The best campgrounds near Mitchell, Oregon with climbing

Welcome to Hipcamp, your go-to resource for camping adventures in the United States! If you're passionate about climbing and looking for a campground near Mitchell, Oregon, we've got you covered. With over 280 options specifically tailored to climbers in the Mitchell area, you're sure to find the perfect spot to pitch your tent or park your RV. And with an average price per night of just $49, and options available for as low as $23, you can enjoy the great outdoors without breaking the bank. Check out some of our top campsites with rave reviews: Experience Heaven (257 reviews), Roots Rise Family Farm (100 reviews), and The Forest Cupcake (83 reviews). Plus, you'll find popular amenities like showers, pet-friendly sites, and trash disposal, as well as exciting activities such as exploring historic sites, boating, and whitewater paddling. So grab your gear and get ready to experience the thrill of climbing amid the stunning landscapes of Mitchell, Oregon!

98% (115)

Top-rated campgrounds near Mitchell

Welcome to Hipcamp, your go-to resource for camping adventures in the United States! If you're passionate about climbing and looking for a campground near Mitchell, Oregon, we've got you covered. With over 280 options specifically tailored to climbers in the Mitchell area, you're sure to find the perfect spot to pitch your tent or park your RV. And with an average price per night of just $49, and options available for as low as $23, you can enjoy the great outdoors without breaking the bank. Check out some of our top campsites with rave reviews: Experience Heaven (257 reviews), Roots Rise Family Farm (100 reviews), and The Forest Cupcake (83 reviews). Plus, you'll find popular amenities like showers, pet-friendly sites, and trash disposal, as well as exciting activities such as exploring historic sites, boating, and whitewater paddling. So grab your gear and get ready to experience the thrill of climbing amid the stunning landscapes of Mitchell, Oregon!

98% (115)

Top-rated campgrounds near Mitchell

1. Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

97%

(111)

7.5mi from Mitchell · 1 site · Tent, RV

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. Desert Rose Private Campground

97%

(17)

44mi from Mitchell · 3 sites · Lodging

Welcome to our family's Private Campground - The Desert Rose. A boondocking site for you and your family to enjoy! We have a Yurt, a cabin, 3 RV/Travel trailer pads and 2 tent sites created here and plenty of room for everyone to have their own space yet be all together. You can book the entire campground, or just one of the units. Whether it's just you, or you're bringing a crew, we know you'll love it here! Our favorite hikes in the Central Oregon area is Smith Rocks and Chimney Rock. The Prineville reservoir is roughly a 12 minute drive and the starry nights here are something to behold. Up the road is the most unique petting zoo that we recently found! Find it and you might just be able to hold a baby kangaroo! Boondocking site means there is no hook-ups or running water so you'll want to bring in your own water and heat if you're here in the colder months. Your four legged furry family members are welcomed! They must be accompanied at all times and not left on the property alone. The dog run is for you to keep closer tabs on them while relaxing, not for leaving them while going into town or enjoying the area. The dirt is very soft and it wouldn't take very long for them to dig under to get out and go looking for you. The cabin or yurt is also not a pet storage area - with no power or AC, pets are not allowed to be left alone in the dwellings.

3. Prineville Acres Private RV Camping

96%

(12)

41mi from Mitchell · 1 site · RV

Prineville Acres is a 2 acre, flat and peaceful, uninhabited getaway in Central Oregon to enjoy all to yourselves. It is 7 minutes North of The Prineville Reservoir and 12 minutes South of the Town of Prineville. The property is situated on a quiet corner, and is best suited for campers who want a more private experience away from others- as there is no host living on site and you do not share the space with campers from different groups. The center area is cleared of trees, has a rustic fire pit in the center, with trees surrounding the perimeter of the property. The adjacent property to the side is also uninhabited, adding to your sense of privacy, while the neighboring property to the rear has year round, liv- in very quiet tenants. In the summer, bring your boat, kayaks, paddle boards, off road vehicles or ATV's, and use them in the surrounding waterways, on the nearby public use BLM land, Millican Valley OHV Trail System, or Four Corners Staging Area. Or bring your family's fishing poles and take the kids to the local Youth Fishing Pond or nearby Haystack Reservoir or Prineville Reservoir that are stocked year-round with trout. Be sure to try Grannies for local treats just a few minutes away, for special coffee drinks you are bound to love or if you need ice or a quick breakfast burrito. Be sure to run into town and stop in at Tastee Treet, for the best milk shakes and burgers around! And- if you like micro brews or cider's in a very laid-back open-air fire side setting, stop by the Wild Ride Brewery in Prineville for a truly epic outdoor family friendly experience. While you are there, grab a meal at the on-site food carts! We hope you enjoy camping all by yourselves and that you get a chance to explore all the fun things to do without having to share outdoor space right next to others!

