Priest Hole Recreation Area

If we had checked the forecast, we probably wouldn’t have camped here. However when we arrived at 6 pm and it was 100 degrees, we were far enough off the beaten path that we decided to sweat it out and spend the night. We stayed in site 12 which also had absolutely no shade and tons of bees, which didn’t help our situation.

All that aside, we are so happy we did spend the night here! The river is gorgeous and perfect for swimming. The views through the canyon are incredible at sunset and the temp dropped significantly for comfortable sleeping! The campground itself is clean and well appointed.

Great camping spot along the John Day river. There’s an area in the beginning with new paved out camping spots on the river and a vault toilet. If you bypass that area and keep going along the gravel/dirt road you’ll find more pull out spots that are more secluded.

First time we have stayed here. Spent two nights along the river. Quiet, serene and peaceful. Each campsite had recently been upgraded with heavy duty Pilot Rock fire pits, fresh gravel,restrooms were clean. These upgrades were done over the past several years according to BLM Prineville staff. Maintenance of this nice area will be difficult since temporary staff and seasonal help have been reduced from 20 employees down to 2. Pack it in and pack it out. Appreciate and protect what these public lands have to offer.

We visited this spot 4/3/25. It was amazing with only one other guest. I’ve never been here before but I believe there has been changes. They are cleaning it up with nice tables and fire pits at each spot. There are also pull-through spots. From what I read (I’m adding the poster) there were alot of people not doing their due diligence when it comes to dispersed camping. It’s been closed and the renovation wasn’t supposed to be complete until May 1, 2025. We just lucked out that it was open! They will start charging a fee in the future according to the poster.

Mostly gravel road, high clearance is not necessary but there are some pretty big holes in the road, made it in a Toyota Corolla just fine but have gone in larger vehicles and tends to be a little less risky.

Not a ton of camping spots near the water but plenty of open spaces elsewhere. Pretty spaced out if you choose the right spot.

Getting to camp you drive into a “canyon”, switch backs most of the way down. The road is bumpy but does not require 4WD or high clearance. Once you get to the bottom of the canyon, the road will pass by a vaulted toilet. You continue down the road and a bunch of campsites pop up that line the river. Great space for big groups, dog friendly, all around great hang!