Free camping near Mitchell, OR
Within 25 straight-line miles of Mitchell, OR there are 60 camps: 54 free, 5 fee, 1 unpriced. The closest is Sutton Mountain Back Country Byway , 0.4 miles south-west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Sutton Mountain Back Country Byway , 0.4 miles out.
Who manages them: 44 on the BLM; 16 on the Forest Service.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton Mountain Back Country Byway | 0.4 | Free | — | 0.4 mi to Mitchell | — |
| Scotts Camp | 10 | Free | Badger Creek (stream) | 9.8 mi to Mitchell | — |
| Sutton Mountain And Pat'S Cabin Wilderness Study Areas | 11 | Free | — | 11 mi to Mitchell | — |
| Wildwood | 11 | Free | Camp Creek (stream) | 11 mi to Mitchell | — |
| Allen Creek Horse Camp | 12 | Free | — | 12 mi to Mitchell | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #20 — Wheeler County, OR | 12 | Free | Tap Horn Canyon (stream) | 3.3 mi to Twickenham | — |
| Ochoco Divide | 13 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Mitchell | — |
| Barnhouse | 13 | Free | Fort Creek (stream) | 12 mi to Mitchell | — |
| Grassy Camp | 13 | Free | John Day River (river) | 4.6 mi to Twickenham | — |
| Priest Hole BLM Recreation Site | 13 | Free | Shaw Canyon (stream) | 4.9 mi to Twickenham | — |
| Homestead Site | 13 | Free | John Day River (river) | 4.4 mi to Twickenham | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #19 — Wheeler County, OR | 13 | Free | John Day River (river) | 3.2 mi to Twickenham | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #17 — Wheeler County, OR | 13 | Free | John Day River (river) | 3.8 mi to Twickenham | — |
| Homestead Rapid | 13 | Free | John Day River (river) | 4.0 mi to Twickenham | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #15 — Wheeler County, OR | 13 | Free | Shaw Canyon (stream) | 5.0 mi to Twickenham | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #18 — Wheeler County, OR | 13 | Free | John Day River (river) | 3.7 mi to Twickenham | — |
| Liberty Bottom | 13 | Free | John Day River (river) | 3.5 mi to Twickenham | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #14 — Wheeler County, OR | 13 | Free | Shaw Canyon (stream) | 5.4 mi to Twickenham | — |
| Cattle Beds | 13 | Free | John Day River (river) | 3.8 mi to Twickenham | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #13 — Wheeler County, OR | 13 | Free | Coyote Canyon (stream) | 6.1 mi to Twickenham | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #16 — Wheeler County, OR | 13 | Free | Shaw Canyon (stream) | 5.3 mi to Twickenham | — |
| Walton Lake | 13 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Mitchell | — |
| Across From Cut Juniper | 14 | Free | Rowe Williams Canyon (stream) | 4.6 mi to Richmond | — |
| Below Cut Juniper | 14 | Free | Rowe Williams Canyon (stream) | 4.8 mi to Richmond | — |
| Fence Crew Camp | 14 | Free | Rowe Williams Canyon (stream) | 4.9 mi to Richmond | — |
| Below Island | 15 | Free | Rowe Williams Canyon (stream) | 4.2 mi to Richmond | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #12 — Wheeler County, OR | 15 | Free | — | — | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #11 — Wheeler County, OR | 15 | Free | Dugout Canyon (stream) | 7.7 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #10 — Wheeler County, OR | 16 | Free | Dugout Canyon (stream) | 7.4 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #21 — Wheeler County, OR | 16 | Free | John Day River (river) | 4.4 mi to Richmond | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #9 — Wheeler County, OR | 16 | Free | Dugout Canyon (stream) | 7.4 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #7 — Wheeler County, OR | 17 | Free | Juniper Canyon (stream) | 7.1 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| Service Creek | 17 | Free | Service Creek (stream) | 4.4 mi to Richmond | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #8 — Wheeler County, OR | 17 | Free | Juniper Canyon (stream) | 7.1 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| Whistler | 17 | Free | Rail Creek (stream) | 15 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| Cherry Creek | 17 | Free | Juniper Canyon (stream) | 6.8 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| Deep Creek | 17 | Fee | — | 17 mi to Mitchell | — |
| Ochoco Forest Camp | 18 | Fee | Coyle Creek (stream) | 17 mi to Post | — |
| Big Spring | 18 | Free | Big Spring Creek (stream) | 14 mi to Paulina | — |
| Bingham Spring | 19 | Free | Desolation Canyon (stream) | 14 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| BLM dispersed camp — Jefferson County, OR | 19 | Free | John Day River (river) | 8.0 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| Cottonwood | 19 | Free | — | 17 mi to Dayville | — |
| Wagner Ranch | 20 | Free | John Day River (river) | 7.7 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #5 — Wheeler County, OR | 20 | Free | John Day River (river) | 8.2 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| Wagner Ranch | 20 | Free | John Day River (river) | 7.9 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #6 — Wheeler County, OR | 20 | Free | John Day River (river) | 8.0 mi to Horseheaven | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #4 — Wheeler County, OR | 20 | Free | John Day River (river) | 8.5 mi to Clarno | — |
| Cottonwood Pit Campground | 20 | Unpriced | Little Summit Creek (stream) | 13 mi to Three Forks | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #2 — Jefferson County, OR | 20 | Free | John Day River (river) | 8.4 mi to Clarno | — |
| Large Camp | 20 | Free | John Day River (river) | 8.4 mi to Clarno | — |
The other 10 inside the circle are on the live map — open it centred on Mitchell, OR.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Mitchell, 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.