0
Pull-thru
USFSWillamette National Forest · Oregon
Gold Butte Lookout
Overview The Gold Butte Lookout sits on the summit of Gold Butte at an elevation of 4,618 feet in the Willamette National Forest.
Sites1all reservable
Elev.4,482ft
Comf.Jun-Sep4 months
Max rig20 ft
Electricnonesites
From Bend2h31real 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 4,482 ft, Gold Butte Lookout has a 4-month comfortable window (Jun-Sep). Winter nights average around 24°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 1 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: 7 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and cool nights. Softest on shade.
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-Sep
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
85%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 17
Last spring frost; first fall frost Sep 29.
45°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Bend
91 mi
2h31
02
Portland
107 mi
2h45
03
Eugene
112 mi
2h54
04
Medford
275 mi
6h05
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 5.7 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
Trail segments
11
Peaks
7
Viewpoints
1
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
5.7 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.