Walton Lake, near Prineville, Oregon, is a charming spot for campers looking to unwind in nature. This campground offers a mix of tent and RV sites, all set against the backdrop of the picturesque Ochoco National Forest, making it a great place to recharge your batteries.

The campground features clean facilities, including toilets and fire pits, which visitors appreciate for their convenience. Many campers have enjoyed the well-stocked lake, perfect for fishing, and the scenic trails that wind around the area. As one happy camper put it, “Walton Lake is just gorgeous,” highlighting the beauty of the surroundings.

For those who love wildlife, keep your eyes peeled for deer and the resident geese that often swim close to the shore. The area is also known for its peaceful atmosphere, especially on the north side of the lake, where you can escape the noise of generators and enjoy the sounds of nature. 

While some sites may be a bit sloped or close together, the overall vibe is friendly and welcoming. Whether you're here for a weekend fishing trip or a family getaway, Walton Lake has plenty to offer for a memorable camping experience.

## Overview

 Walton Lake Campground may be the best-known location in the Ochoco National Forest, offering a serene setting among old-growth Ponderosa pine and mountain meadows. Most sites offer sweeping lake views.
## Recreation

 Visitors can choose to spend their vacation relaxing by fishing on the shore of Walton Lake, or swimming and paddling in the water. There is a swimming beach, fishing pier and boat ramp for small self powered craft, and the lake is stocked with rainbow trout.There are also many trails nearby for those who would like to explore on foot or mountain bike. This includes the 7.5-mile multi-use Round Mountain Trail as well as the 1-mile Walton Lake Trail, which offers many scenic views around the lake. 
## Natural Features

 Walton Lake is a blue sparkling jewel hidden within the dense forest. A small dam impounds spring-fed water that seeps from surrounding sloped meadows. Fishing is a favorite activity while hiking is very popular as is simply enjoying a picnic at the lake.Aspen and tall willows add habitat diversity to make this place especially attractive to wildlife. This is a place to find white-headed woodpecker, belted kingfisher, spotted sandpiper, cinnamon teal, American coot, Steller's jay, yellow-headed blackbird and Brewer's blackbird. 
## Nearby Attractions

 For visitors seeking a bit of civilization, the city of Prineville is nearby. There are opportunities to shop, dine out, golf, attend events and visit the localmuseum. For those wanting to explore the Ochoco National Forest, Lookout Mt and Round Mt are great places to hike and Mt bike. Wild flowers are abundant at the Big Summit Prairie where occasional antelope, elk and deer are sometimes seen.

Walton Lake

Mitchell, OR is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Mitchell campgrounds just for you. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Mitchell camping trip.

Mitchell

The Best Camping Near Mitchell, Oregon

This was a spontaneous campground visit. The campground circles the lake with many spots to choose from. Our site had a pull in just enough for one SUV and a motorcycle. The site itself had a fire ring with grill and easy access to the scenic lake. The downside the site was on a obvious slope and it could only hold one tent.

Walton Campground

On the spur of the moment, we decided to stay at this campsite and ended up staying two nights. The sites were clean with good flat spots for tents. They had fire pits, clean toilets, and very nice campsite hosts. The lake is little but charming. There is a trail that runs around the lake which is a nice, easy hike. My boys loved riding their bikes around the campground (which is small enough that you can see them even if they are on the other side of the lake). There were kids kayaking and swimming in the lake and about a dozen people fishing. The only downside, in my opinion, was that the sites weren't very private; we could see and hear all of our neighbors. This is a good spot for families with kids.

Clean campsite on charming little lake

What a sweet place, it was nearly full when we stayed, but still felt as though we were in the woods camping, spaces spaced apart, quiet, beautiful lake, many fishermen, my daughter swam in the Lake, and we took a short hike for a beautiful view. Also a short day trip from the Painted Hills in John Day (45 min) which is well worth the drive!

Beautiful Intimate Lake Campground

Awesome 

This was the first stop on our one year anniversary camping trip. We showed up on the 4th of July and got the last walk up site! Pros: the drinking water is amazing and is run on a solar pump! The sites are big on the far side of the lake and the walk around is a nice easy stroll. There are resident geese and duck families that swim right up next to you all the time. We enjoyed kayaking and fishing our days away! Our dogs loved swimming in the lake too and lounging by the water! 
Cons: we had site 22 and it has very little shade during peak hours of the day. Bring a pop up for sure! 
We hope to bring our families back next summer! 


Gorgeous views

Especially on the north side of the lake. Walk ins. We had #20. A bit buggy due to marsh adjacent and no view. But larger site.  easy for 2 families. We would Probably stay at #21 or 22 next time. Real nice loops around the lake. Very kid friendly. Small lake. Heard owls and had something large around our tent at night. 

Paved roads all the way, if you stay in the north end you avoid the rv generators. A mellow campground regardless. Great host. Clean. 

The Forest itself seems to be sick and there are signs that wildlife management is trying to rehabilitate. 

Quiet 

Walton lake is just gorgeous. The only thing I don’t like is that some of their sites, you can’t actually park at the site, cause they’re on a hill. BUT it’s the perfect place to recharge. It was really calm and smokey when we stayed. It’s $15 a night or $60-$100 for a group site depending on the days. There are walking trails and you can even take the big loop, their are actual trailheads near by as well. We saw some deer, one of those baby deer in my pictures was running and fell and slid, it was crazy. Then ran to mama to nurse LOL. Weird thing was we spotted moo cows in the park. There is a $5 day use fee and it’s well worth is, BBQ pits and picnic tables all over. Go fishing. They also have a handicap area. Lots of toilets. I just love this place.

One of my faves!!!

Great camp hosts. A little scrunched together with some loud campers. Tiny lake but we’ll stocked with trout. Campfires okay!! Nice biking and hiking trails.

Photos of Walton Lake

Real photos from real campers