4. Ochoco National Forest

77%

(11)

257 sites · Mitchell, Oregon

Central Oregon hosts high mountains, thick pine forests, and lots of wilderness.

Pets

Toilets

Campfires

5. Malheur National Forest

100%

(9)

275 sites · Canyon City, Oregon

Hike the Blue Mountains, explore the wilderness, and see a Humongous Fungus.

Pets

Toilets

Campfires

Public campgrounds near Mitchell

Scotts Campground

10mi from Mitchell · 3 sites · Tents, RVs · in Ochoco National Forest

Wildwood Campground

11mi from Mitchell · 5 sites · Tents, RVs · in Ochoco National Forest

Ochoco Divide Campground

13mi from Mitchell · 1 site · Tent, RV · in Ochoco National Forest

Barnhouse Campground

13mi from Mitchell · 6 sites · Tents, RVs · in Ochoco National Forest

Walton Lake Campground

13mi from Mitchell · 29 sites · Tents, RVs · in Ochoco National Forest

Whistler Campground

17mi from Mitchell · 4 sites · Tents, RVs · in Ochoco National Forest

100%

(1)

Deep Creek Campground

17mi from Mitchell · 14 sites · Tents, RVs · in Ochoco National Forest

Ochoco Forest Campground

18mi from Mitchell · 5 sites · Tents, RVs · in Ochoco National Forest

Big Spring Campground

18mi from Mitchell · 5 sites · Tents, RVs · in Ochoco National Forest

Bingham Springs Campground

19mi from Mitchell · 4 sites · Tents, RVs · in Ochoco National Forest

Cottonwood Campground

19mi from Mitchell · 7 sites · Tents, RVs · in Ochoco National Forest

Cottonwood Pit Campground

20mi from Mitchell · 3 sites · Tents, RVs · in Ochoco National Forest

Recent reviews from the Hipcamp community

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!

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!

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.

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.

R

Rob

August 2025

With kids

Weekend Trip to Desert Rose Private Campground

It was as promised and we scored with the weather for the stars.

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!

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!

S

Susan

July 2025

Tent

1 night at Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

The view from our site was incredible and it was so quiet! Highly recommend! (Short drive to the Painted Hills and Mitchell’s great pub Tiger something.)

P

Paolo

July 2025

16 ft campervan

1 night at Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

Bonnie's spot was wonderful! There's a wonderful sense of solitude, a clean bathroom, a great view over the surrounding hills, and a spectacular, practically pristine night sky (I say this as an amateur astronomer who's spent years looking for unpolluted skies). It's also uniquely situated as one of the very few HipCamp spots near the beautiful Geologic playground of John Day Fossil Beds. We definitely plan to return.

A

Aleksandra

July 2025

Tent

Group trip

1 night at Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

This was a beautiful place right by the painted hills! It was nice and private. Bonnie was very accommodating. The road was honestly not that bad. We made it up easily in a Ford Transit. It’s bumpy and steep but if you’re used to driving on roads like that you’ll be fine.

B

Breana

June 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

Loved it here! A really sweet spot and easy to find :)

Katherine

June 2025

2 nights at Desert Rose Private Campground

To find Jacob's, you'll snake back through a rural "neighborhood" for a while -- but then! Just like that! You're alone! In the middle of nowhere! While not 100% remote, it did feel like we had a lot of space and privacy. The land is divided clearly into different spots, which would make it excellent for mixed group camping (e.g. folks in the group could stay in different accommodation types: tent + yurt + wooden goddess). We stayed in the Wooden Goddess and found it to be clean (no cobwebs or dust), equipped with sturdy furniture (basic futon & coffee table), and secure (windows and doors sealed well from the elements). We brought a table to set up an outdoor kitchen for our stay, and thought an outdoor picnic table nearby would have been nice. (There are some tables around the property, so it's probably just a matter of moving tables around?) We loved our stay, and took astrophotography from the property because it was so dark and night sky visibility was great! We did not have to battle extreme heat during our stay, but be warned: there isn't a lot of natural shade nearby, so keep that in mind if you do book in this area!

C

Carsen

June 2025

Tent

1 night at Back Side of Painted Hills Camping

Great stay only a short drive from the painted hills. The pit toilet was well maintained and the site felt private despite the house above on the hill. We loved the view and are determined to come again! Thanks!

B

Bethany

June 2025

Weekend Trip to Desert Rose Private Campground

Great place! Clean and tidy spaces and private location