A small quiet campground near, but not on Drews creek.  Only space for about 4 maybe 5 RVs.  All sites great for tents.  There are no services - no water, no electric, no dump.  It does have two very nice and clean modern pit toilets.  We had no cell service.

This was a very peaceful campground, given it was in a popular National Park.  The setting is very open, with tall pines and no undergrowth, but the sites are far apart.  There is no cell service, no dump site, nor any grey water dump pits.  The latrines are very nice with running water and toilets.  The toilet houses are the only place you can get drinking water and there are only about four locations.  There is no way to hook up a hose, even with a water robber, so you have to fill jugs and carry from the sink.  There is a campground host, but we had no interaction.

I was there in late July and the lake was great (cold, not numbing) for swimming.  Several people launched kayaks and lots of people did the many hikes around the area.  Not really a place for riding bikes.

The campground is at the end of a six-mile gravel road.  Not too dusty or bumpy.  Maybe that is why it wasn't so populated.

For those looking for boondock sites, the first five miles are National Forest with several side roads.

This is a very large campground with over 200 sites.  I stayed overnight, July 3, 2023.  I was a walk in .  The ranger office was closed when I arrived and they did not have a list of available sites posted.  I found a site, K11, without any reserved tag and spent a wonderful night.  There was a very strong onshore breeze from the lake that kept the mosquitoes grounded and I didn't really need repellant.

The campground is two halves.  In the upper half, the campsites are higher, above the lake.  To the south or east, the sites are closer to the lake.  Water was only available (non threaded faucets) outside the flush latrines, which were not very well kept (mostly due to the dead bugs).  There is not electricity and I was only able to get 2 bars on Verizon.  I could get a text through, but rarely a photo.

I have camped throughout Oregon and what impressed me as different were the large number of tent campers.  More than half were tent camping, though the site would fit small to medium size rigs.  I only saw one Class A and few trailers.  Noisy neighbors can be a problem, as the sites though not exactly next to each other, are still close.  The roads and parking for sites are paved, but some have very steep driveways.  Be careful in your site selection if you have a long trailer or RV.

There are some nearby stores and gas station if you need, but very little else.  A very beautiful spot with lots to do and see nearby.

I started to stay here as a walk in on July 3, 2023, but was overwhelmed by the mosquitoes.  There are plenty of very private sites sloping down to the lake and more importantly, the marsh.  The roads are paved as are the sites.  Water, but no electricity.  No camp host and onlyt 1-2 bars on Verizon

I visited this campground only.  It wasn't very busy on July 4th, 2023.  It is very open, with very little brush, just tall trees.  The mosquitoes weren't as bad as at the Diamond Lake and Mount Thielson campgrounds.

This site also had showers and a dump site.  Only 1-2 bars on Verizon.  No electricity.

This was the last of several USFS campgounds I visited between Prospect and Union Gap along Highway 62 and undoubtedly the finest.

Very nicely spaced sites, potable water, flush toilets and showers.  No electricity.

Maybe I missed the campground, but I only saw about four sites down a very rutted dirt road, just the nearside of Beckies Cafe.

I visited this campground July 3, 2023 while inspecting the USFS sites between Prospect and Union Gap.

It is right on a large river and is a gravel and dirt road.  Nice spacing between sites, but generally open.  Opposite the entrance to the campground is a day use area populated with a lot of people fishing, relaxing, and tubing.  I didn't see any mosquitoes.  There was no water, nor any dump site.

I visited this site on July 3, 2023 while researching campsites between Prospect and Union Gap.  It was closed, a locked gate at the time, although I did see some tents in the back sites, probably from work crews nearby.

This is a very small campground well away from Highway 62.  There are only about 10 sites, but a beautiful creek flowing along the edge.  It is gravel and dirt.  There was one awful looking pit toilet.  No water, other than the creek was available and no dump site.

I visited this campground on July 3, 2023.  The gate was locked and a notice that it was closed.  However, I walked through the site to gather information for any possible future visit.

It was one of the most beautiful campgrounds of the five I visited between Prospect and Union Gap.  Idyllic widely separated sites with lots of trees and beautiful grasses.  The last of the 25 sites were actually in a meadow.

