Boondocking? Tell me where

durb, if the big 5er pictured in your personal profile is still your RV, you can find some room for a big rig east of the Cascade crest. For example, there are big spots available near the north entrance to Crater Lake. Also east of Mt. Hood.

Try downloading the motor vehicle use maps for each national forest near you. Then, using your tow vehicle, scout out the likely areas. Good luck!

My limited knowledge says that there isn't much near Portland or the Coast. Last time I camped on BLM land was near Steens Mountain which was nice but took all day to get there. I will follow this post to see what else is available.

Thanks 2Oldman. I'm aware of Salmon River Road, I'll take the SUV up there and do some exploring. I was on Highway 20 within the last few weeks as 22 was closed. The area was indeed beautiful and I saw a number of campgrounds. I guess I might have to take a chance and pull the fifth wheel into some of them and risk having to back out. I have seen many snow parks but not what I would call peace, quiet and solitude.

West of Medford: From the town of Applegate, follow the road all the way south along the west side of the reservoir. At the south end, continue until a T-junction, then turn right (west). Ooodles of WONDERFUL campsites along the Applegate River, and you will be ALONE.

Northwest of Grant's Pass/West of Merlin: Several ideas here. Take Wolf Creek exit off I-5 and take the back road to Galice. Take Taylor Creek Road from Galice to Hwy 199 (eventually). Both routes are BLM lands: twenty+ miles of peaceful creekside, with excellent boondocking campsites.


I guess if a post is too long, or perhaps pasted, you get this strange verification stuff that doesn't work.

Here's something I saved from years ago:

If you travel eastward into the Cascades from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, you enter boondocking nirvana. There are several highways that crest the passes, and they all follow rivers. The developed campsites along the rivers are absolutely beautiful, and Oregon state parks are cheap, but if you want to find a gorgeous river/streamside camping spot and you don't need a developed campsite, it's VERRRRY easy to find something nice. I've been noticing this more and more--people just find a place to pull off the road, and set up shop. Frequently they congregate in little informal groups, set up a campfire circle, put up a sat dish, hang out while the kids innertube in the river---good times!

You have to know the backroads a bit, but the best thing to do is EXPLORE---get a map and be prepared to be amazed. There are so many wonderful rivers and streams in the forest, with great places to camp. As far as I know, Mt. Hood Nat'l Forest is the only one of the Oregon forests that doesn't allow "dispersed camping" everywhere--but I've sure as heck seen a lot of it being done there. Here are some specific suggestions:

Mt. Hood area: Salmon River Road, several miles to the road's end. Go east from Welches. Wonderful hiking trail along the river, several established campsites as well as lOTS of booncocking spots. Gorgeous area. Services nearby in Welches. You may never leave.

East of Albany: Take Quartzville Road (BLM Scenic Byway) from Lebanon. The road follows the north shore of Foster Lake and then winds along Quartzville Creek. Great swimming holes!! All BLM-legal dispersed camping, and the road follows the creek for about twenty miles before it continues up into to mountains (great drive BTW), so you can easily find your very own spot.

Continued.. because of some new WEIRD verification page I keep getting stopped at

What kind of RV are you in?

Huge difference between a truck camper and a 40ft 5th wheel finding a spot. You can find spots for big RVs but they will be fewer in number. A small truck camper on the other hand can tuck in between a couple of trees just off a forest road.

There are tons of places throughout Oregon for dispersion camping.
Lakes, rivers, ocean beaches (not many, but some), deserts, forests. You name it, sooooo many places.
- Check with the managing agency (usually Forest Service or BLM).
- Websites like Ultimate Campgrounds, Allstays, FreeCampsites, etc., etc. list places.
- Blog sites from fellow travelers/campers.
- Use Google Earth to scout out possibilities.
- Drive around an area first with just your truck.
- In Oregon, overnight stays at Snowparks are allowed.....most of which will hold any size vehicle (don't forget the snowpark permit though in the winter months).
- OHV riding areas....especially mid-week.
Enjoy the search.