roadtripper2926411

While this is not a free campground, it's pretty close to being so at $4 a night with the Golden Age Pass, and $8 a night for all of the young people.

This BLM campground is located on the Crooked River, about 15 miles south of Prineville, and has 13 designated sites, and some would accompany larger rigs.

The campground is accessed by a short one-lane 6% to 7% gravel road coming from the Hwy and is well marked by a BLM sign that reads: Palisades. The gravel road does have a few ruts in it and needs to be taken slowly by RVs. Once you reach the campground at the registration kiosk, there will be a gravel road going to the right and one to the left. There are 8 sites to the left, and 5 sites to the right, with a turn around at the end of each road. It was dark when we arrived and we took the road to the right and was delighted to find #11, next to the river. #6 on the road that goes to the left is another really nice site. There are some Juniper trees that cover the campsites, and will need to be dodged to squeeze between them for parking.

Most of the campsites are right next to the river, and all sites have a picnic table and metal fire ring. There are 2 vault toilets with trash cans located in the campground, but there is no potable water. A dump site is located in Prineville near the Fairgrounds at the RV park, for $10, and $5 for water, unless you pay the $10 to dump, then the water is free.

We stayed here in early November and there were only 2 other parties there. Both of them were at the end of the turn arounds. About 2200, when it was all quiet, a vehicle drove down our road turned around and left for what I believe was the other end of the campground where they 'partied'. Although they were far enough away that we didn't here them, they left their marks in the one of the campsites. I suspect they may came from Prineville.

Stayed here in mid-October for only one night, but wished we could have stayed longer. We got the last site available online, a pull-through without any hookups. The site details said 25' max length, and our trailer is actually 27' when you count the tongue. We fit, but barely. Our slide-out was just pass the yellow line that distinguished the campsite from the road. I also got into the junipers a little bit getting tucked back into the pull through. There were better sites to be sure, but none available.

But even being on the road we felt like we had plenty of privacy as we looked out from our doorway into the wild blue yonder, not seeing any other campsites. Great views of some of the hoodoos in the campground.

The visitor center was interesting, with books, t-shirts, interpretive displays, and an ice cream freezer! Very nice staff on site.

The dump site gets 5 stars in my book. Everything works, and there is flush out water available.

There are plenty of trails and roads within the park to explore. I think you could easily spend a week here by taking your time.

Utah gets it right when it comes to State Parks. I wished Idaho did.

Located just a couple of miles north of Brookings, OR., Harris Beach State Park is a gem! It's easy to get to off of Hwy 101, but the campsites are far enough away from the highway to avoid all but the loudest of trucks roaring down the road.

Our site was perhaps one of the easiest to park that I've ever had. All of the volunteers were very friendly and helpful. Oregon State Parks now has a 100% online reservation system, where Park Rangers and Volunteers won't be able to do much for you in terms of securing a site. You have to do it yourself, even if a site is vacant and not reserved, you have to go online and reserve it yourself. You pay online and that seems to be the only way to get a site. We were there in mid-March, and although there was a 'Vacancy" sign on the highway, and as you enter the campground, you couldn't tell from driving the campground, what was really reserved, or taken.

We arrived around 1500, and there was no one at the gate shack as you enter. I did not know what site I had reserved 6 weeks earlier, and missed the 'check-in' units schedule posted at the shack. We weren't online when we arrived, and so I tracked down a park person who was emptying trash cans to ask him if he could tell us. He got on his hand-held radio and asked someone and told us in short order. Lesson, know what site you are going to. Also, there are no parking tags to hang on your rear-view mirror or lay on your dashboard, and no one checks if a vehicle belongs in the park, or not.

The park is easy walking distance to a couple of small and picturesque beaches, and not a long walk to Brookings. The park has a single dump site for those that do not have a sewer connection. The park is very clean and most sites have sufficient shrubbery to give you some privacy.

Stayed here in mid-October for only one night, but wished we could have stayed longer. We got the last site available online, a pull-through without any hookups. The site details said 25' max length, and our trailer is actually 27' when you count the tongue. We fit, but barely. Our slide-out was just pass the yellow line that distinguished the campsite from the road. I also got into the junipers a little bit getting tucked back into the pull through. There were better sites to be sure, but none available.

But even being on the road we felt like we had plenty of privacy as we looked out from our doorway into the wild blue yonder, not seeing any other campsites. Great views of some of the hoodoos in the campground.

The visitor center was interesting, with books, t-shirts, interpretive displays, and an ice cream freezer! Very nice staff on site.

The dump site gets 5 stars in my book. Everything works, and there is flush out water available.

There are plenty of trails and roads within the park to explore. I think you could easily spend a week here by taking your time.

Utah gets it right when it comes to State Parks. I wished Idaho did.

