Oregon has free camping from the rainforest to the high desert: forest roads in the Cascades, BLM land around Steens Mountain and the Alvord Desert, state forests in the Coast Range, and even some of the ocean beaches. The rules depend on who owns the ground. Each national forest has its own stay order, the state forests have theirs, and beach camping is legal in some places and banned in others. Here's how each works.
Free camping in Oregon at a glance
| Land | Stay limit | Fee or pass |
|---|---|---|
| Most national forests | 14 consecutive days, 28 a year | Free; a pass only at day-use fee sites |
| BLM land | 14 days within 28 | Free |
| ODF state forests | 14 days in any 35, 42 days a year | Free for dispersed camping |
| Ocean beaches (where allowed) | — | Free |
| ODOT rest areas | 12 hours in 24, no camping | Free |
Fire restrictions can ban campfires in summer and fall; check the land manager's current rules before you light one. For how dispersed camping works in general, see our dispersed camping guide.
National forests
Dispersed camping means no toilets, water, fire rings or trash service, and no fee. Common rules: camp at least 100 feet from water (Mt. Hood, Willamette, Umpqua), keep groups under 75, and stay out of developed sites and posted closures. The stay limits differ by forest:
| Forest | Dispersed stay limit |
|---|---|
| Mt. Hood | 14 consecutive days in one spot, 28 days a year |
| Deschutes | 14 consecutive days, 28 a year (order through Nov 15, 2026) |
| Willamette | 14 days in 30, then off the forest for 30 days; 50 days in 365 |
| Umpqua | 14 consecutive days, 28 a year |
| Rogue River-Siskiyou | 14 consecutive days, 28 a year |
| Fremont-Winema | 14 days, 28 a year |
| Ochoco and Crooked River Grassland | 14 consecutive days, 28 in 365 |
| Malheur, Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman | 14 consecutive days within any 30 |
| Siuslaw | 14 days in 60, then off the forest for 60 days |
Around Bend: the Deschutes rules
The Deschutes National Forest closes several popular areas near Bend to camping under an order running to 2031:
- No camping in the Whychus Creek corridor, the Bend Municipal Watershed, the Cascade Lakes Highway scenic corridor, and along the Deschutes Wild and Scenic River from Bend to County Road 40.
- Three Creeks Lake and the Deschutes River from La Pine State Recreation Area to Wickiup: camp only in developed campgrounds or existing dispersed sites.
- Tumalo Creek: no camping within 200 feet of water.
- Newberry Caldera: only in developed campgrounds and resorts.
The forest's 14-day order expires on November 15, 2026; check for its replacement before a long stay.
Willamette closures
Near Detroit Lake, dispersed camping is banned within 500 feet of Breitenbush Road (FSR 46), Blowout Road (FSR 10) and Elk Lake through August 17, 2027, and Moose and Gordon are day use only through July 2, 2027. Overnight trips into the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington and Three Sisters wildernesses need a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit from June 15 to October 15.
The Oregon coast
Siuslaw National Forest and the Oregon Dunes
On the Siuslaw, dispersed camping is allowed except where posted, where overnight parking is banned, or within 200 feet of a road, trail or facility. You can camp in the open dunes as long as you don't reach your site by OHV. No camping at Cascade Head, Cape Perpetua and Marys Peak (except their campgrounds in season), Mount Hebo or the South Jetty area.
- Oregon Dunes NRA: sand camping in peak season is by reservation only, at designated sites, booked on Recreation.gov; camp within 150 feet of the site post. Alcohol is prohibited.
- Sand Lake: no designated sites or reservations (except Fourth of July weekend), but you need a recreation pass to park or sand camp, and dispersed campers must use a portable toilet.
Camping on the beach
Oregon's beaches are public, and camping on the ocean shore is allowed in many areas above the high tide line. It's prohibited:
- On beaches next to an Oregon state park, and anywhere in a park not designated for camping.
- Within the city limits of Seaside, Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Rockaway Beach, Lincoln City, Newport, Bandon, Gold Beach and Brookings, which includes sleeping in a car, van or RV on the beach.
- In Clatsop County from the Columbia River's south jetty to Tillamook Head. OPRD's 2024 rulemaking notice goes further and says all of Clatsop and Tillamook counties, so on the north coast, assume no and check the signs.
- In western snowy plover nesting areas, March 15 to September 15.
Overnight parking isn't allowed at state park day-use areas and waysides. Beach fires must be 3 feet by 3 feet or smaller, at least 25 feet from vegetation and driftwood, and put out with water, not sand.
Where free coast camping works: beaches south of Tillamook County, outside the nine cities and away from state parks; Siuslaw National Forest land more than 200 feet from roads, trails and facilities; and, a short drive inland, the free dispersed sites of the Tillamook and Clatsop state forests (below).
BLM land in eastern Oregon
Most BLM land is open to dispersed camping unless posted closed, for 14 days within any 28, after which you move on, often 25–30 miles. Don't leave property for more than 10 days.
- Steens Mountain: dispersed camping up to 14 days within 28. Vehicles stay on designated routes, there's no camping in the Little Wildhorse Research Natural Area, and Wildhorse Lake camping is at designated sites. The Loop Road's four seasonal gates open fully from early July to mid-October. South Steens Campground ($16 a vehicle) is the developed option.
- Alvord Desert: no fees, no water, no cell service and no designated sites; you can pitch a tent on the playa. It's usually dry enough to drive on from June through November, but never drive on anything that looks even slightly wet. The only facility is a vault toilet at Frog Springs; pack out all waste. Fields is about an hour south.
- Lost Forest and Christmas Valley dunes: camping at designated primitive sites only, no fees, 14 days, no firewood collecting. An Oregon ATV permit is needed to ride the dunes, and the Fossil Lake area is closed to OHVs.
- Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, east of Ashland: dispersed camping is allowed outside the developed Hyatt Lake campground.
State forests: free and no permit
The Oregon Department of Forestry allows dispersed camping year-round in the Tillamook, Clatsop and Santiam state forests, with no fee or permit:
- 14 days in any 35-day period, and 42 days in 12 months.
- Camp at least 25 feet from rivers and streams; up to 8 people and 2 vehicles per site.
- Don't leave property unattended for more than 48 hours.
- No campfires or charcoal at dispersed sites during the regulated-use part of fire season.
- Parts of the Santiam State Forest are still closed after the 2020 wildfires. ODF has no maps of dispersed sites.
Rest areas
At ODOT rest areas you can stay up to 12 hours in any 24, but camping and tents are prohibited, and so are fires other than gas camp stoves and grills.
Before you go
- Check the forest's alerts for fire-area closures; several from the 2026 fire season are still in place.
- Get the forest's Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), free from the Forest Service, to see which roads are open to vehicles.
- Bring water and a way to pack out trash and human waste.
- Watch the tide if you camp on the beach: set up well above the high tide line.
For a developed campground, see our Crater Lake camping guide and the rest of our Oregon camping guides.
