Free camping near Detroit, OR
Within 25 straight-line miles of Detroit, OR there are 47 camps: 8 free, 31 fee, 8 unpriced. The closest is Detroit State Park, 0.8 miles west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Willamette National Forest, 2.0 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 43 on the Forest Service; 4 on the BLM.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit State Park | 0.8 | Fee | — | 0.8 mi to Detroit | — |
| Piety Island | 0.9 | Fee | — | 0.9 mi to Detroit | — |
| Humbug | 1.1 | Fee | — | 1.1 mi to Detroit | — |
| Cove Creek | 1.5 | Fee | — | 1.5 mi to Detroit | — |
| Hoover | 2.0 | Fee | — | 2.0 mi to Detroit | — |
| Willamette National ForestDave slept here | 2.0 | Free | French Creek (stream) | 1.9 mi to Detroit | — |
| Southshore | 2.3 | Fee | — | 2.3 mi to Detroit | — |
| Santiam Flats | 2.3 | Fee | — | 1.8 mi to Idanha | — |
| Fox Creek | 6.1 | Fee | — | 5.9 mi to Idanha | — |
| Elk Lake | 6.2 | Fee | — | 6.2 mi to Detroit | — |
| Whispering Falls | 7.7 | Fee | — | 3.7 mi to Idanha | — |
| Cleator Bend | 8.1 | Fee | — | 6.7 mi to Idanha | — |
| Breitenbush Campground | 8.5 | Unpriced | Minnie Boohoo Creek (stream) | 7.0 mi to Idanha | — |
| Shady Cove | 11 | Fee | — | 8.5 mi to Gates | — |
| Riverside | 12 | Fee | — | 7.9 mi to Idanha | — |
| Marion Forks | 13 | Fee | — | 9.3 mi to Idanha | — |
| Round Lake | 13 | Free | Round Lake (water) | 13 mi to Idanha | — |
| Bagby Cg | 15 | Fee | — | 15 mi to Detroit | — |
| Quartzville Creek Wild And Scenic River | 16 | Unpriced | — | 12 mi to Gates | — |
| South Pyramid | 17 | Free | — | 15 mi to Idanha | — |
| Kingfisher | 17 | Fee | — | 17 mi to Detroit | — |
| Fishermen'S Bend Recreation Area | 18 | Unpriced | Bradshaw Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Mill City | — |
| Little Fan Creek Campground | 18 | Unpriced | Cat Creek (stream) | 6.8 mi to Ripplebrook | — |
| Breitenbush Lake | 18 | Free | Breitenbush Lake (water) | 15 mi to Idanha | — |
| Horseshoe Lake (Olallie) | 18 | Free | — | 16 mi to Idanha | — |
| Camp Ten (Olallie) | 18 | Fee | — | 16 mi to Idanha | — |
| Lower Lake (Olallie) | 19 | Free | Lower Lake (water) | 16 mi to Idanha | — |
| Peninsula (Olallie) | 19 | Fee | — | 16 mi to Idanha | — |
| Big Pool | 19 | Fee | — | 15 mi to Idanha | — |
| Paul Dennis (Olallie) | 19 | Fee | — | 16 mi to Idanha | — |
| Quartzville Back Country Byway | 19 | Unpriced | — | 11 mi to Cascadia | — |
| Triangle Lake | 20 | Fee | — | 18 mi to Idanha | — |
| Olallie Meadow | 21 | Fee | — | — | — |
| Raab | 21 | Fee | — | — | — |
| Riverford | 21 | Fee | — | — | — |
| Riverside | 22 | Fee | — | — | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — Linn County, OR | 22 | Free | Santiam Lake (water) | 12 mi to Camp Sherman | — |
| Lost Prairie Group Campground | 23 | Unpriced | Hackleman Creek (stream) | 16 mi to McKenzie Bridge | — |
| Lost Prairie | 23 | Fee | — | — | — |
| Fernview | 24 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Cascadia | — |
| House Rock Campground | 24 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Cascadia | — |
| Lost Lake Campground | 24 | Unpriced | Lost Lake Creek (stream) | 13 mi to Camp Sherman | — |
| Lost Lake | 24 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Black Butte Ranch | — |
| Aquila Vista Recreation Site | 24 | Free | Pelkey Lake (water) | 5.9 mi to Wilhoit | — |
| Sevenmile | 24 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Cascadia | — |
| Ripplebrook | 25 | Fee | — | 17 mi to Mount Hood Villages | — |
| Yukwah Campground | 25 | Unpriced | Falls Creek (stream) | 7.3 mi to Cascadia | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Detroit, OR, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.