★ Field-verified · Dave's ownUSFS · dispersedFree
Deschutes National Forest
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · Deschutes County, OR · 44.03866, -121.41938
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on U.S. Forest Service land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
This is a seasonal spot well-suited for boondocking only five short miles from downtown Bend, Oregon. Located in Deschutes National Forest, this dirt road is lined with primitive campsites and fire rings in a wooded setting. Surrounded by recreational trails for mountain biking and hiking. Enough room for one or two vehicles. Closed in the winter, crowded in the summer. Great cell service. Nice setting, but not a destination. Recommended due to proximity to town.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 4,139 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- WWater3 mi
- +Urgent care3 mi
- GGrocery3 mi
- OOutfitter4 mi
- FFuel4 mi
- RxPharmacy4 mi
- @Mail4 mi
- HHardware4 mi
- PPropane5 mi
- LLaundry5 mi
- MMechanic5 mi
- AAir-up5 mi
- ShShower8 mi
- DDump25 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is basically at camp, fuel & food sit about 3 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
U.S. Forest Service · dispersed
Elevation
4,139 ft
County
Deschutes County, OR
Coordinates
44.03866, -121.41938
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureTumalo Creek (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townDeschutes River Woods · ~4.5 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~2.9 mi
- FuelPacific Pride · ~5.3 mi
- Propane / LPGTumalo Country Store · ~8.8 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~24.6 mi
- GroceriesSebastian’s Seafood and Specialty Market · ~3.4 mi
- PharmacySafeway · ~4.5 mi
- Hospital / clinicCentral Oregon Aesthetics · ~3.3 mi
- HardwareHarbor Freight Tools · ~5.3 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletPhil'S · ~1.8 mi E · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletCascade Lakes Welcome Station · ~2.9 mi S · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletMeadow · ~3.2 mi SE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletLava Island · ~3.7 mi S · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Deschutes National Forest~0.2 mi
- Deshutes National Forest~0.5 mi
- BLM public land~11.6 mi
- Black Pine Dispersed Camping Area~14.6 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Deschutes County, OR). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →What “dispersed” means here →Stay limits →Gear & rig loadout →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →