Bay Area, CA to Bend, OR (1 Viewer)

[SIZZLE]

Me and my family are attending a wedding in Bend, OR on June 27th and taking the week before to camp and explore the area.

We are coming from the Bay Area in CA and heading up the 97. We will want to camp around half way the first night (like around Klamath Falls area), then spend a couple nights camping around Bend or in the Deschutes NF. We are renting a house in Bend for few days before the wedding, but will want to make some day trips and check out the area. And of course I'm gonna want to do some wheeling!

Can anyone suggest some cool places to camp and areas to check out? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[VtaTom]

I've camped at Diamond Lake in the winter (off season). It's just north of Crater Lake. Best camping bathroom and showers ever. There's a lodge and campground.
In the Illinois River Valley there's some fun at Oregon Caves. You can stay in an old cool lodge at the caves. There was a private campground on the road in. Stayed there a long time ago but it was for sale so who knows now. Another cool place was Out N About Treesort. Near Cave Junction. It's like a bed and breakfast but everyone's in tree houses or yurts. They serve up a buffet in the main house. They have a really cool zip line course through the trees.
If you come up coast you go through Cave Junction just before you pick up the 5. It's just west of Ashland.
Mostly familiar with that area because we had family in Grants Pass. Never stopped in Klamath but there's probably some camping there. Medford has everything. Airport etc.

Hope that helps.

 

[SIZZLE]

For the drive up, it looks like north of Weed on Hwy 97 there is a campsite called Juanita Lake, which would be perfectly located for distance the first day. So right now the plan is stay there the first night, then travel up to the Cascade Lakes Hwy the next day and camp in the area for two nights on the way to Bend.

There are a few campsites to the west of the Cascade Lakes Hwy that are about half way up to Mt. Bachelor: Cultus Lake, Little Cultus Lake, then further in there's Taylor lake. Or it looks like we could take some dirt roads to get over to a couple campsites on the north end of Waldo Lake. Anyone have any opinions on any of those sites or trails in the area? There's also a few campgrounds on the east side of the highway on the north side of the Wikiup Reservoir. Any opinions on those sites or others in that area would be appreciated!

We'd either pack up the next day and make camp the next night further north around Mt. Bachelor, or just hang out and explore the area and then check out the north part of the Cascade Lakes Hwy on the last day while heading into Bend. Around Bachelor, it looks like most car camping sites are right off the road and I prefer to camp away from the road if possible.

We'd like to check out the Newberry Volcanic Monument at some point too. Is that a good day trip to take while we are staying in Bend?

Thanks in advance for anyone's help!

 

[landcrshr]

How was the trip?

Did you find some cool things to see?