Cottonwood Pit Campground

Open — Open year-round on a first-come, first-served basis. Winter access may be difficult or impossible due to snow on remote forest roads. No reservations available. 14-day stay limit applies.

About

Cottonwood Pit Campground occupies the site of an old gravel pit in the Ochoco National Forest's Paulina Ranger District. When excavation operations hit the water table and the pit filled with water, the site was abandoned and later converted into a campground. Today, the water-filled pit serves as a popular local swimming hole and is occasionally stocked with trout by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. This is a very primitive, free campground with limited facilities. Campers will find vault toilets and picnic tables at each campsite, but no potable water is available, so visitors must bring their own supply. The campground has a limited number of sites suitable for trailers, and there is no dump station. The site is open 24 hours a day and operates on a first-come, first-served basis with a maximum stay limit of 14 days. Access to Cottonwood Pit requires navigating remote forest roads including Forest Service Road 12, Forest Service Road 4274, and the 080 spur. The campground's remote location in the high desert forest makes it an excellent destination for those seeking solitude, primitive camping, fishing, and swimming during warmer months. Winter access may be limited or impossible due to snow on the unpaved forest roads.

Directions

From Prineville: Travel Highway 26 east for 47 miles to Mitchell, then continue 13 miles east to Forest Service Road 12. Go south on FS Road 12 for 15 miles, turn right onto FS Road 4274, then take the 080 spur to the campground. From John Day: Travel Highway 26 west for 31 miles to Dayville, continue 25 miles west to FS Road 12, go south 15 miles, turn right onto FS Road 4274, then take the 080 spur to the campground.

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