Located just a couple of miles north of Brookings, OR., Harris Beach State Park is a gem! It's easy to get to off of Hwy 101, but the campsites are far enough away from the highway to avoid all but the loudest of trucks roaring down the road.

Our site was perhaps one of the easiest to park that I've ever had. All of the volunteers were very friendly and helpful. Oregon State Parks now has a 100% online reservation system, where Park Rangers and Volunteers won't be able to do much for you in terms of securing a site. You have to do it yourself, even if a site is vacant and not reserved, you have to go online and reserve it yourself. You pay online and that seems to be the only way to get a site. We were there in mid-March, and although there was a 'Vacancy" sign on the highway, and as you enter the campground, you couldn't tell from driving the campground, what was really reserved, or taken.

We arrived around 1500, and there was no one at the gate shack as you enter. I did not know what site I had reserved 6 weeks earlier, and missed the 'check-in' units schedule posted at the shack. We weren't online when we arrived, and so I tracked down a park person who was emptying trash cans to ask him if he could tell us. He got on his hand-held radio and asked someone and told us in short order. Lesson, know what site you are going to. Also, there are no parking tags to hang on your rear-view mirror or lay on your dashboard, and no one checks if a vehicle belongs in the park, or not.

The park is easy walking distance to a couple of small and picturesque beaches, and not a long walk to Brookings. The park has a single dump site for those that do not have a sewer connection. The park is very clean and most sites have sufficient shrubbery to give you some privacy.

Stayed here in mid-October for only one night, but wished we could have stayed longer. We got the last site available online, a pull-through without any hookups. The site details said 25' max length, and our trailer is actually 27' when you count the tongue. We fit, but barely. Our slide-out was just pass the yellow line that distinguished the campsite from the road. I also got into the junipers a little bit getting tucked back into the pull through. There were better sites to be sure, but none available.

But even being on the road we felt like we had plenty of privacy as we looked out from our doorway into the wild blue yonder, not seeing any other campsites. Great views of some of the hoodoos in the campground.

The visitor center was interesting, with books, t-shirts, interpretive displays, and an ice cream freezer! Very nice staff on site.

The dump site gets 5 stars in my book. Everything works, and there is flush out water available.

There are plenty of trails and roads within the park to explore. I think you could easily spend a week here by taking your time.

Utah gets it right when it comes to State Parks. I wished Idaho did.

Located just a couple of miles north of Brookings, OR., Harris Beach State Park is a gem! It's easy to get to off of Hwy 101, but the campsites are far enough away from the highway to avoid all but the loudest of trucks roaring down the road.

Our site was perhaps one of the easiest to park that I've ever had. All of the volunteers were very friendly and helpful. Oregon State Parks now has a 100% online reservation system, where Park Rangers and Volunteers won't be able to do much for you in terms of securing a site. You have to do it yourself, even if a site is vacant and not reserved, you have to go online and reserve it yourself. You pay online and that seems to be the only way to get a site. We were there in mid-March, and although there was a 'Vacancy" sign on the highway, and as you enter the campground, you couldn't tell from driving the campground, what was really reserved, or taken.

We arrived around 1500, and there was no one at the gate shack as you enter. I did not know what site I had reserved 6 weeks earlier, and missed the 'check-in' units schedule posted at the shack. We weren't online when we arrived, and so I tracked down a park person who was emptying trash cans to ask him if he could tell us. He got on his hand-held radio and asked someone and told us in short order. Lesson, know what site you are going to. Also, there are no parking tags to hang on your rear-view mirror or lay on your dashboard, and no one checks if a vehicle belongs in the park, or not.

The park is easy walking distance to a couple of small and picturesque beaches, and not a long walk to Brookings. The park has a single dump site for those that do not have a sewer connection. The park is very clean and most sites have sufficient shrubbery to give you some privacy.

There are several dispersed Campsites along Buffalo Valley Road within the Bridger-Teton National Forest, a short 10-15 minute drive from the Moran Junction Entrance to Grand Teton National Park. We were directed to the Buffalo Valley Road by a nice lady at the GTNP entrance after she told us that all campsites within the Park were filled as of 1100 that morning. The Buffalo Valley Road runs northeast off of US HWY 287 and terminates at the Turpin Meadow Campground. Along the road are several designated dispersed campsites. Campsite #9 is big enough for at least 4 rigs, depending on how others park. The campground is to the right as you are driving up Buffalo Valley Road, and is clearly distinctive by a a large clearing just off the Road.

Most of the rig/tent sites aren't exactly level, but are close enough. Also, there isn't much of a view from the campground as there is a small hill between the campsite and Buffalo Valley, unless you park at the higher ground, and you have a tall rig...maybe.

The next morning, we had a 0545 Reveille and was in line to the Colter Bay Village Campground just before 0700.

This is dry camping and no services or water are available. Buffalo Valley Road is a paved and narrow two-lane road. This is a good option to wait for spots to open up at Colter Bay Village.