Oregon Mine Campground
Open first-come, first-served with no fees and no reservations. Vault toilet on site; no potable water, so bring your own and pack out all trash.
Air Quality Alert issued August 8 at 7:36PM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued an Air Quality Advisory until further notice. For the Smoke Air Quality Advisory, wildfires burning in the region combined with forecasted conditions will cause air quality to reach unhealthy levels. Pollutants in smoke can cause burning eyes, runny nose, aggravate heart and lung diseases, and aggravate other serious health problems. Limit outdoor activities and keep children indoors if it is smoky. Please follow medical advice if you have a heart or lung condition. For additional information...please visit the Web site at http://www.oregon.gov/DEQ
Air Quality Alert issued August 5 at 2:33PM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued an Air Quality Advisory until further notice. For the Smoke Air Quality Advisory, wildfires burning in the region combined with forecasted conditions will cause air quality to reach unhealthy levels. Pollutants in smoke can cause burning eyes, runny nose, aggravate heart and lung diseases, and aggravate other serious health problems. Limit outdoor activities and keep children indoors if it is smoky. Please follow medical advice if you have a heart or lung condition. An Air Quality Advisory for elevated levels of ozone pollution, or smog, is in effect for Hermiston in Umatilla County. Ozone pollution is expected to reach levels that could be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, pregnant people, older adults and people with heart or respiratory conditions. DEQ expected the Air Quality Advisory to last until 10 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. For additional information...please visit the Web site at http://www.oregon.gov/DEQ
Alcohol Prohibitions
This Order describes acts that are prohibited upon lands, roads and trails within the National Forest System administered by the Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region in regards to alcoholic beverages.
About
Oregon Mine Campground is a small, primitive five-site forest camp on the Blue Mountain Ranger District of the Malheur National Forest, tucked into a stand of large ponderosa pines along Murderers Creek. Sites have compacted gravel and dirt pads with raised fire rings and picnic tables, and several pull up close to the creek. A buck and pole corral adjacent to the campground makes it a popular base for horse campers, and the area sees heavier use during late-summer and fall big game hunting seasons. Facilities are bare-bones: a vault toilet serves the campground, there is no potable water, and trash must be packed out. There are no fees, no reservations, and no hookups, so the camp operates first-come, first-served. Horses must not be pastured in the riparian area, and only certified weed-free hay is permitted. Recreation in the area includes bird watching, fishing in Murderers Creek and nearby drainages, big game hunting in season, and day hiking in the Cedar Grove Botanical Area and on Fields Peak Trail. The Murderers Creek Wild Horse Territory surrounds the campground, and visitors occasionally spot wild horses moving through the country.
Directions
From John Day, OR, travel approximately 18 miles west on US Highway 26 to the junction of Forest Service Road 21. Travel south on FSR 21 for approximately 12 miles to the junction with Forest Service Road 2170, then west on FSR 2170 to Oregon Mine Campground.
Amenities
| Water | No |
| Fires Allowed | Yes |
| Toilets | Yes |
| Dump Station | No |
| Wifi | No |
| Pets Allowed | Yes |
| Showers | No |
| Electric Hookups | — |
| Water Hookups | — |
| Sewer Hookups | — |
| Camp Store | No |
| Price | $0 |
Vehicle
| Max RV Length | — |
| Max Trailer Length | — |
| Big Rig Friendly | No |
| Pull Through Sites | — |
Contact
| SM.FS.malpubinfo@usda.gov | |
| Phone | +1 (541) 575-3000 |
Cell Service
| AT&T | None |
| Verizon | None |
| T-Mobile | None |
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