Free Camp Guide
Aerial view of Elk Creek Campground

Oregon Malheur National Forest

Elk Creek Campground

Free to campSet campsiteNo waterToilet
Free to camp The Forest Service record for this site says there is no charge to camp, as of August 2026. Records get old, so look for a sign when you pull in.

About this place

A small rustic campground near the North Fork Malheur Wild and Scenic River. People come to hunt and to fish the stream.

Hunting season is when it fills up.

It is easy to reach in summer, and quiet when you get there.

There is a vault toilet and no drinking water.

The facts

Cost
Free to camp
Drinking water
No, bring your own
Toilet
Yes
Type
Specific campsite
Managed by
Malheur National Forest

Getting there

Coordinates 44.147950, -118.239040

Open in Google Maps Agency page

What is near here

Nothing nationally famous is close. These are the landmarks nearby.

Every distance on this page is the driving distance. A short distance can still take a long time. The road may be closed for the season, covered in snow, or washed out. Many of these roads are dirt. Plan your route before you leave home. Out here there is often no phone signal to look it up on the way.

Nearest town and supplies

John Day is big enough that you’d normally expect fuel and somewhere to buy food. Nobody from here has been to check, so don’t count on it if you’re running low.

Have you been here?

Fees and access change, and the records do not always keep up. If you have been, tell us what you found.

Add road notes for this site

The thing we cannot get from any government record is what the drive in is actually like. If you have done it, this is the most useful thing you can leave behind. We read everything before it appears, and we print a first name with it if you give one.

Where this information comes from

The description on this page is ours. The facts in it, and the fee and facility details below it, come from the Forest Service’s own records, read in August 2026.