Bad news for those hoping to get an early jump on camping season – abnormally late snow has made the process a challenge. Multiple Oregon national forests have delayed opening their campgrounds due to uncommonly lingering snow.
The U.S. Forest Service announced Monday that all reservations through June 16 at 20 campgrounds in the Deschutes National Forest have been canceled.
Among the sites affected are:
- Elk and Lava Lake in the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District
- Trapper Creek in the Crescent Ranger District
- Three Creek Meadow and Whispering Pines Horse Camp in the Sisters Ranger District
All canceled booking fees will be refunded.
The farther up you go into the mountains, you’ll find more and more snow. This has rendered a number of the summertime camp roads and areas completely impassable and, at times, outright dangerous to camp in.
The Deschutes National Forest isn’t alone. The Umpqua National Forest had to make the same decision for the weekend of June 4, as the roads are simply not safe enough for RVs and trailers to pass. In fact, the Soda Creek Campground is so heavily buried that street signs are still under the snow.
The hopeful opening date for the affected Central Oregon parks is June 17. In the meantime, we’ll have to make do with backyard camping nights – just as Oregon camping season is so close we can taste it.
By Ethan Hauck
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