Free camping near Gates, OR
Within 25 straight-line miles of Gates, OR there are 28 camps: 4 free, 18 fee, 6 unpriced. The closest is Fishermen'S Bend Recreation Area, 4.4 miles west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Willamette National Forest, 12 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 23 on the Forest Service; 5 on the BLM.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fishermen'S Bend Recreation Area | 4.4 | Unpriced | Bradshaw Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Mill City | — |
| Shady Cove | 8.5 | Fee | — | 8.5 mi to Gates | — |
| Quartzville Creek Wild And Scenic River | 12 | Unpriced | — | 12 mi to Gates | — |
| Willamette National ForestDave slept here | 12 | Free | French Creek (stream) | 1.9 mi to Detroit | — |
| Southshore | 12 | Fee | — | 2.3 mi to Detroit | — |
| Detroit State Park | 12 | Fee | — | 0.8 mi to Detroit | — |
| Piety Island | 13 | Fee | — | 0.9 mi to Detroit | — |
| Cove Creek | 13 | Fee | — | 1.5 mi to Detroit | — |
| Humbug | 14 | Fee | — | 1.1 mi to Detroit | — |
| Quartzville Back Country Byway | 14 | Unpriced | — | 11 mi to Cascadia | — |
| Hoover | 15 | Fee | — | 2.0 mi to Detroit | — |
| Elk Lake | 15 | Fee | — | 6.2 mi to Detroit | — |
| Santiam Flats | 15 | Fee | — | 1.8 mi to Idanha | — |
| Aquila Vista Recreation Site | 16 | Free | Pelkey Lake (water) | 5.9 mi to Wilhoit | — |
| Bagby Cg | 18 | Fee | — | 15 mi to Detroit | — |
| Fox Creek | 18 | Fee | — | 5.9 mi to Idanha | — |
| Cleator Bend | 21 | Fee | — | 6.7 mi to Idanha | — |
| Whispering Falls | 21 | Fee | — | 3.7 mi to Idanha | — |
| Breitenbush Campground | 21 | Unpriced | Minnie Boohoo Creek (stream) | 7.0 mi to Idanha | — |
| Molalla | 22 | Fee | — | 7.2 mi to Molalla | — |
| Kingfisher | 22 | Fee | — | 17 mi to Detroit | — |
| South Pyramid | 23 | Free | — | 15 mi to Idanha | — |
| Little Fan Creek Campground | 23 | Unpriced | Cat Creek (stream) | 6.8 mi to Ripplebrook | — |
| Round Lake | 24 | Free | Round Lake (water) | 13 mi to Idanha | — |
| Riverside | 25 | Fee | — | 7.9 mi to Idanha | — |
| Longbow Organizational Camp | 25 | Fee | — | 6.9 mi to Cascadia | — |
| Yukwah Campground | 25 | Unpriced | Falls Creek (stream) | 7.3 mi to Cascadia | — |
| Trout Creek Campground | 25 | Fee | — | 7.6 mi to Cascadia | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Gates, 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.