Bend is a small city in central Oregon that offers beautiful landscapes and trails. One thing that attracts many tourists to Bend is the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Whether you live in or around Bend and want to get away or you’re traveling to Bend, everyone needs a place to lay their head. Here are a few places for you to camp when visiting the Bend area!
Tumalo State Park has creeks that create beautiful waterfalls.
This campground is right on the Little Deschutes River, so it has lots of water activities for campers to participate in! One of the main things people like to do in the river is go fishing, and the Little Deschutes River has whitefish, salmon, and rainbow trout! Bend-Sunriver has a lot of recreational courts for guests to use. Campers can get back in touch with nature and go for a hike along one of the nature trails.
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This RV resort has planned activities for families to participate in during their stay. There are also pickleball and tennis courts, and they have horseshoes as well! Guests can stay in a cabin or their RV. It’s pet friendly, and it offers wifi and cable tv for everyone! There is a laundry facility; however, campers will have to pay extra to use it. Campers also have access to a fitness center, so you don’t miss a day of working out on your trip!
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This family-owned RV park has over 60 RV camping spots with full hookups. Most sites are back in, but the park offers 14 pull-through sites! Guests have access to wifi and 70 cable channels. Campers have access to laundry facilities and a recreation hall. They are pet-friendly and fill up fast during the summer, so make sure to make your reservations in advance!
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This campground is surrounded by the Tumalo State Park, so campers have access to everything the park has to offer! There is a day-use area along the shore of the Deschutes River that has picnic tables and a wading area. Campers can go fishing and hope to catch some rainbow trout, or they can take a hike through the trails and hope to spot some wildlife! The park has miles of trails for guests to hike or mountain bike on!
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Inside the Deschutes National Forest, this campground has 44 campsites of various ways to camp. Most of them are accessible to RVs; however, they don’t have full hookups. Five of the campsites are tent-only. This campground has two boat ramps, but only non-motorized boats are permitted. The campsites cannot be reserved, so it’s first come first serve. None of the campsites are ADA accessible. Staying at this national park will reconnect you with nature.
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This campground sits on Three Creek Lake, which is perfect for canoers. It has a primitive boat ramp specifically for canoes! All campsites are on the lake, so it has a serene setting. Hiking is available during the day, and campers can go fishing in the lake for brook or wild rainbow trout! No motors are allowed on the lake to keep the area peaceful for campers. There are only 18 sites, so act fast!
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Sunsets on the landscape surrounding Bend can be breathtaking.
This campground has 10 tent-only, hike-in sites that are designated for easy access. The trails surrounding the area only permit foot or horse traffic, so it stays very quiet and peaceful. There are outdoor activities like hiking and fishing! No motorized boats are allowed in the lake to keep the area serene. These campsites are not ADA accessible. This campground offers one vault toilet. This campground is perfect for those who want to rough it!
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This campground is near Sparks Lake, and it’s in the Deschutes National Forest. The campsites are smaller, so they work best for smaller vehicles or tent camping. Most sites have breath-taking views of South Sister Mountain! While going for a hike, guests can view all the wildlife the forest has to offer! This campground is good for families with little kids because there are few dangerous things around this campsite. Soda Creek is very shallow and makes an interesting wetland to explore!
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This campground has multiple loops on the shore of the Crane Prairie Reservoir, and it has campsites on the water or a few minute walk from. It has drinking water and vault toilets. Campers can put their motorized or non-motorized boats into the reservoir with the boat ramp. If you catch a fish, this campground has a fish cleaning station for you to rinse the fish off in! The types of fish you can catch here are rainbow and brook trout, mountain whitefish, kokanee salmon, largemouth bass, black crappie, and bluegill!
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This RV resort has almost 100 full-hookup RV sites and a handful of cabins to rent! There are multiple restrooms and showers scattered throughout the campgrounds, as well as a pool, playground, and miniature golf course located near the main office. There’s a lake right in the middle of the campground for guests to enjoy; however, guests are not allowed to swim in the lake. Campers are allowed to bring their pets as long as they are kept on a leash and cleaned up after.
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This campground is designed for groups of campers who want to spend time on the Deschutes River. While motorized boating is not permitted, the best way to catch fish on the river is boat fishing or drift fishing. This portion of the river is perfect for those who love to canoe, kayak, or tube. There are 13 campsites total: 10 single sites and 3 group sites. The group campsites are perfect for family reunions or overnighters for scout groups!
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The best RV sites in the Deschutes National Forest are found here. Many people use this campground as a stopping point when hiking between Broken Top Mountain and Three Sisters Mountain. There are 20 campsites here. 11 of them are “no horse” sites, while the other 9 are horse sites. Be careful of the water at the horse sites because the water is for the horses. This campground also has three yurts that are available all year long.
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Rock climbing is very popular on Smith Rock.
This park is located on the Deschutes River, and the Deschutes River Trail runs the length of the park. Farewell Bend is popular for launching float boats, and it is a great spot for viewing the birds and wildlife the area has. This campground is popular among families due to its playground in the center of the park. There is a small beach at the north end of the park for relaxing or playing in the water!
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The high lake country of the Deschutes National Forest has a large number of activities for everyone! Guests can spend time in the water and go boating, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, or swimming. Or, campers can roam through the woods by hiking or mountain biking. Many campers like to go bird watching and see what birds they can find! Tent and RV campsites are available. There are bathrooms here, but there aren’t any showers.
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The campgrounds in Smith Rock State Park offer many amenities and activities! After pitching your tent, head down to the river and fish for a while. When going through the hiking trails, make sure to keep an eye out for prairie falcons, mule deer, and river otters! Smith Rock is extremely popular to those who love to go rock climbing, and the park has thousands of places to climb! However, some climb spots are closed to protect the habitats of nesting raptors.
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Mt. Bachelor is most well-known for its great skiing and snowboarding slopes in the winter. The campground has 50 campsites: 20 electric and 30 non-electric. In the summer, the snow melts, and the trails can be hiked and biked! This campground is pet-friendly, but pets must be kept on a leash. While there is no tent camping, it can be understandable why because of the dangers the mountain brings. Pay showers are available in a building near Todd Lake.
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This campground is located on Elk Lake in the Deschutes National Forest, and it has several varieties of campsites! One of the most popular activities here is to go horseback riding or hiking on the Elks-Devils Trail. The campground has picnic tables and fire pits that are available to all guests! This campground also has drinking water, as well as a vault toilet.
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The Crooked River Campground has 91 electrical hookup sites that have water, and it has flush toilets with hot showers! There is a swim beach on Crooked River, but be careful because there is no lifeguard. One of the most popular activities on Crooked River is paddling down the 30 miles of flat water. Don’t forget to go fishing for trout!
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The campground sits at the top of a ponderosa pine forest at an elevation of almost 5,000 feet! Activities around this campground are hiking, biking, and hunting. There are four vault toilets and picnic tables available to all guests. The closest town to this campground is Prineville, so it’s the perfect getaway for those who live in the city!
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This campground is one of the most popular around the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. It sits on the shore of Paulina Lake, and it has lots of opportunities for bird watching, biking, and sightseeing! It has very easy access to a boat launch and 68 campsites. There is a dump station near the entrance, and there are four flush toilets!
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Tumalo State Park Campground offers the best camping with the most to do. Campers have the option of staying in a tent, RV, or yurt. Guests can go hiking, biking, fishing or swimming! While this campground is open all year long, the flush toilets do close in the winter. You’ll be inside a state park, so there are so many things to do and see!
Bonus tip: Check out this video to find fun things to do in Bend!
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