The best camping near Unity Lake State Recreation Site

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Unity Lake State Recreation Site adventure.

Sparkling blue waters and verdant greenery combine for a colorful getaway.  

Popular ways to camp

Top-rated campgrounds near Unity Lake State Recreation Site

97%
(193)

Pondosa, Oregon. Old mill town.

4 sites · RVs, Tents5 acres · Baker City, OR
Learn more about this land:Campsites are gravel parking with park-like lawn, well kept, and surrounded by a small picnicking area with extra parking, porta potty, garbage receptical, BBQs, tables and chairs on sprawling grassy lawns shaded with 100 year old large trees. Perfect for a large group. We have a big tree swing and an adult size teeter totter for you to enjoy. There is a horseshoe area. The camping sites are back in only, so if you have trouble backing in, I am happy to help. Each spot has a fire pit with first firewood supplied, (additional be purchased) and a picnic table. Surrounding area is sagebrush, 2 miles from Wallowa National Forest with miles and miles of wilderness trails, lakes and Mountain fishing, ATVs, hiking, biking. You can ride your ATVs right from the camp. There is huckleberry and mushroom picking in early summer and late spring. Local wildlife consists of deer, elk, eagles and owls, pheasants, quail, wild turkeys, all kinds of birds, (even an occasional farm chicken may wander by) and coyotes and frogs calling at night. My friendly labs like to come say hi. Campsites are for tents or RVs. Our electric is shared among the campsites. Our water is from a wonderful deep cold well that’s piped to a shared outlet in the middle of the RV camp. Bring a hose to hook up, we have one if you need one. Guest Wi-Fi if you’re close to the store. Cell service is limited. I do allow generators if you are not sharing the park with anyone else. If you’re the only ones, no quiet time, if others are camping, quiet time is from 10:00 pm - 7:00 am. Site 1: largest fire pit, close to the power hook up, the most shady spot but still sunny, closest to the park. Site 2: A bit of shade, most of the day in sun. Closest to water hook up. Site 3: A Sunny site, a little late afternoon shade. A little more privacy as it’s the last spot. Farthest stretch for water and power, but I provide an extension power cord to it. Our little store has items you may need if you run out or forget something. We also sell regular gas.
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$28
 / night
97%
(133)

Waterfront RV camping brownlee

5 sites · RVs, Tents125 acres · Huntington, OR
Learn more about this land: We have 125 acre farm ranch that is waterfront on brownlee reservoir. We have multiple camping spots along the water. There are 4 rv or camp trailer camp spots available. All 4 spots are dry camping. No power or water currently. we have a spot to launch boats which is right between sight 3 and 4. Good fishing. Very little boat traffic. Very private. In the fall big horn sheep frequently rut on the property. We usually have fresh eggs on hand. Dry climate. Sage brush and juniper trees here. We have a easy to access spot to fill up water to your camp trailers or rvs. The water is from a spring and Water tastes really good. This area has a lot of history. Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe often stayed in this area and on the property. In fact this was where his tribe met to discuss and decide to try to go to escape to Canada. This is where that journey started. You can still find arrow heads on the shoreline every so often. I’m ruffly 15 miles north of Huntington oregon. 13 miles of which is dirt road. The property sits at the base of lookout mountain. Really good cell service here with Verizon Full bars. If you decide to come camp make sure your directions take you through Huntington. Google sometimes likes to try to get people to drive over the mountain. Or if your coming from the north it sometimes wants you to go through Richland and then on 34 miles of dirt road. Going Through Huntington onto snake river rd is the easy way to go.
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$40
 / night
95%
(31)

Towering Tamaracks

4 sites · Tents20 acres · Baker City, OR
Heavily forested mountain property way off the grid in the Elkhorn Mts and borders National Forest. Enjoy hiking, biking, climbing, hammocking, watching wild animals, star gazing, etc. Sorry, no sounds of the city. Host will send you driving directions that need to be printed. There is a short hike (4 to 5 minutes) to each camp site from the Common Parking area, so I suggest packing as lightly as possible. Feel free to use the supplied cart to carry your gear. Campers have also enjoyed kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, hiking, and the mountain biking trails at Phillips Lake, which is a little over eight miles from TT. For trails, visit Trailforks.com and search Phillips Lake. Trails range from Easy to Black Diamond. This area used to have train tracks nearby, thus the road name Old Trestle Lane. Legend has it that "there's gold in them there hills". Visit nearby gold mining town, Sumpter (about 45 minute drive), while you're here. There is an authentic gold dredge you can walk through or you can schedule a steam powered train ride. http://www.sumptervalleyrailroad.org/index.html If you don't mind the hour drive, explore the history of Baker City and check out the Oregon Trail Museum just outside of town.
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$24.30
 / night
99%
(41)

