Summer Visitor Guide for Bend / Central Oregon

Camping in Central Oregon

Published: June 20. 2013 4:00AM PST

TENT CAMPING 1. TWIN LAKES: Take the Fall River exit 3 miles south of Sunriver. Follow to the County Road 43 junction, and continue on this new road (Forest Route 4260), which leads you to Twin Lakes Resort. South Twin Campground, part of Deschutes National Forest, has 24 sites; North Twin has 21. The adjacent Twin Lakes Resort offers 22 RV spots. 2. WICKIUP RESERVOIR: From Bend, drive south on Highway 97 until you reach County Road 42, at which time you'll drive west. Six miles after the junction of roads 42 and 43, turn toward Twin Lakes Resort and Wickiup Reservoir on Forest Route 4260. Wickiup Butte campground has eight sites. 3. CRANE PRAIRIE RESERVOIR: From Bend, go south on Highway 97, turning west at the Sunriver exit. Continue west about 22 miles to the junction of Forest Route 4270, turning left and following signs to Crane Prairie Resort. 4. CULTUS LAKE RESORT: Take the Sunriver exit off Highway 97, and continue for 22 miles to the Cascade Lakes Highway. Turn left (south) and follow for just over a mile to Road 4635 which takes you to the lake. 5. LAVA LAKES RESORT: The turn into Lava Lake on Road 500 is at milepost 38, 16 miles south of Mount Bachelor on the Cascade Lakes Highway. 6. SUTTLE LAKE RESORT: Take Highway 20 west of Sisters about 16 miles to the Suttle Lake sign. The entry road to the resort is just to the west. 7. WALTON LAKE: Located in the Ochoco National Forest east of Prineville on Highway 26. 8. WILDCAT CAMPGROUND: Located in the Ochoco National Forest east of Prineville. 9. ANTELOPE FLAT RESERVOIR: Drive east of Prineville towards Post and Paulina. Campground is in the Maury Mountains south of the highway. 10. OCHOCO DIVIDE: East of Prineville on Highway 26. Campground is located between the Mill Creek and Bridge Creek wilderness areas. CAR AND RV CAMPING 11. COVE PALISADES STATE PARK: From Bend, drive north on Highway 97 through Redmond and Terrebonne. Take the left turn to Culver, about 10 miles south of Madras, and follow the Cove Palisades State Park/Tour Route signs about 8 miles to the lake. 12. PRINEVILLE RESERVOIR: From Bend, take Highway 20 east toward Millican. Make a left turn at the Highway 27 junction and follow to the reservoir. 13. LA PINE STATE PARK: Take Highway 97 south of Sunriver. Large signs mark entrance to the park. 14. TUMALO STATE PARK: Take Highway 20 north of Bend about 4 miles. Go west on Cooley Road, then north on O.B. Riley Road. Road winds down to the park. In addition to tent and RV sites, there are yurts.

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Camping is plentiful throughout Central Oregon. If you're a backpacker, your camp can be just about anywhere you choose, but be sure to follow the rules of the jurisdiction (national or state park, national forest or Bureau of Land Management).

If you're looking for more developed camp sites, there are lots of choices. The Deschutes National Forest offers dozens of campgrounds. Only the largest or more notable are listed here. For a complete list, please see the national forest's main campground page.

Please note: Reservations through the state park system require payment in full upfront.

Bend area

Tumalo State Park, about six miles west of Bend, offers Deschutes River access, with both tent sites and yurts that can be reserved online.

Elk Lake Campground, in the Cascade Lakes area near Mt. Bachelor about 30 miles from Bend, has a boat ramp and 21 campsites. No RV hookups or disposal, no reservations.

Redmond/Terrebonne area

Smith Rock State Park offers a walk-in bivouac camping area with solar showers. Camping is first-come/first-served, no online reservations. No fires are allowed.

Prineville area

Jasper Point campground, 14 miles from Prineville. Through Sept. 30 2009, the state of Oregon is offering a coupon for a free camp night (weeknights only) at selected campgrounds, including Jasper Point, when you pay for two nights. Online reservations aren't offered here.

Prineville Reservoir State Park offers cabins, showers, and water/electrical hookups as well as tent sites. You can make a reservation online.

Sisters area

Bend Sisters Garden RV Resort is an urban type of campground just outside town featuring long pull-through RV sites, cabins, a swimming pool, wifi, mini golf and DVD rentals as well as a camp store.
Camp Sherman, along the Metolius River, offers 13 camp sites, no RV hookups or disposal. Camp sites can be reserved online.

Smiling River campground is near Camp Sherman and also located along the Metolius River. Its 35 sites can be reserved online. Both Camp Sherman and Smiling River are near the Camp Sherman Store for supplies.

Graham Corral is a horse camp about eight miles from Sisters, near Black Butte Ranch resort, with 13 camp sites arranged around four corrals

South Shore campground, on Suttle Lake, offers 38 sites, most of which have a view of the lake. Sites can be reserved online

Sunriver area

La Pine State Park, 27 miles southwest of Bend, offers rustic and deluxe cabins as well as full hookups and a meeting hall. Reservations are accepted online. Through Dec. 31, 2009, one deluxe and one rustic cabin are designated as pet-friendly. Up to two pets are accepted for an extra fee of $10 per night.
Madras area
The Cove Palisades State Park on the shores of Lake Billy Chinook offers boat moorage and a few deluxe cabins, showers, and a reservable group tent for up to 25 people as well as the usual tent sites and water/electrical hookups.
Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake is a popular side trip from Bend. The park has two campgrounds, Mazama and Lost Creek. Mazama has 200 sites and generally opens about mid-June; about half the sites can be reserved by calling 1-888-774-2728. Lost Creek has 16 sites (tents only) and usually opens about mid-July; no reservations.
The national park also has the Crater Lake Lodge hotel and the Mazama Motor Inn.
Looking for horse camps?
There are 15 horse camps in the Deschutes and Ochocos National Forests in Central Oregon. Most are small with few sites.
Certified weed-free hay is required for any horse camp or day ride in the national forests, as well as in Crooked River National Grasslands. In Deschutes County, it is available from several producers. Commercially processed feed such as pellets is also acceptable.
Reservations are required or recommended at the larger Whitefish, Sheep Springs, Quinn Meadow, and Chief Paulina camps.