0
Pull-thru
USFSDeschutes National Forest · Oregon
Elk Lake Campground
Overview Elk Lake Campground is located on the north end of Elk Lake along the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway.
Sites2216 reservable
Elev.4,941ft
Comf.Jun-Oct5 months
Max rig40 ft
Electricnonesites
From Bend0h57real 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 4,941 ft, Elk Lake Campground has a 5-month comfortable window (Jun-Oct). Winter nights average around 26°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 22 sites total: 16 reservable and 6 first-come, first-served. Within about 4 miles: 1 named hiking route, 6 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
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
Jun-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
88%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 12
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 8.
50°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Bend
32 mi
0h57
02
Eugene
121 mi
3h05
03
Medford
170 mi
4h15
04
Portland
208 mi
4h49
By drive time
Picking your site
04 · 22 SITES
Color byShow only
20 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
22
Sites
★ The standout
Site 014
Loop 2 · good location · shaded.
To neighbor
102 ft
Location
Good
Max rig
30 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
1
Trail segments
46
Peaks
6
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
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.