The best campgrounds near Fossil, Oregon with swimming

Planning a camping trip near Fossil, Oregon and looking for the perfect spot to swim? Look no further than WindWoodRivers! With over 620 options in the area that cater specifically to swimming enthusiasts, you're bound to find the ideal campsite to suit your needs. Whether you prefer a lakeside oasis or a riverside retreat, Hipcamp has got you covered. Check out top campsites like Zigzag Mountain Farm with 423 reviews, Zigzag Mountain Farm with 210 reviews, and Action Sports Roamer Sites with 127 reviews to guarantee a memorable camping experience. And don't worry about amenities - popular facilities like toilets, potable water, and showers are available. So grab your swimsuit and dive into the adventure - with prices starting as low as $23 per night, camping near Fossil, Oregon has never been more inviting!

97% (339)

Top-rated campgrounds

Planning a camping trip near Fossil, Oregon and looking for the perfect spot to swim? Look no further than WindWoodRivers! With over 620 options in the area that cater specifically to swimming enthusiasts, you're bound to find the ideal campsite to suit your needs. Whether you prefer a lakeside oasis or a riverside retreat, Hipcamp has got you covered. Check out top campsites like Zigzag Mountain Farm with 423 reviews, Zigzag Mountain Farm with 210 reviews, and Action Sports Roamer Sites with 127 reviews to guarantee a memorable camping experience. And don't worry about amenities - popular facilities like toilets, potable water, and showers are available. So grab your swimsuit and dive into the adventure - with prices starting as low as $23 per night, camping near Fossil, Oregon has never been more inviting!

97% (339)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

97%

(110)

29mi from Fossil · 1 site · Tent, RV · Mitchell, OR

This 320 acre plot of land on which you can hike anywhere has been in our family since 1993. Large, graveled spot for tents or two vehicles with excellent view for miles and miles and night star gazing. Primitive outhouse. Juniper forest with sage brush... basically high desert vegetation. We only allow one reservation per night. You can arrange vehicles or tents to not be in view or block any view from house way above. 320 acres to hike and roam. Mitchell is 10 miles away with well stocked grocery and feed store, restaurants, small brewery, and tire shop. We give directions fairly quickly. Road is wide, but steep at top. 4 wheel drive is recommended. Very close to the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National monument, Ochoco National Forest is seven miles. John Day River for swimming, rafting about 20 minutes. If you can book, it means you can drive on up with out contacting us. As you drive in if at night, you will see a light on the outhouse.

2. Justesen Ranches

96%

(195)

49mi from Fossil · 23 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Tygh Valley, OR

Justesen Ranches is family owned working cattle, wheat and recreation ranch. Our properties are located in the Columbia River Plateau in North Central Oregon. Enjoy wide open spaces, reservoirs for wildlife watching and clear night skies for star gazing. This is a leave no trace, pack it in, pack it out camping area. The property is located in Tygh Valley and is only a few minutes from the general store and the stunning White River Falls State Park. The Deschutes River whitewater rafting hub of Maupin is just a 10 minute drive away. The lodge two hours from Portland and 30 min from The Dalles.

3. Haystack Ranch

94%

(142)

25mi from Fossil · 17 sites · Tents, RVs · Spray, OR

My family has owned the ranch since 1977. We bought it from my parents a few years ago to keep it in the family. We love living here, and although it is just the two of us working it, we are slowly getting it to what we want it to be. The house we live in is over 100 years old and used to be a stage coach stop back in the late 1800's to early 1900's, You can still see some of the old stage coach roads on the property, and we are trying to preserve those the best we can. Also in the early 1900's this ranch used to be the place to go on the fourth of July. People from all over would bring their prize horses to compete in a horse race for the name of the fastest horses around While others would bring picnic baskets to set back on the knoll in one of our fields to watch. Learn more about this land:We are a 500 Acre working ranch located in Beautiful East Central Oregon, We are Between The stunning Painted Hills, and Umatilla National Forest. Just a few miles away from the Gorgeous John Day River, where Rafting, Tubing, Fishing, Swimming is always a welcome retreat. A few miles above us is Bull Prairie Lake and the wonderful Umatilla National Forest where hiking, sight seeing and wildlife viewing is always available.