Epic Stargazing @ Malheur Basecamp

3 sites · Lodging5 acres · Drewsey, OR
STARGAZING + AMAZING VIEWS: Our place sits on five acres overlooking the middle fork of the Malheur River, surrounded by cattle ranches. Our nearest neighbor is about 2 miles away, we're remote, but accessible... if you don't mind a couple of miles of gravel road. We're in a dark spot, perfect for laying out in the lounge chairs and admiring the Milky Way in an indescribable setting. At night, the only lights visible truly are the moon and stars. Bring your telescope if you've got one! COOKING + DINING: Prepare your meals in our simple, yet functional outdoor kitchen. There's camp stove, picnic table, wash station, and firepit*. The water spigot is located at the north end of the cabin porch. This is a shared area, but we rarely have both accommodations booked at the same time. We've recently decided to make our DELUXE CAMP KITCHEN complimentary**! You won't have to worry about bringing cookware, dishes, cutlery, knives, cutting boards, a can opener, a bottle opener, basic seasonings, or dish washing necessities! **We just ask that you let us know when a seasoning or condiment is running low and that you please wash and return everything to its original spot to avoid an additional cleaning fee of $35. *Please don't use the firepit if a burn ban is in effect. SHOWERING + WHATNOT: Enjoy a luxurious shower in our outdoor shower house, complete with skylight and on-demand hot water. Towels are provided. The building also contains a fabulous composting loo. On the rare occasion that we also have guests staying in the other site, we'll try to coordinate so that you don't disturb each other. We'll communicate with both parties and try to come to a shower schedule that works for everyone. PETS: We welcome your furbabies! Please be advised that there is an additional fee per pet, payable as a Hipcamp "extra" or in good ol' American greenbacks. Please pick up after your pets and try to keep them in your area. We ask that you do not allow your pets on the furniture -- if we find that they've been allowed on the bed, we will require you to pay for the replacement of the bedding at a cost of $300. We have two dogs, an exuberant 150 pound Newfoundland named Hagrid, a little ankle-biting mutt named Hugo, multiple free roaming cats, and three semi-feral children who may be outside. If you are bringing your pet(s), please contact us prior to arrival. HORSES: We have two pastures available if you'd like to bring a trusty steed, or several, on your trip! They're both about two acres (barbed wire fenced) and are right below the main house/cabin. We also have parking for your horse trailer, just let us know ahead of time so that we can have the gates set and the troughs filled! SUSTAINABILITY: We're kinda into crunchy stuff like solar power, composting, sustainability, salvage/upcycling/recycling, and supporting local farmers - artisans - businesses. You'll find that many of the little touches on our replace reflect those values. CHARITY IRONWORKS: If you see or hear Tom puttering around out in the blacksmith shop, you’re welcome to go over and visit. If you need gifts for the folks back home or souvenirs from your epic trip, we also have a selection of our blacksmithing and other unique wares available -- just ask us and we’d be happy to show you our stock. We also offer our 3 Hour Blacksmithing Basics Workshop with Tom. Age 12+ - payable as a Hipcamp "extra" or in cash money. *SUMMER/FALL: PLEASE CONTACT US ABOUT THE WORKSHOP PRIOR TO BOOKING - Tom is a wildland firefighter and his availability will be dependent on fire activity.* OTHER THINGS TO NOTE... There IS cell phone reception here - Verizon works best and there's usually 2-3 bars of LTE. We're in the Pacific Time Zone... But while you're here your phone will probably ping off of a tower located in the Mountain Time Zone, so if you're not sure what time it is, just ask! We have lots of complimentary maps and brochures available to help you explore the local sights and cuisine. We're always happy to give recommendations to our favorite haunts. Did we mention that we're remote? And that the nearest grocery store is at least an hour away? STOCK UP: Either in Vale if you're coming from the east, Burns if you're coming from the west, or John Day if you're coming from the north. We're about 15 minutes from the Malheur National Forest, 30 minutes from Beulah Reservoir, and an hour and a half from Steens Mountain. BE COOL: Please don't allow your pets on the beds or furniture. Please don't smoke in the cabin, bus, OR in the shower house. Please don’t take the bedding or pillows out of the bus or cabin. Please don’t cook in the bus or cabin. Please wash and return the deluxe camp kitchen pieces to their designated spot. Please don’t put anything in the loo except TP, sawdust, and your business. We only mention it because, well, we’ve had people do a few sketchy things in the past. We’re sure you’re super cool and would never do anything like that, but we kinda gotta say it anyway. We don't want to have to give you a poor review and/or charge you extra cleaning and damage fees, and we're sure that'd be a bummer for you, too. **SHOWER AVAILABILITY DEPENDENT ON WEATHER.**
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$105.30
 / night
Booked 1 time

