1
Pull-thru
USFSRogue River-Siskiyou National Forest · Oregon
Big Elk Guard Station
Overview With a history that dates back to 1907, Big Elk Guard Station is the oldest continuously used administrative site within the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, and a delightful setting for
Sites1all reservable
Elev.4,770ft
Comf.May-Oct6 months
Max rig40 ft1 pull-thru
Electricnonesites
From Medford0h49real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 4,770 ft, Big Elk Guard Station has a 6-month comfortable window (May-Oct). Winter nights average around 28°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 1 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Of the sites, 1 pull-through, and the longest takes a 40-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: 1 named hiking route, 2 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on big-rig fit.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
May-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
90%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
May 31
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 16.
53°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Medford
38 mi
0h49
02
Bend
158 mi
3h25
03
Eugene
199 mi
4h00
04
Portland
304 mi
6h04
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 1.7 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 1 SITES
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
1
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
1
Trail segments
21
Peaks
2
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
1.7 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.