Elk Lake Campground

Elk Lake w/ view of South Sister
Elk Lake w/ view of South Sister
ELK LAKE CAMPGROUND
ELK LAKE CAMPGROUND

Featured amenities

Parking Parking
Restrooms Restrooms

Sites & Rates

Average nightly rates

16 total sites

RV Sites

16 sites

About Elk Lake Campground

Elk Lake Campground is located on the north end of Elk Lake along the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway.

Number of accommodations: 16

Activities & Attractions

Nearby

Boating

Boating

Spring Summer Fall
Fishing

Fishing

Year-round
Hiking

Hiking

Year-round
Swimming

Swimming

Summer

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently open - May 29 to Sep 26

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Parking Parking
Restrooms Restrooms
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Restrooms
Parking and Transport

Parking and Transport

  • Parking
Water Access

Water Access

  • Lake Access
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

16 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 001, Loop: Loop 1 RV
No Hookups
🚐 002, Loop: Loop 1 RV
No Hookups
🚐 004, Loop: Loop 1 RV
No Hookups
🚐 008, Loop: Loop 1 RV
No Hookups
🚐 009, Loop: Loop 1 RV
No Hookups
🚐 010, Loop: Loop 1 RV
No Hookups
🚐 011, Loop: Loop 1 RV
No Hookups
🚐 014, Loop: Loop 2 RV
No Hookups
🚐 015, Loop: Loop 2 RV
No Hookups
🚐 016, Loop: Loop 2 RV
No Hookups
🚐 017, Loop: Loop 2 RV
No Hookups
🚐 018, Loop: Loop 2 RV
No Hookups
🚐 019, Loop: Loop 2 RV
No Hookups
🚐 020, Loop: Loop 2 RV
No Hookups
🚐 021, Loop: Loop 2 RV
No Hookups
🚐 022, Loop: Loop 2 RV
No Hookups

Reviews (140)

What Guests Are Saying

Elk Lake Campground offers a beautiful and relaxing setting with great access to the lake, and visitors appreciate the close proximity to a nearby resort with food and activities. While many campers enjoyed their stays, highlighting the cleanliness of the campground and the helpfulness of the camp host, there were some concerns about site conditions, restroom cleanliness, and a lack of water supply. Overall, the campground is seen as a nice spot for camping and outdoor activities, with some areas for improvement.

Review Summary

4.0
140 reviews
5
50.0%
70
4
21.4%
30
3
10.7%
15
2
11.4%
16
1
6.4%
9

Gary E. M

Verified

August 11, 2023 Stayed at: 021, Loop: Loop 2

5

Nothing new here, that other reviews have not said, but "metoo" is useful.

I have been coming to Elk Lake for years, only over nighting since 2022.

The road in is paved asphalt, just one lane and a bit narrow. The host is in the first spot, but we did not talk to them. Others said the host was nice. The toilets and sites were clean, the dumpsters had room for more trash. The road narrows down near the day use area, and people park on the road, so I suggest cars only down to that area.

The site was roomy for my 25' motor home, I backed in with the help of a spotter. I was titled 2.8 degrees to the side, and 1 degree down in the back. Easily fixed with my jacks. Lots of cure chipmunks, some fat. Nice a quiet, only a little highway noise during the day. A short walk to the toilets and water, a little further to the say use area and beach, then a bit more to the lodge. The lodge restaurant closes at 6:30pm , so don't miss dinner like we did.

There was a bit of smoke from the Bedrock fire, not enough to drive anyone away. For a few hours you could not see Mt. Bachelor. The lake is clear and warm. Good kayaking. The wind can come up, and turn, in the afternoon, so keep a weather eye. Some bugs on the lake edges, but nothing that bit me.

Most people we met were locals, or regulars. Several were walking the PCT and had come to the lodge for provisions. All we mete were nice. My dog played with some of the other dogs.

Some of the reserved sites were nover used. Please cancel if you are not going to make your reservation!.

My T-Mobile bounced from 5-bars of LTE to 1-bar of 5G and back again. Voice and SMS good, web pages were slow.

Joe W

Verified

August 11, 2023 Stayed at: 009, Loop: Loop 1

5

Campsites clean and restroom was clean and stocked except for the one near the day use area.
Wish money could be spent updating picnic tables.

Gary E. M

Verified

August 11, 2023 Stayed at: 021, Loop: Loop 2

5

Nothing new here, that other reviews have not said, but "metoo" is useful.

I have been coming to Elk Lake for years, only over nighting since 2022.

The road in is paved asphalt, just one lane and a bit narrow. The host is in the first spot, but we did not talk to them. Others said the host was nice. The toilets and sites were clean, the dumpsters had room for more trash. The road narrows down near the day use area, and people park on the road, so I suggest cars only down to that area.

The site was roomy for my 25' motor home, I backed in with the help of a spotter. I was titled 2.8 degrees to the side, and 1 degree down in the back. Easily fixed with my jacks. Lots of cure chipmunks, some fat. Nice a quiet, only a little highway noise during the day. A short walk to the toilets and water, a little further to the say use area and beach, then a bit more to the lodge. The lodge restaurant closes at 6:30pm , so don't miss dinner like we did.

There was a bit of smoke from the Bedrock fire, not enough to drive anyone away. For a few hours you could not see Mt. Bachelor. The lake is clear and warm. Good kayaking. The wind can come up, and turn, in the afternoon, so keep a weather eye. Some bugs on the lake edges, but nothing that bit me.

Most people we met were locals, or regulars. Several were walking the PCT and had come to the lodge for provisions. All we mete were nice. My dog played with some of the other dogs.

Some of the reserved sites were nover used. Please cancel if you are not going to make your reservation!.

My T-Mobile bounced from 5-bars of LTE to 1-bar of 5G and back again. Voice and SMS good, web pages were slow.

Joe W

Verified

August 11, 2023 Stayed at: 009, Loop: Loop 1

5

Campsites clean and restroom was clean and stocked except for the one near the day use area.
Wish money could be spent updating picnic tables.

sarah w

Verified

August 9, 2023 Stayed at: 004, Loop: Loop 1

4

Clean and good location to the water / beach

sarah w

Verified

August 9, 2023 Stayed at: 004, Loop: Loop 1

4

Clean and good location to the water / beach

Renata H

Verified

August 7, 2023 Stayed at: 011, Loop: Loop 1

4

Elk Lake is a gem. Beautiful! It’s too bad every time I’m there, there are a large number of campsites with “Reserved” signs on them, but no one in the campsite!! I find this everywhere! It’s not fair to those that want/need a camp site. Most should be 1st come 1st serve!!

Renata H

Verified

August 7, 2023 Stayed at: 011, Loop: Loop 1

4

Elk Lake is a gem. Beautiful! It’s too bad every time I’m there, there are a large number of campsites with “Reserved” signs on them, but no one in the campsite!! I find this everywhere! It’s not fair to those that want/need a camp site. Most should be 1st come 1st serve!!

James L

Verified

July 27, 2023 Stayed at: 015, Loop: Loop 2

2

We have been camping at Elk Lake for over 20 yrs. And have always had a great experience. However, we needed to speak with the hosts on our recent stay and for the two days we were there they had a NOT AVAILABLE sign. Left a note to have them please come to see us at our campsite - never did. Unprofessional and disappointing.

James L

Verified

July 27, 2023 Stayed at: 015, Loop: Loop 2

2

We have been camping at Elk Lake for over 20 yrs. And have always had a great experience. However, we needed to speak with the hosts on our recent stay and for the two days we were there they had a NOT AVAILABLE sign. Left a note to have them please come to see us at our campsite - never did. Unprofessional and disappointing.

Location Elk Lake Campground

Address:
P.O. Box 8516
Bend, OR, 97701
United States

Highway access

Elk Lake Campground is accessed via Cascade Lakes Highway (46), which connects to major roads in the Bend area.

Elevation: 1501 feet

Distance to downtown

32 mi drive to downtown Bend (about 42 min)

Policies & Rules

Arrival & departure

Check out time

12PM

General

  • Prevent the spread of invasive species by inspecting and cleaning packs, equipment and tires before using rivers, lakes or trails.
  • Please Note: One RV with tow vehicle per single site or one vehicle per tent site. Most sites can accommodate 1 extra vehicle that is not included with the reservation fee. Extra vehicle will be charged a per night fee and collected at the campground. 
  • Fire Restrictions: Fire restrictions may be imposed at any time due to hot, dry weather conditions, at which time campfires and charcoal fires may not be allowed. 
  • During your time in Central Oregon, you can find wildfire, prescribed fire and smoke information at centraloregonfire.org 
  • Reserved Sites will be held until the day following your arrival date. Sites must be occupied by the checkout time of that following day to hold a reservation or the site will be forfeited and released to other guests. Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.
  • Refunds: Refund requests made through www.recreation.gov will be charged a $10 processing fee. This fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees retained by the reservation contractor, a different entity).
  • Don't Move Firewood: Please protect Pacific Northwest forests by preventing the spread of invasive species. Firewood can carry insects and diseases that can threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by obtaining and burning your firewood near your camping destination. Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further information.
  • Camping or otherwise occupying a single location (including leaving camping equipment and/or related supplies) for a period longer than 14 consecutive calendar days is prohibited. ‘Location’ means the occupied area, the occupied campsite, and the National Forest System lands in the immediate vicinity thereof. Camping or occupying any location on all National Forest lands for more than 28 calendar days total during a calendar year is prohibited.
  • NO generator use is allowed in campgrounds. Silent power banks or battery powered devices are allowed.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: September 10, 2026

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