If you are planning camping southern Oregon, you must know the right place to spend your camping night. There are many places across southern Oregon, so you must decide the right place so that you can have a memorable time with your family, friends, or loved ones. Southern Oregon is a region of the North American continent that draws a lot of tourists from across the world, particularly those who are interested in adventure sports and photography.

By the end of this article, you will come to know the best places that you must consider for camping southern Oregon. These places are Crater Lake, Ox-Bow Regional Park, Cascadia State Park, Smith Rock State Park, Harris Beach State Park, Cape Lookout State Park, Dorena Lake, Cove Palisades State Park.

Cape Perpetua, Silver Falls State Park, Steens Mountain, Lake of The woods, Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint, Columbia River Gorge.

In this article, we will discuss each of these places.

Camping Southern Oregon: 17 Irresistible Places to See!

1. Crater Lake

It is a holy site for the native Indian Klamath tribe. This lake is known for its distinct shades of blue. There is a village known as Rim Village near the lake; you can visit the Village. If you are planning to see the lake and its different shades of Blue, be prepared to climb eight thousand feet.

There are also many other activities to do, such as going for a ride on Rim Drive. If you are interested in adventure sports, you can consider going for a hike on the Cleetwood Cove trail. If you want to swim in freshwater that flows through the Mountains, then you must visit Toketee falls.

There are two Islands in Crater lake known as Wizard Island and Phantom Island. If you are planning to visit these Islands, many boat tours are available for booking.

Pinnacles overlook hike; it is a beautiful place to be. You can watch a beautiful sunrise and sunset, as clouds pass on the mountains just like a fragile cloth. You can make a small picnic spot among these smooth rocks.

The Rogue River in Oregon is a beautiful valley where you can camp, fish, and kayak. There are also trails where you can go for a hike.

 If you are hiking the Mount Scott trail, you are going to reach the highest point on Crater Lake.

2. Garfield Peak

It has a trail that is about 5.5 kilometers. It takes around two to three hours on average to complete it. It is the second-highest peak in the park; as you start the hike, you come across breathtaking scenic views, with meadows and Wildflowers all along the way.

3. Vidae Falls

If you are visiting Pinnacles from Crater lake, you will be crossing Vidae falls. If you have time to spare, you must visit the Vidae waterfalls. This cool water flows from melting glaciers.

4. Joseph H Stewart State Park

There are many activities that you can do in this place. These activities include swimming, boating, and camping. You can also go hiking in these wilderness trails. Mill Creek waterfalls are not far away from this place. As you are Camping southern Oregon, there are also a few other places that you must consider. These places include The white horse falls, Discovery point, and Plaikni falls.

5. Oxbow Regional Park

It is not far away from Portland, located on the banks of Sandy River. It is a perfect place for camping Southern Oregon, as it provides a lot of activities for adventure sports. You can hike in these mountains; the rough sandy river becomes suitable for a kayak. If you are a nature lover, you can watch salmon fish and birds.

6. The Cascadia State Park

This Park is a place for camping Southern Oregon, where you can hike as there are a lot of trails all around the park. There are picnic tables available in the park. You can trek to Soda creek falls.

7. Smith Rock State Park

It is a perfect place for adventure sports where you can go for rock climbing and mountaineering. There is a crooked river flowing through the state park. If you are planning camping southern Oregon, this is one of the places you need to visit.

8. Harris Beach

It is a place where you can camp near the ocean. This place has lots of trails for a hike. There is a lot of wildlife too around this place; this is a place where you can find driftwood. You can consider camping at this place while camping southern Oregon.

9. Cape Lookout

 It is a place where you can camp near the ocean. This place offers many activities for recreation purposes. You can fish, go for hikes and whale watch. You can also visit the lighthouse and old historical buildings. As it has a beach, you can do other activities such as collecting seashells and sand building to have a memorable time with your family, as you are camping Southern Oregon.