There was no water available that I could see.  The stream was a short distance and I suppose if you had water treatment you could get water there.  They did have grey water disposal sites.  I saw a pit  and vault latrine.  They were locked, but looked recently painted.  There were also a couple big, green, plastic dump bins.  I did not see any mosquitoes.

There is no electricity and I did not get any cell signal using Verizon.  The sites were flat and some pretty large for longer trailers.  It was all gravel.  

It was a little confusing to get there.  The sign on Highway 62 pointed down a road.  After crossing a bridge, I hit a T intersection, but there was not sign.  Turn right and you will cross another bridge and then see the campground entrance.

One should call ahead to the Forest Service office in Prospect to see if it becomes open for use.

This is one of the first of about three campsites on the 8$ road after the bridge crossing the Illinois River.  On the near side, is a picnic spot with a pit toilet.  Across the bridge, there is a campsite downriver with a pit toilet.  There are several dispersed camp sites there, but on my visit (May 2023) it was closed.  You could drive down a park at the different sites if the gate was open.  

Opposite the forest service site is a dispersed site on upstream side of the bridge.  It is steep, requires 4X4 with high clearance and is not level.

The Josephine Campground it about half a mile further up the road from the bridge.  I did not stop, but it appeared to have a half dozen tent sites and a pit toilet.  You have to park your car in the lot and carry your gear a few yards to the different sites.

I believe there was one more similar forest service site on up the road with a pit toilet and walkin sites.  However, the rest of the road has many dispersed sites off the road.  Most of the eastern side of the road (uphill side) is restricted from any vehicular traffic due to special botanical interests.  The road goes for about nine miles from highway 199 and ends at a river crossing with further progress blocked with a large fallen tree.

I had intermittent one bar service with Verizon.  This is an absolutely beautiful area, was large open areas due a long ago fire.

We had a wonderful, restful time at this campground in early June, 2022.  There are plenty of reviews to back this up, I just wanted to add some important information for planning purposes.  

There is not water at this campground or any of the others along the Metolius River.  The only place you can fill up on potable water is at the Camp Sherman store.  I don't know how long their goodness with last, so I strongly suggest filling up at home before you come.  You might be able to fill a few jugs at the Fish Hatchery, but you cannot run a hose to your RV.

There are also no dump stations.  The nearest dump station is in Sisters at the municipal Creekside Campground (see my review of the site) on the east end of town.  The dump is $10, very clean and good drainage with a hose connection to non-potable water for black tank flushing.  

Note, they will not sell or allow you to fill up with potable water at Creekside CG due to abuses in the past.

Finally, there is absolutely no cell service on Verizon or any other.  However, at the top of the hill, on a well used turnout, just south/west of the turn off to Gorge CG, you can get a good signal.

I did not stay here, but stopped as it was the only dump site for many miles.  The campground is very clean and right on the west edge of Sisters, Oregon.  Very good location, right near the highway, but easy walking into all the fine shops in Sisters.

The host said that due to abuses in the past, they do not allow or sell any fresh water fill ups, but do have a very nice dump station with a hose connect for non-potable water to flush your black water tank.  I've added pictures that should provide a good overview.

This is the first campground after descending from the Prineville Reservoir.  It is the only campground of the several along this section of the Crooked River with a campground host and water.  The water came from a hand pump, something you cannot use to fill and RV as it spurts and sputters like any well pump and you cannot fit a hose to the wide nozzle.  There are two water faucets in the campground, but during my visit before Memorial Day, they were not working.  The best place to get potable water and dump is the Crook County RV Park just 20 minutes down the road on the outskirts of Prineville.  Very nice site, dump fee $10 by credit card, potable water $5 (free with dump).  One of the few dump sites with a threaded hose allowing my to use my black tank flush.

Verizon service rare to none.

Like the other campgrounds along this section of the Crooked River, almost all the campsites face the river.  They have good spacing and require very little leveling.  Many are pull through, a few back in.  I camped before Memorial Day, so it was very quiet.  The road is very near all the campsites, but we counted maybe one car an hour.

