Burnt Ranch Campground — Hotel in Prineville

Highly recommended adventurous campsites along the John Day River that are accessible by both boat and vehicle can be found at the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) sites just north of the Painted Hills Unit. The areas are called Lower Burnt Ranch, Burnt Ranch, and Priest Hole. These areas combined are commonly referred to the "Burnt Ranch Campground. The drive along Burnt Ranch Road, north of the Painted Hills Unit, is a bumpy rock and gravel trek through amazing canyons and rocky outcroppings and is an exceptionally scenic drive.

The road leads to three of the state’s finest BLM camping areas with primitive camp spots. There is rocky beach access and boat ramps leading to the river. There are no services such as trash pick-up or water; there are vault toilets, however. There are no campfires allowed from June – September at BLM campgrounds and on the BLM land along the John Day River; plan a trip just before or after this time frame if you would like to have a roaring fire while you camp. Priest Hole has been known to be a summertime party spot with locals, but these three campgrounds are close together and you can scope them out before settling down and choosing the right one to make camp. The camping experience at either Lower Burnt Ranch, Burnt Ranch, or Priest Hole is exceptional as there is no finer view than from a tent along the...

Decent rustic place to disperse camp. The area is exposed and dirty, but that's to be expected in this part of the state. There appears to be some confusion about accessing the actual campground - there is a rough road down from the "main" gravel road. 4WD strongly recommended, however when I was there a couple 2WD vehicles had made it down. They had a very hard time getting back out, but managed after great effort. That said, one could park higher and walk down if camping without a lot of gear. Even with the ability to drive down, you will need to walk in to the campsites a short bit. I feel this is a much more peaceful and scenic alternative to the more popular Priest Hole campground, but much smaller and limited access, not to mention no RV access. There are no facilities, but free on a first come, first served basis. Also a nice place to swim and cool off on a hot day, and due to the remoteness you'll get a nice look at the stars on a...

Absolutely beautiful spot. Went in the middle of September on a Saturday night and there was only one other group pretty far from us. It's quite the drive down a gravel road to get there but worth it. The campsite is free, dispersed camping, and about 20 minutes up from the Painted Hills. Google maps stops a little short, but if you keep going around the corner it's obvious where to come in at. The road in and out off of the main gravel road is fairly steep and a section is rutted out pretty bad. You'll definitely want 4wd and a little clearance to get in and out without issue. But once in, you park, and pack your things down to a spot near the river which is very close. The town of Mitchel is close to get gas if needed (regular was...