This was a great little campground for getting away from the Memorial Day crowds. Over the weekend we stayed, there were only 2 or 3 other campers as well.

Just south of Prairie City, this was a good location to explore the surrounding Strawberry Mountain wilderness and John Day Fossil Beds. As the road turns to a forest road, it’s gets a bit adventurous, but we just kicked it into 4 wheel drive and had no trouble getting there. We picked a site next to the creek in the back and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. We even got a visit from a few deer every night around dinner time. They kept their distance but still came within 20 feet to check us out.

From the campground, you can take the trails to the lake, which was a fun hike. The vault toilets were clean and the Ranger came around every day to check in. The only thing I would change is the temperature. We didn’t realize it was still so chilly at the end of May and we’re thankful for our extra layers and warmer sleeping bags we packed just in case.

Tips for camping here:

*I had my 9 year old nephew with me for this trip and was thankful I brought our bikes and games. Since the campground wasn’t busy, there weren’t other kiddos for him to play with so we needed some fun stuff to do between hikes and outings.

*There’s a steep drop off next to some sites that goes right into the creek. Keep an eye on kiddos or pick a site farther away from the creek if you’re worried about that.

*The campground was a bit dusty so bring stuff to wash up when needed.

*Lots of wildlife in the area so make sure to keep your food and other items locked up so the critters don’t get into it.

*Bring your own firewood, as there isn’t a camp host to buy it from.