The pit toilet was very clean and serviced daily.  We had Verizon and had rare to no cell service.  The only potable water is at the most southern campground, Big Bend campground, the first below the dam.  During our visit, only the hand pump had water.  You cannot use this to fill your RV, unless you have a bucket and like pumping for an hour.  There were two freeze proof faucets in the other section of the campground where the host has a parking place, but they were not turned on.  Best bet for dumping and getting fresh water is the Crook County RV park, just 15 minutes north on the road in Prineville.  Very nice setup, dump $10, fresh water fill $5 (or free with dump)

I actually stayed next door in the NFS campground, the one without hookups.  However, I was grateful to use their dump station ($10) and might have used their showers if I had stayed longer.  The owners were very friendly and helpful and I filled up my propane before leaving because it was so convenient. 

I did find out they only take reservations by phone, 541-382-9443.

There seems to be some confusion or mixing of campgrounds in the Dyrt reviews.  There are only two campgrounds at Lava Lake and one at Little Lava Lake which is right next door.  

I did not see any dispersed campsites. However, there is a private campground run by the Lava Lake Resort and you can only make reservations there by phone (541-382-9443).  Their campground is the only one with full hookups, power, water and sewer.  This is also the only dump site in the area and costs $10.  They also have propane, gasoline, showers and a small camp store.

The NFS Lava Lake Campground has nicely spaced sites, but not large parking areas.  They only have 2 or 3 drinking water sources and because they are not threaded you will need a bucket or 'Water Bandit' to fill you fresh water tank.  I saw only 1 or 2 places tent campers could dump their dishwater.  There are no showers, but the vault toilets were exceptionally clean, odorless and well stocked with TP.  We were able to get 1-3 bars on our Verizon phones that took a while to eventually send photos.

We were there mid June, 2021, and the mosquitoes were moderate, but well controlled with repellant.  The lake had a toxic algae bloom and was closed to swimming and pets.  What we really enjoyed were the many trails that were nearby along the Cascade Highway, like Blue Lagoon and Lucky Lake, non of which required advance reservations.

Where camped here just after they opened in April, 2021.  The daytime visitors made for a large crowded parking lot and line at the entrance station, but so far on 8 campers in the 64 sites that were open.

It is a wonderfully shaded park (i.e. no solar) and the sites are nicely separated.  However it is an older park and our 18 foot trailer was too large for many of the sites.  There were no pull throughs and any trailer over 25 feet is going to have a problem.  Otherwise, for the most part the pads were paved and flat.

They had solid picnic tables, aging stone fireplaces, but nice, newer heavy metal fire rings.  Wood was available for purchase.  There is no electric on site and the water faucets (not threaded) were scattered around the site.  No dish water dump or cleaning station, but there was an RV dump station.  They flush toilets with hot and cold water sinks as well as the showers (2 tokens for $1 = 4min) are excellent.

This is a cell dead zone.  Absolutely no Verizon service until you drove back to Burney.

We really enjoyed the different hikes that were available, being around 2 miles more or less in length.  The falls are the usual tourist zoo, but very beautiful.  Once you get out on the trails, you don't see many people.

This is undoubtedly the quietest campground we have ever visited.  Not just because there were few campers, but its location so far from any highway or city.  I would also like to give kudos to the the fire crews who saved this area from the fire last year.  The visitor center and campground are an island of green in the middle of a charcoal land. 

I would categorize it as a tent and teardrop campground.  There are some sites where larger RVs can park, maybe around 25', but most campground spaces will only hold the car.  They have a lot parallel RV parking and that requires you sign up for two spaces, one for your trailer, the other for your car.  The lower campground, A, is more open, great if you have solar.  The upper campground, B, has more spaces and some for larger RVs.  

The drinking water faucets are irregularly dispersed and few.  You cannot hook up to them to fill your RV, so be sure to bring some 5 gallon containers to haul water to your RV.  There are flush toilets and sinks with cold water, no showers.  Bring all your supplies, as the nearest town is about a 40 minute drive.  There are very solid metal fire rings and picnic tables.  The closest dump station is in Tule Lake, but is excellent, with water and good drain positioning - and its free.

We had excellent Verizon service and were able to surf the internet, load and download pictures without using any booster.  I was also pleased to get a staff member directly when I called for information.  There is a lot to see at this park and I highly recommend it.

PS The helmet they sell ($8) saved my head many a time during cave exploring.