4. Horseshoe House

100%

(2)

27mi from Fossil · 1 site · Tent, RV · Grass Valley, OR

The Horseshoe House A Family-Friendly Ranch Stay in Grass Valley, Oregon This isn’t just a place to stay — it’s an experience for our guests, and a way of life for us. The Horseshoe House sits on 10 acres of working ranch land outside Grass Valley, Oregon — surrounded by rolling wheat fields, wide-open skies, and the kind of quiet only the high desert can offer. At 2,500 feet elevation, it’s peaceful, simple, and full of old Oregon character. Our connection to this area runs deep. My great-grandfather settled in this part of Oregon after coming from Tennessee in the early 1900s. Like many who came west, he raised sheep — and we’re proud to carry on that legacy today. Guests are welcome to meet the animals — sheep, pigs, and chickens — and maybe even give a few a pat or a scratch. Want a closer look at ranch life? Just let us know and we’ll happily schedule a farm tour ahead of time. We’re close to the Deschutes, John Day, and Columbia Rivers, with nearby fossil beds, ghost towns, and the storied town of Antelope, featured in Netflix’s Wild Wild Country. Bring your family. Bring your boots (this is Oregon, after all). Come experience the rhythm of country life — real, relaxed, and unforgettable.

from

$38

/ night

Public campgrounds near Fossil

Fairview Campground

25mi from Fossil · 5 sites · Tents, RVs · in Umatilla National Forest

Bull Prairie Lake Campground

27mi from Fossil · 30 sites · Tents, RVs · in Umatilla National Forest

Penland Lake Campground

45mi from Fossil · 7 sites · Tents, RVs · in Umatilla National Forest

Coalmine Hill Campground

45mi from Fossil · 5 sites · Tents, RVs · in Umatilla National Forest

Stories from the community

Shane

October 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Haystack Ranch

The host was great, the space was great, the scenery was great and the area was great. Will definitely be staying here again.

Great spot! House in view, along with neighboring friendly goats and very clean compost toilet

E

Ellie

October 2025

16 ft car

Weekend Trip to Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

Great views! Lots of room to explore, caught it right before the snow came in late October! Thank you Bonnie!

J

John

October 2025

20 ft travel trailer

4 nights at Haystack Ranch

This was an amazing property. Big area, lots of trees. Space for an RV, but not at all the locations, mainly just one but an RV can honestly park anywhere it wants, just might not have a picnic table readily available but the hosts will get you one. There's a cool outhouse and hand wash station. The best part is its only 30 minutes from John Day Fossil Painted Hills. There's a cool bar and pizza food truck about 3 miles away and the town of Spray has the basic necessities. The hosts let you use their water hose that's at the edge of their house property on the fence next to the road so you can top off your RV when you get there and refill canisters if you run out. Overall great site, low frills, primitive location.

J

Jess

September 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Haystack Ranch

Super beautiful and private! Picnic tables were a fun surprise. The outhouse was clever and clean!

Couple of cool little trails with views. Cactus Ridge literally has tiny cacti on the ground. Watch your dogs' paws!

Leila

September 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

Loved this private spot perched high with views of the desert hills. It helped to have a more rugged vehicle to handle the steep rough road. Sunrise was gorgeous and the stargazing at night was incredible. We saw shooting stars across the Milky Way! We could occasionally see and hear the tenants at the house further up the hill (only when they were outside on the deck), but they were far enough away that it never felt intrusive. Otherwise, camp was super quiet and it felt like we had the WHOLE place to ourselves. Loved the trails on the property. The only bummer was that there were a lot of pokies that kept getting stuck in our dogs' paws which kept us from exploring more. So if you bring dogs, you may want to put booties on them. Loved the proximity to Painted Hills. This site is a total high desert gem and we will definitely be back!