10. Dorena Lake

It is a reservoir. It is a place for a lot of recreational activities such as hiking, swimming, boating, and wild berry picking. You can also fish in these waters. It is one of the most sorted places by tourists to enjoy, when they are camping Southern Oregon.

11. The Cove Palisades State Park

It is a perfect place for camping. Apart from camping, you can also do other activities such as trekking to keep yourself busy. There is a Canyon, which you can see. Houseboats are also available for rentals. There are a variety of rock formations that you can witness.

12. Cape Perpetua

It is on Oregon’s rocky central coast. If you take the trail of restless waters, you will reach Cape cove. From this place, you can view the pacific ocean. This place has twenty-six different hiking trails that are interconnected. On the way to the Observation point, there is a parking lot with the restrooms and a picnic area. Towards the south, there is a main visitor’s center.

It has a parking area and picnic area. In the visitor’s center, there is a small gift shop and large windows for observing the ocean. If you are lucky, you can watch the Whales during their migrating season. During summers, they have various treks and guided programs. These beaches have rough rock material that produces water sprays during high tide. There are two popular water sprays known as Thor’s Well and Spouting Horn.

Thor’s Well is a hole in the rock that is about five feet across, in which ocean waves flood in and out; it is best to observe during the high tide. Spouting Horn produces water sprays as the ocean waves crash into the narrow rock walls. If you want to Observe water sprays, they are maximum during the stormy winters. You must camp at this place if you are camping southern Oregon.

13. Silver Falls State Park

It is an hour from Portland; this is a perfect place to visit for a day trip. There is a famous trail which is around eight miles, in the state park known as the trail of ten waterfalls. Each waterfall is distinct in its way; you come across a lot of natural life and vegetation all along the way. This trail takes you to the ten waterfalls.

Some of them are South Falls, Lower South Falls, and Middle North Falls. The best part about this park is, you get to walk behind some of these waterfalls. The best time to visit the Silver falls state park is in early spring. You must camp at this place if you are camping southern Oregon.

14. Steens Mountain

It is a place that draws in a lot of adventure tourists from across the world throughout the year. It has many places to visit, such as Wildhorse Canyon, Kiger Gorge, Big Indian Gorge, and the Little Blitzen Gorge. This area has its distinct wildlife. There are a lot of recreational activities to do based on the season.

In summers you can do Camping, Fishing, Sightseeing, and Photography. In winters, though there is limited access, you can go skiing and Snowshoeing. There is an Alvord desert near Steens Mountain, which you can visit and explore.

15. Lake of The Woods

It is a place where families and friends go and camp. This place has many recreational activities, such as Kayaking, water ski, and fishing. They also offer cabin rentals and water sport rentals.

16. Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint in Bandon

It is a rugged coastline with a rare combination of the sea and hills. There is an American Indian legend about the Face rock. If you are interested to know the story, try to find it out. The four main characters of the story are an Indian Princess, a Dog, and a Monster. The beaches of Face Rock Scenic Viewpoint are known for their beautiful golden sunsets.

17. Columbia River Gorge

It is a three-hour drive from Seattle. Adventure enthusiasts generally go for a day trip. There are many things to do around the Columbia River Gorge. You can go to Latourell Falls. There is a small trail that leads you behind the waterfall. If you want to grab some food, Sugar pine drive-in is a perfect place.

There are many waterfalls around the Columbian River Gorge; Multnomah Falls is one of the famous waterfalls with a lot of vegetation around it. It is one of the places that you need to visit as you are camping southern Oregon.

Apart from these Camping areas, there are many other breathtaking places that you need to visit. Some of them are Big Lake, Crescent Lake, Clear Lake, Lost Lake, Newberry National Volcanic Monument, and Williamette Valley. You have to visit these places as you are Camping Southern Oregon.

If you are planning to go for Camping Southern Oregon, Click here.

Last Updated on September 8, 2023 by Arsh Das