mynetdude
Grants Pass, OR
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profdant139 wrote:There is lots of great boondocking in the Deschutes National Forest, not far from Bend -- talk to a ranger, and be sure to buy one of the national forest maps. These maps can be kind of hard to handle -- they are very big and detailed -- but you will find forest roads on there that are not featured anywhere else.
And where do I find a ranger? I'll be going to Lava River Caves and Pilot Butte this week they are both in the Deschutes Nat'l Forest.
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nifty250
Central Oregon
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I sent you a PM.
Don't forget that The Rally is here in Remond in a week. Don't give up your RV site until you're sure of another spot.
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profdant139
Southern California
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Here's the ranger --
Deschutes National Forest
1001 SW Emkay Drive
Bend, OR 97702
(541) 383-5300
The national forest websites are a little clunky and slow, but they get the job done -- lots of info if you click through the links, doggedly. Much better than the slick national park websites, most of which are graphically lovely and utterly uninformative.
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mynetdude
Grants Pass, OR
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profdant139 wrote:Here's the ranger --
Deschutes National Forest
1001 SW Emkay Drive
Bend, OR 97702
(541) 383-5300
The national forest websites are a little clunky and slow, but they get the job done -- lots of info if you click through the links, doggedly. Much better than the slick national park websites, most of which are graphically lovely and utterly uninformative.
Friend of mine took me to a USFS office before I saw your post  we had to go ask about parking at a certain area and get clarification on my golden access pass and he got one too (since he has a disability)
I was also able to ask about camping/dispersed camping and he told me where I could go and what the restrictions were and for how long 
You are right about the websites, I even told them that its not very intuitive
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mynetdude
Grants Pass, OR
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nifty250 wrote:I sent you a PM.
Don't forget that The Rally is here in Remond in a week. Don't give up your RV site until you're sure of another spot.
I wasn't planning on going to the Rally... but yes thanks for reminding me why its so full around here.
I am either going to Spokane or Idaho from here; I am still waiting on the RV repair center to call me about sending a guy out to have a quick look at my rig for repair assessment due to my recent mishap and so that could delay things too.
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mynetdude
Grants Pass, OR
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I've done some looking around and found a variety of websites related to boondocking and I am confused sometimes and I am just unsure never done it before
I really need to scout out some places, this takes time and fuel so of course I am not taking the 5ver until I know for sure what I'm doing. I even found some campgrounds at my next destination, I don't know if they are USFS or COE or what but they have a limit of 14 days no cost and the site reviews at usforestcamping.com does not recommend travel trailers but they mentioned parking trailers... why mention that if it is not recommended and I quote:
The parking aprons are dirt. Parking RVs is parallel style next
to the camp site. Travel trailers are not recommended.
sounds like conflicting information... that is why its confusing and then the ranger tells me that dispersed camping is 30 days max in the Deschutes NF, I don't know what the rules are in other forests but hmm.
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rovobay
Damascus, Oregon (Portland Suburb)
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mynetdude wrote:profdant139 wrote:Here's the ranger --
Deschutes National Forest
1001 SW Emkay Drive
Bend, OR 97702
(541) 383-5300
The national forest websites are a little clunky and slow, but they get the job done -- lots of info if you click through the links, doggedly. Much better than the slick national park websites, most of which are graphically lovely and utterly uninformative.
Friend of mine took me to a USFS office before I saw your post we had to go ask about parking at a certain area and get clarification on my golden access pass and he got one too (since he has a disability)
I was also able to ask about camping/dispersed camping and he told me where I could go and what the restrictions were and for how long
You are right about the websites, I even told them that its not very intuitive
I know this thread is old. do you remember what was said about the restrictions? looking to go and can't find the details online about where I can and can not go...
world is too big to be in a crowded campground! Thanks
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Lots of Stuff
WA. USA
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Joined: 10/18/2003
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Link to some 2009 trip photos.
The last four photos were taken near the top of Steens mountain in Eastern Oregon. Fifth to last photo was taken near John Day, Oregon.
As you can see crowds were small even in the summer.
Southeastern Oregon has some of the least populated areas in the lower 48.
scroll to last four photos
DG
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profdant139
Southern California
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My advice would be to figure out what district of the forest you are interested in and then call the Ranger (preferably not on a weekend or a Monday, the busiest times). The restrictions change from year to year and even from season to season, depending on logging activity and fire conditions. It also helps if you have already purchased the big forest service map for that particular forest -- there are little roads listed on those maps that often do not appear on any other map (and sometimes the roads on the map no longer exist in the real world). But the map will make it easier to understand the ranger's suggestions when they say "take 13SO5 to where it intersects with 13SO26 and hang a right up the hill."
Plus, the purchase of those maps will support the forest service -- it's a win-win. We have a huge collection of these maps -- they are amazing.
Major suggestion -- do not try to open and study these enormous maps in a moving car with the windows wide open. Don't ask me how I know this.
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pnichols
Santa Cruz Mountains
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Here's where we boondocked in Eastern Oregon a couple of years ago. It is 23-25 miles North of Plush, Oregon in the Oregon outback - no water, no restroom, just a picnic table and spectacular skies:
Phil, 2005 E450 Itasca 324V Spirit
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