Camping on forest service land near John Day (Dayville: live, restaurant)

[Transmition]

I understand that you can camp on forest service land for free in Oregon. I've done a bit of this kind of camping in Washington, so I know a few good spots here after much driving to find somewhere I could park my car and not walk too far to a clearing, but I have no idea about Oregon. My plans are to do the John Day fossil sites - is it easy to find good places to camp on forest service land nearby?

[Larry Caldwell]

During fire season, camping is only allowed in designated camp sites, and open fires may not be allowed. Both the USFS and the BLM maintain improved and unimproved camps. You can get a map of campsites from their web pages or from local offices. After the rains start, nobody much cares where you camp as long as you are neat about it.

[Transmition]

All the literature I have only states the campfires are banned during the season, not camping itself. All of the reservation campsites seem to be booked full for the time I will be there, so I'm relying on finding somewhere to do dispersed camping.

[crazyme4878]

I would call the district office and ask. Most forests allow dispersed camping with leave-no-trace ethics. The distances from a road or campground can vary from forest to forest, even within a forest due to high use areas and such. Plus, if you get someone from the recreation staff, they may be able to tell you the best places to go (and places to avoid).

Looks like you might want to try the Ochoco NF, too.

[Larry Caldwell]

The BLM manages much more land than the USFS. The fossil beds are a national monument, and your best bet would be a BLM campground in the area.

John Day Wild and Scenic River Details Oregon/Washington BLM

[leastprime]

Not that many trees. Except in the valleys. This is high desert on volcanic ash.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Are you sure where you want to camp is actually forest service land?

There are rules about dry camping in non-camp sites. How many feet off the road, that sort of thing. I've seen the rules but don't remember them, but they should not be that hard to find.

In Oregon, you need a parking permit to park your car in the national forest. Available in all sporting good stores, BiMart, and Walmart at the sporting goods counter.

[Oregonized]

We live on the John Day River, and there is great camping here. You'd be near ochoco, and can camp for free but the campgrounds are cheap $7/night) so we use them for the amenities. Also, I saw a mountain lion in Ochoco while driving through...another reason I'm a fan of campgrounds & neighbors.

We live (and work) in the Malheur. It's a gorgeous forest to explore and very close. There are millions of trees, streams, mountains and views.

If you disperse camp, there are nice facilities in the Ochoco and Dayville for cleaning up. Dayville has a good restaurant with great pie and a small store with some groceries.

The fossil beds are gorgeous and worth a trip.

https://www.nps.gov/joda/planyourvis...gional-Map.pdf
Map of nearby forests and campsites (you've probably already seen this!)