National forests with campgrounds open year-round in Oregon
This story originally appeared on Outwander and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
National forests with campgrounds open year-round in Oregon
As winter settles in, camping opportunities become more limited in most parts of the United States. However, for much of the South—as well as RVers and ambitious cold-weather enthusiasts—camping season never ends. Throughout national forests across the U.S., year-round camping options are abundant, offering many amenities and accessibility options.
Outwander used Forest Service data from the Department of Agriculture to identify Oregon campgrounds in national forests available throughout the year, based on a national analysis. We looked at the number and names of available year-round campgrounds for each.
National parks, from Yellowstone and Grand Canyon to Acadia and Valley Forge, focus largely on preserving natural and historic resources. National forests, meanwhile, are managed for everything from recreation and resource preservation to grazing and wildlife.
With the overcrowding (especially in recent years) of visitors to national parks, national forests can offer a welcome respite for travelers seeking peace and solitude. Visitors should always check forest and campground websites before traveling in case of weather advisories or temporary closures.
Several national forests feature just one or two year-round campgrounds, while Idaho's Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest boasts 40. Depending on the adventure you're pursuing—whether snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or avoiding the white stuff altogether and opting for a trip south for warm-weather hiking—these campgrounds provide a range of settings to serve as home base during every kind of outdoor escape.
Keep reading to discover which national forests have year-round campgrounds in Oregon.
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
- Number of year-round campgrounds: 2
- Campground names:
--- Harr Point Campground
--- Acorn Woman Lakes Campground
Wallowa Whitman National Forest
- Number of year-round campgrounds: 1
- Campground names:
--- Pittsburg Campground
Deschutes National Forest
- Number of year-round campgrounds: 4
- Campground names:
--- Allen Springs Campground
--- Camp Sherman Campground
--- Lower Bridge Campground
--- Pine Rest Campground
Willamette National Forest
- Number of year-round campgrounds: 8
- Campground names:
--- Elk Lake Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Marion Forks Campground and Day Use Area (Weather dependent)
--- Big Meadows Horse Camp (Weather dependent)
--- Cougar Crossing Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Lakes End Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Lookout Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Box Canyon Horse Camp (Access road not maintained in winter)
--- South Pyramid Horse Camp
Umpqua National Forest
- Number of year-round campgrounds: 9
- Campground names:
--- Ash Flat Campground
--- Mineral Camp Campground
--- Diamond Lake Resort
--- Toketee Campground
--- Boulder Flat Campground
--- Island Campground
--- Steamboat Falls Campground
--- South Umpqua Falls Campground
--- Threehorn Campground
Siuslaw National Forest
- Number of year-round campgrounds: 26
- Campground names:
--- Alder Dune Campground
--- Baker Beach Campground
--- Big Elk Campground
--- Blackberry Campground
--- Dry Lake Horse Camp
--- Horse Creek Campground
--- Sutton Campground (Partial seasonal closure)
--- Tillicum Beach Campground
--- Spinreel Sand Camping
--- South Jetty Sand Camping
--- Driftwood II Campground
--- Siltcoos Sand Camping
--- Lagoon Campground
--- Tahkenitch Landing Campground
--- Eel Creek Campground
--- Umpqua Sand Camping
--- Hauser Sand Camping
--- Horsfall Beach Campground
--- Horsfall Campground
--- Horsfall Sand Camping
--- Spinreel Campground
--- Castle Rock Group Campground
--- Rocky Bend Group Campground
--- East Dunes Campground
--- Sandbeach Campground
--- West Winds Campground
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten, writing by Nicole Caldwell, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 28 states.