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

South Lake Dispersed Area

At an elevation of 2400 feet, this area offers dispersed camping along the northern edge of the lake. The lake is stocked periodically with rainbow trout. There is access for launching non-motorized boats. A vault toilet is provided but no potable water. It is also the eastern trailhead of the Pioneer – Indian Trail.

Booking not publishedTents only

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

South Lake Dispersed Area
Photo from the area. This image was created by user Joseph D. Cohen (Joseph D. Co (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents

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

Season & status

ForestSiuslaw National Forest
RulesCamping Regulations. Internal combustion boat engines prohibited

Siuslaw National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near South Lake Dispersed Area40°50°60°70°January: 11.36 inches of precipitationFebruary: 8.74 inches of precipitationMarch: 8.84 inches of precipitationApril: 6.84 inches of precipitationMay: 4.26 inches of precipitationJune: 2.99 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.76 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.12 inches of precipitationSeptember: 2.98 inches of precipitationOctober: 6.91 inches of precipitationNovember: 12.24 inches of precipitationDecember: 12.65 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 45.9°F averageFebruary: 46.5°F averageMarch: 47.6°F averageApril: 49.5°F averageMay: 53.6°F averageJune: 57.1°F averageJuly: 60.5°F averageAugust: 60.9°F averageSeptember: 59.3°F averageOctober: 54.2°F averageNovember: 49.0°F averageDecember: 45.3°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Cloverdale, 8 miles from the campground at 12 feet, station USC00351682 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 80 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates45.2013° N, 123.7232° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearSafari Town Surf Shop ↗20.2 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗27.9 mi
RV sales & serviceTrailers Plus ↗40.9 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Pioneer Indian ↗
    8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.3 mi
    Pioneer Indian Trail Tie In
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 4.1 mi
    Hebo Lake Loop ↗
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 4.6 mi
    Niagra Falls
    1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

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 →

Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge begins about 10.6 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

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

Can I bring an RV to South Lake Dispersed Area?

South Lake Dispersed Area is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if South Lake Dispersed Area is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Hebo Lake Campground (4 mi), Castle Rock Group Campground (4.8 mi), and Rocky Bend Group Campground (6.3 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby