PNW Campouts... get out of that cubicle & have an adventure!!! Trip planning thread.

[Hojack]

I’ve got my Crater Lake property almost ready!

Crater Lake, Oregon vacation property build thread - BASE CAMP ⛺️

After a few years of looking at property it finally happened and closed today. An acre of land in the pine forested valley east of Crater Lake, Oregon. The bare acre lot was listed at $7,000. I took a trip down to actually look at a couple other lots. I decided since I drove almost 4 hours I...

forum.ih8mud.com

Water and septic. Ready for power!

 

[cheeese]

Water and septic. Ready for power!

Yeah you are almost at 'backcountry resort' out there! Amazing progress and looks like you'll have it totally sorted by high winter?

I was just looking for a spot for this weekend as close to Bend as I can to facilitate a bike ride Sunday with some friends, so I don't have to do the whole down and back from Portland same day as the ride.

 

[cheeese]

Got some beta from my riding buddy about a spot just west of Bend in the Deschutes NF. Few other folks were spread out along this dirt road, lots of options. No nearby water or services but also not far from town, and near a bike trail.

 

[smileyboy]

Very cool!

 

[818Toyotafan]

Howdy!

My son and I are taking the long way driving from So CA to Seattle to visit family. We are looking to spend a few days traveling north via a route that goes Klammath Falls - Crater Lake - Bend - Mt Hood. I found a few dirt/gravel roads that seem interesting. Does it seem reasonable to drive & camp in 2 segments:
- Klammath to Bend
- Bend to Mt Hood

Can anyone suggest any sights that you would consider interesting and campgrounds that are somewhat quiet. Bonus points for fishing spots.

Any help is much appreciated!

 

[Hojack]

Howdy!

My son and I are taking the long way driving from So CA to Seattle to visit family. We are looking to spend a few days traveling north via a route that goes Klammath Falls - Crater Lake - Bend - Mt Hood. I found a few dirt/gravel roads that seem interesting. Does it seem reasonable to drive & camp in 2 segments:
- Klammath to Bend
- Bend to Mt Hood

Can anyone suggest any sights that you would consider interesting and campgrounds that are somewhat quiet. Bonus points for fishing spots.

Any help is much appreciated!

Too many for me to list, but…
Klamath Falls to Bend
Crater Lake is amazing. Newberry Caldera is also awesome, Cascade Lakes Highway very scenic.
Bend to Mt. Hood
Crooked River State Park
Metolius River and Black Butte
Deschutes River
Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood

 

[BioD 60]

A couple of places that have water nearby, and might have fishing (not a fisherman myself, but they look promising?)...

-- Back in 2019, stayed at a beautiful, out of the way, but relatively-developed campground along the upper Deschutes River, southwest of Bend, outside LaPine... Bull Bend Campground. Really nice campground snugly placed on a very tight bend on the river, so water all around. Roads in are fairly decent, but place is well distant from the highways, so very quiet. Apparently good fishing according to USFS, link here... Deschutes NF - Bull Bend Campground ...and map here... Google Maps - Bull Bend This photo is from that trip, but doesn't show the water, which is just beyond the trees on the other side of Beastly (we were there only over night, passing through)...

-- Just stayed last week at a great primitive, dispersed campground at Round Lake, outside Sisters, Oregon, a bit north of Bend. It's a beautiful little lake right below Three-Fingered-Jack Mountain. Fun bit of road getting in there from Highway 20, on the southern leg of FR 1210, aka SW Round Lake Rd (I don't recommend the northern leg of 1210, as it is horribly washboarded). Surprisingly nearly no mosquitoes for this time of year, and an amazing sunrise on Three-Fingered-Jack. Was free to camp there, but all facilities there were not replaced after a 2003 fire came through, so no actual restrooms or water supply. Might recommend looking up some reviews online to see if it's to your liking, but I enjoyed it. Link here... Google Maps - Round Lake

Happy travels and welcome to Oregon!

 

[BioD 60]

Oh, and if you want a really adventurous camp spot, I also stayed here this past week, at a fun spot a fair bit west of Bend... Google Maps - Campsite No facilities of any kind, just a wide-spot in the road as "dispersed camping" along Deschutes NF Road 1526-200. (The USFS Pole Creek Trailhead is only about a mile away, though, with a vault-toilet). No water-body nearby either, but look at this view of the Three Sisters you get to wake up to...

Have fun exploring!

 

[818Toyotafan]

Looks great!

Trying to reserve a spot at Bull Bend and hopefully check out the other locations.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Looks great!

Trying to reserve a spot at Bull Bend and hopefully check out the other locations.

Another idea is to follow the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route (ORBDR) - Backcountry Discovery Routes

The Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route (ORBDR) will be the 12th route developed by the BDR organization for dual-sport and adventure motorcycle travel.

ridebdr.com

 

[Hojack]

Another idea is to follow the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route (ORBDR) - Backcountry Discovery Routes

The Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route (ORBDR) will be the 12th route developed by the BDR organization for dual-sport and adventure motorcycle travel.

ridebdr.com

Route 6

leonardk12@comcast.net

oohva.org

These routes would be great to plan for a trip together.

 

[BioD 60]

Another idea is to follow the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route

Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route (ORBDR) - Backcountry Discovery Routes

The Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route (ORBDR) will be the 12th route developed by the BDR organization for dual-sport and adventure motorcycle travel.

ridebdr.com

@CreeperSleeper and @Hojack ... These look great, though I couldn't find the map view that you included Hojack, as that shows a route, Cascades to Coast, along the lines of what I've been wanting to find... Route #6. EDIT: Never mind... I didn't see the small "oohva.org" link there, different website, and went right to the map... Thanks!

Second question about the routes on the BDR site... since this site seems aimed at adventure-motorcycles, are there any places on these routes that get too narrow for a svelte, little, HJ-60, like mine? ...Like most of us, I hate ("love") pin-stripes /s

 

[CreeperSleeper]

I know that all of the ORBDR routes are wide enough for a 60, however, Route 6 would probably be the narrowest due to the forest you will be in. You may be in for a little pin-stripes, but I don't think it would be bad. (Educated guess. I have never done that route.)