B

Brian

September 2025

Group trip

2 nights at Justesen Ranches

I have stayed with my wife here before, I have also camped on the property a few times. It has become one of my favorite places to get away. It’s very stress free, Amanda is a wonderful host and the place is quite frankly, stunning. I enjoy places of silence and few people, and this has both. And the stars, you just can’t get them any better than here. Fantastic. BF

Rebecca

September 2025

16 ft car

1 night at Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

Campsite was beautiful, clean bathroom. The stars were unreal. I was the only one there and it was amazing

K

Karl

September 2025

15 ft travel trailer

With pets

3 nights at Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

Quiet, beautiful! Light trucks (SUV’s) with small trailers can easily negotiate the road in We did not meet Bonnie.

J

Jill

September 2025

Tent

1 night at Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

Great private site with a beautiful view and amazing spot for stargazing in the dark sky. The trees provided nice shade in the heat. The charcoal grill was very little but worked well for two people. The bathroom and site were clean and well maintained.

S

Samantha

September 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Haystack Ranch

Beautiful part of the state with wide open grass lands and interesting geological sites. The camp was quiet and comfortable. We had trees for shade and were an easy walk from the nicely maintained outhouse. A pump handwashing station was a nice touch. Plenty of camp site options with level ground for camper vans (or tents/RV's). Be prepared for lots of prickly bur buttercup, black medic, chickweed, and thistle.

K

Kelsey

September 2025

Tent

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Justesen Ranches

Such a great site! The lake was awesome for swimming, SUPing and floating. Our group loved it, highly recommend.

K

KATHERINE

August 2025

Tent

With kids

1 night at Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

Beautiful location! We loved the sunset and stars, it was quiet and beautiful. My husband was worried about the steepness of the mile-long loose gravel road, but our SUV made it up fine. We brought one of those large blue water jugs and only needed about half of it for the four of us, and it was an easy drive to visit the Painted Hills the following morning. Would love to go back.

Ben

August 2025

Tent

1 night at Horseshoe House

The Horseshoe House was great. Eric and his partner were really friendly and gave me a tour around their farm where I get to meet all their critters. I mainly booked at the site because I was looking for a remote location to stargaze, and while the weather didn't totally agree with me on my trip, I was still able to take some great photos. I would definitely book again.

Sam

August 2025

13 ft travel trailer

With pets

Weekend Trip to Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

Amazing location with a breathtaking view. Wish we could have stayed longer!

Mary

August 2025

15 ft travel trailer

With pets

Weekend Trip to Haystack Ranch

As noted the site is a bit hard to find from the south but google maps does get you to the correct spot. Just look for the secluded picnic table. Our host was fantastic and offered us some fresh picked produce. This is a beautiful area and I will stop again.

M

Mark

August 2025

20 ft campervan

With kids

Weekend Trip to Justesen Ranches

Awesome views and lots of solitude! Mt. Hood and the reflecting sunset is pretty unbeatable.

L

Lea

August 2025

16 ft pop-up camper

Weekend Trip to Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

The quiet and solitude not to mention views of neighboring landscapes are not to be missed. But... try to miss the access road if it's a rare sustained downpour which is what we faced and made it to camp ok in 4WD with some consternation. Mainly we hoped the heavy rain didn't wash out the exit road. As soon as it dried next morning though all was good. Just saying. FYI since we didn't have levelers for our popup truck camper there's a really nice level spot just at the entrance to the picnic/BBQ flat landing spot.Super chill place for quiet,stars,views and a nice hike up the hill.

Jacqui

August 2025

17 ft Class C

With kids

1 night at Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

Amazing view from up high in the hills! It was a bit challenging to navigate when we arrived after dark, but we made it. We definitely appreciated the solar shower and water setup. Also enjoyed saying hello to the goats. Thank you!

E

Elena

August 2025

30 ft campervan

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Haystack Ranch

Tent camping was great! Had the place to ourselves out of sight from the main house. The out house and sink were amazing to have! Super kind host and got a few bars of soap which are lovely. She even sent us off with some fresh veggies! Will definitely want to stay here again.

A

Alexandra

July 2025

20 ft campervan

With pets

Weekend Trip to Justesen Ranches

Great little spot! Amanda was easy to communicate with and provided me with answers to my questions. We had a group of 7 with 3 kids and it was a fun little weekend getaway that’s still close to Portland. Prepare for mosquitoes and horse flies though.