U.S. Forest Service · Deschutes National Forest · Oregon

Lava Lake Campground

Located near the McKenzie Pass, the primitive Lava Camp Lake Campground is pretty spot conveniently located to multiple trails, surrounded by mountain hemlock and lodgepole pine forests. This campground offers access to the Mt. Washington and Three Sisters Wildernesses and is near the Pacific Crest Trail. The Lava Camp Lake Trail enters Wilderness shortly after leaving the trailhead. Wilderness Permits are required for both day use and overnight stays from this trailhead. See "Permit Info" below for more details.

Closed for the seasonBooking not publishedTents only

More like this: first-come in Oregon · tent only in Oregon

Lava Lake Campground
Photo from the area. Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
4fires
active
Mr Rx Piles (prescribed burn) · 17 mi away
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesNo recreation fee required for day use parking, but a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit is required to hike the nearby Lava Camp Lake Trail.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestDeschutes National Forest
BookingNo reservations required to camp at this campground.
FeesNo recreation fee required for day use parking, but a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit is required to hike the nearby Lava Camp Lake Trail.
RulesWilderness restrictions apply. Maps of areas where special restrictions apply: Dog leash restrictions. Green Lakes. Matthieu Lakes. Moraine Lakes. Motorized and mechanical equipment (including bicycles and drones) are prohibited in the Wilderness. Groups must be under 12 people and 12 head of stock. Build campfires at least 100 feet away from water. Pack in / Pack out!

Deschutes National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Lava Lake Campground20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.74 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.36 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.31 inches of precipitationApril: 0.77 inches of precipitationMay: 1.53 inches of precipitationJune: 1.01 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.55 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.60 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.54 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.09 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.17 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.53 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.8°F averageFebruary: 32.9°F averageMarch: 37.9°F averageApril: 43.0°F averageMay: 50.4°F averageJune: 56.6°F averageJuly: 64.5°F averageAugust: 63.5°F averageSeptember: 55.9°F averageOctober: 44.9°F averageNovember: 35.9°F averageDecember: 29.6°F average0 in1 in2 in3 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Sisters, 12 miles from the campground at 3,180 feet, station USC00357857 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 15 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates44.2610° N, 121.7867° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Mr Rx Piles

    17 mi from the campground

  • Wildfire
    Bench

    33 mi from the campground · 67,071 acres · 90% contained

  • Prescribed
    Muddy Run Rx

    39 mi from the campground · 152 acres

  • Prescribed
    Triple Butte Rx

    43 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearSportsman's Warehouse ↗26.3 mi
RV sales & serviceBig Country RV ↗26.6 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗32.7 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Little Lava Lake Campground, Deschutes National Forest, Oregon Campsite Photos

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Lava Camp Lake
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 0.1 mi
    Millican Crater ↗
    4.6 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 0.5 mi
    Lava River Hiker Loop
    0.1 mi trail · hiking
  • 0.6 mi
    Lava River NRT ↗
    0.3 mi trail · hiking · national_recreation_or_other
  • 0.7 mi
    PCT: Def Sisters ↗
    4.9 mi trail · hiking, horse · national_scenic_or_historic
  • 0.7 mi
    Lava River NRT ↗
    under 0.1 mi trail · hiking · national_recreation_or_other

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Willamette National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Oregon

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to camp at Lava Lake Campground?

No recreation fee required for day use parking, but a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit is required to hike the nearby Lava Camp Lake Trail.

Source: Forest Service

Is Lava Lake Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to Lava Lake Campground?

Lava Lake Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Lava Lake Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Scott Lake (6 mi, first-come), Sisters Cow Camp Horse Camp (8.3 mi, first-come), and Alder Springs (8.4 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby