Overview: South Steens Campground is located in the heart of Steens Mountain. Visitors will find picnic tables and grills at 36 family campsites amid juniper and sage. The equestrian site, designed specifically for horse users, is directly adjacent to the family campground. Recreational stock (horses, mules, llamas, goats, etc.) are not allowed in the family portion of South Steens Campground, but are welcome and comfortable at 15 equestrian sites complete with tie posts and small corrals. Know Before You Go: The typical season of use at South Steens Campground is mid-May through mid-November. Vault restrooms and drinking water are available. The use of pelletized or certified weed-free hay is required on all BLM public lands in Oregon and Washington. Point of Interest: South Steens Family and Equestrian Campgrounds are close to the Historic Riddle Brothers Ranch, several hiking trails, and the Little Blitzen and Big Indian gorges. South Steens Campground Brochure

South Steens Campground

We spent 2 nights at the campground and did the Big Indian Gorge hike to the headwall (it was awesome!) Campground was clean and quiet, except for a few big RV's with generators. 

Fall steens trip

We go up to the South Steens Campground each year and stay in the Equestrian side of the campground. Normally we spend 7-10 days there and ride the gorges and down to the Riddle Brothers Ranch. This campground is great for horses. The solar well is great for water and having corals at each site is awesome! We high line some horses but there is still plenty of space for that as well. No campfires are allowed in the fall but what we do to stay warm outside is we have a small wood stove that works great to cook on as well. Just a little piece of advice is to always have you rain coat with you when you go riding in the Steens, the weather can change fast!

Great area to ride horses in!!! 

We stayed here for 1 night during a long weekend escape to Steens. The campsites aren't very private as they sit amongst low sage bushes, and they're not particularly large; only enough space for 1 car and 1 tent. The facilities are clean. There are lots of great trailheads in the area. Other campers were quiet and respectful.

Great base camp for adventures around Steen's

I originally went to the South Steens family Campground to find a site and it was full. I went over to the equestrian campsites even though I didn't have any horses. It worked out just fine. The campsites are close together so there isn't much privacy. It is August and they are not allowing campfires. They have restrooms and a well house to get water from.
The skies were clear and I was able to get a glimpse of the meteor shower. I've never seen stars like that it was really nice.
This is a good base camp to go to Wildhorse Lake for a quick hike. It's 2 1/2 miles long but worth it. I would come back here. 

Nice quiet place

Stayed a little bit up from the campsite in the wilderness. Beautiful approach to this area, the canyons are impressive. Remote and quiet, if that’s what you’re looking for. This will never get much traffic. 
And then, right next door you wake up the next morning to find an incredible natural wonderland. Huge canyons, old glacial relics, a radical canyon wall that drops off to a sand dunes desert...spend a day, spend days wondering around the canyons and summits of this mountain range. Unreal beauty and so untouched, so out of the way as to almost have it to yourself. 

Quiet and remote, a jump off to the unreal

This is a small but great camp site. Bathrooms present on site. Each spot has a great picnic table and grill. It is a rocky area so have a pad if tent camping. 

Great spot!

This was my first time at amazing Steens Mountain Wilderness. It was also my first time on a 50 mile washboard gravel road.  Since we stayed in October, the campground had plenty of sites to choose from.  We chose F2, a big pull through near the vault toilet and not far from the well. The campground was basic but very tidy and quiet during our stay. We especially enjoyed seeing herds of wild horses, the fall foliage on the quaking aspen, and the hiking trails.

Basic but tidy

Basic campsites, but some are very private. Either sides of camp offer amazing longer hikes to gorges coming off the steens mountain range. Fall colors were amazing, and still some water from the little Indian and blitzen rivers. Coyotes at night, pit toilets, solitude, plenty of trees. Is hot and dry in summer, but the exploration around it is breathtaking. Long dusty road but worth it. Wild horses and scenic 