Rustic Pine Outdoor Weddings & More

11 sites · RVs, Tents10 acres · Medical Springs, OR
One clarification: We are not in North Powder. Working to get this corrected - so no offense to North Powder :) Rustic Pines is close to Medical Springs, Oregon. We're a secluded, 10-acre blend of aspen, pine and grass meadow with a stream weaving through . Our priority is to maintain and caretake this natural oasis. Visitors include private groups; friends, families, self-contained RV groups, eco camp groups, birders, and huckleberry gatherers. Folks who like secluded-but-convenient fresh air break. A place to string up a hammocks, and wander 1.5 miles of mowed walking paths. Events have include outdoor weddings, reunions (class, family, frat/sorority, etc.), private musical performances, and birthday parties, birder gatherings. Various species been spotted on our grounds, and more in the nearby Eagle Cap Wilderness and Wallowa Whitman National Forest. We are not a general admission site. We're natural, private-party destination where memories are made. Weddings under the stars, reunions, private parties, eco campers and self-contained RV groups find our space ideal. Small and large groups are welcome. Our goal is to provide a special experience in a unique venue; set aside for you and your people. Tucked in the foothills of Northeast Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains, we're 20 miles from I-84, and nearly a mile from sight and sound of rural highway 203 (Grand Tour Scenic Byway). Less than a 10 miles from the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area (Oregon's largest wilderness area). * Important to Note - Our 2023 season begins the last weekend of June (some years the towering Eagle Cap peaks share their storms into June). - We're an off-grid destination. - As such, no hookups are provided - We provide bathrooms :) - Generators may be rented (our main building is wired for lighting, music, etc. This can be extended to the outdoor Aspen Chapel and other areas) The 3/4 mile private lane leading to our grounds is easily drive-able. Being natural means we have a few potholes. But they are shallow, and the turns are wide (class four RV's often set up in our main meadow). In addition to natural space, a 30'x60' open-sided pavilion is wired for generator power. We've hosted self-contained RV groups, campers, reunions, and musical performances. Our aspen grove chapel has been the site of outdoor weddings. Once again, we host private groups, exclusively. And once your party checks in, the gate is closed to anyone else. We enjoy providing a special experience for you and your people. At Rustic Pines, you’ll never park next to a stranger. A conversation between a group representative/ lead member is highly beneficial. We're glad to provide more detail and answer questions by phone. We look forward to hosting your group at Rustic Pines. (which is not in North Powder :)
Pets
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from 
$149
 / night

The best camping near Unity Lake State Recreation Site guide

Overview

About

Notice the pleasant scent of juniper upon arriving. It smells like... a fun vacay in a remote location. This 926-acre reservoir forms an oasis in the high desert region of Oregon 50 miles east of John Day. Fish for trout or bass, and purchase firewood and ice at the park.

Hike to the top of the surrounding hillsides for picture-perfect views. Stay until dusk to watch the sun sink below the distant horizon. You can also spot your campsite from up here. Bring some binoculars to scout out the countryside and look for wildlife.

The hilltops are fairly easy to get to. Trails in the area lead to the national forests just west of here. Unity is the perfect base camp for backpackers who want to go out for a few days and then come back to the reservoir. Nothing feels better than a dip in cool waters after a few days in the wilderness.

The campground has 35 electrical sites with water. Campsites are first-come, first-served. Two reservable cabins offer a glamping option.

Notable campgrounds

  • Electrical sites with water: Enjoy the convenience of 35 sites equipped for your camping comfort.
  • Reservable cabins: Choose from two cabins, including one that's pet-friendly, for a snug stay.
  • Hiker/biker camp: A dedicated space for those traversing the scenic trails on foot or by bike.

Tips for snagging a campsite

  • Book up to 6 months in advance to secure your ideal spot amid the natural beauty.
  • For the pet-friendly cabin, check the Pets in Parks FAQ and reserve early to accommodate your furry friend.
  • Consider off-peak seasons for a quieter experience and easier reservation.
  • Explore nearby camping options if your preferred site is booked.

When to go

The best times to visit Unity Lake State Recreation Site are spring and fall, when fishing conditions are prime. Winter offers ice fishing for the intrepid angler. Note that the campground is open from April 1 to November 1, making summer an ideal time for camping, while the day-use area is accessible year-round.

Know before you go

  • Check seasonal closures: The campground is closed from November 1 to March 31.
  • Universal access is available at two sites for campers with disabilities.
  • Firewood and ice are available for purchase, adding convenience to your stay.
  • For any inquiries or reservations, call 800-452-5687 or check the park's website.
  • Remember, no hunting is allowed within the park boundary to ensure safety and preservation.

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