Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds and other campers. Dispersed camping is the term used for camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Dispersed camping means no toilets, no treated water, and no fire grates are provided. Typically, dispersed camping is NOT allowed in the vicinity of developed recreation areas such as campgrounds, picnic areas or trailheads. Many people drive out on Forest Service roads into the woods and find a clearing or a spot near a stream or with a view of the mountains. There are extra responsibilities and skills that are necessary for dispersed camping. It's your responsibility to know these before you try this new experience.
Developed Camping:
There are more than 125 developed campgrounds on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, ranging from small primitive campgrounds with a few campsites to large well developed campgrounds with more than a 100 campsites.
Types of Campsites:
Single Family (SF) campsite a single unit that will accommodate up to six people with one primary vehicle and up to one extra vehicle. There is a charge for the extra vehicle.
Multi Family (MF) campsites accommodate up to 12 people with two primary vehicles and up to 2 extra vehicles. There is a charge for the extra vehicles.
Group campsites can accommodate varying numbers of people and vehicles. Small group campsites accommodate twenty or fewer people. Campsite capacities are listed separately for each campground. The number of vehicles is limited by the parking space available for each campsite. The vehicle fee is included with the campsite fee.
