still want the comforts of a fire pit, picnic table and a toilet. The scenery is hard to match. Views of Three Sisters makes for the most breathtaking sunrise and hiking around the lake is beautiful. There is also hiking up to Tenas Lakes or Scott Mountain that makes for a good day trek. It was serene, quiet, picturesque, clean, and free! We paid $5 to park and the walk to our cite was not bad. Get there early to get the best spot; first come first serve.

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Scott Lake Campground by Aaron P., October 18, 2018
  • Review photo of Scott Lake Campground by Aaron P., October 18, 2018
  • Review photo of Scott Lake Campground by Aaron P., October 18, 2018
  • (27) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does Scott Lake Campground have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Scott Lake Campground has water hookups.

  • What is the max vehicle length at Scott Lake Campground?

    Scott Lake Campground allows vehicles up to 12 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Scott Lake Campground?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Scott Lake Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Scott Lake Campground?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is fair, AT&T is unknown, and T-Mobile is available.

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Scott Lake Campground?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Scott Lake Campground. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Scott Lake Campground, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Scott Lake Campground?

    There are 4 campsites at Scott Lake Campground and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts