Featured amenities
Pet Friendly
About Carter Lake
Number of accommodations: 21
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Pet friendly
Pets and Policies
- Pet friendly
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Rates, Sites & Availability
21 Sites Available
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Site Details
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21 Sites Available
No available sites
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Reviews (176)
What Guests Are Saying
Carter Lake is a pleasant and quiet campground with spacious sites, clean bathrooms, and friendly hosts. Visitors appreciate the beautiful lake access for activities like kayaking, as well as the hiking trails leading to nearby dunes. While some sites may have mobility challenges and the beach access could be improved, many guests express a desire to return due to the overall enjoyable experience.
What Guests Are Saying
Carter Lake is a pleasant and quiet campground with spacious sites, clean bathrooms, and friendly hosts. Visitors appreciate the beautiful lake access for activities like kayaking, as well as the hiking trails leading to nearby dunes. While some sites may have mobility challenges and the beach access could be improved, many guests express a desire to return due to the overall enjoyable experience.
Review Summary
Amanda N
VerifiedJanuary 9, 2026 • Stayed at: 22, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
Nice quiet campground. The spots were bigger then I originally thought. My child and I hiked the path to the beach and enjoyed riding the scooter on the paved path through the campground. The lake has a nice size beach where we played for a while. We will be back to this campground.
Amanda N
VerifiedJanuary 9, 2026 • Stayed at: 22, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
Nice quiet campground. The spots were bigger then I originally thought. My child and I hiked the path to the beach and enjoyed riding the scooter on the paved path through the campground. The lake has a nice size beach where we played for a while. We will be back to this campground.
Evelyn L
VerifiedDecember 27, 2025 • Stayed at: 13, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
This is an amazing campground, and #13 is my favorite site. It's very private and large enough for my 4-person tent and a 10x10 canopy shelter with no crowding. The only downside is the steep-sloped and winding steps you have to navigate -- with all your stuff -- to get down and back up to where your vehicle is parked. (A porta-potty is handy for inside the tent at nighttime since the only bathroom facility is a bit of a walk.)
I actually appreciate the fact that there's no cell service; you need to travel into Florence for that, about a 10-minute drive north. Florence makes a good day trip with its Old Town area, commercial & private fishing boats, numerous restaurants, grocery stores, gift shops, a casino, and lots of additional recreational choices in the area.
Evelyn L
VerifiedDecember 27, 2025 • Stayed at: 13, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
This is an amazing campground, and #13 is my favorite site. It's very private and large enough for my 4-person tent and a 10x10 canopy shelter with no crowding. The only downside is the steep-sloped and winding steps you have to navigate -- with all your stuff -- to get down and back up to where your vehicle is parked. (A porta-potty is handy for inside the tent at nighttime since the only bathroom facility is a bit of a walk.)
I actually appreciate the fact that there's no cell service; you need to travel into Florence for that, about a 10-minute drive north. Florence makes a good day trip with its Old Town area, commercial & private fishing boats, numerous restaurants, grocery stores, gift shops, a casino, and lots of additional recreational choices in the area.
Claire V
VerifiedDecember 23, 2025 • Stayed at: 05, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
One of our favorite places to camp. Host and forest service are doing a great job.
Claire V
VerifiedDecember 23, 2025 • Stayed at: 05, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
One of our favorite places to camp. Host and forest service are doing a great job.
Paul W
VerifiedOctober 2, 2025 • Stayed at: 09, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
Great campsite for smaller rigs. Bathrooms very clean. Host very helpful. Great trail through forest, over dunes leading to the ocean. Had a great 2 day stay. No cell coverage but that’s part of a great camping experience.
Paul W
VerifiedOctober 2, 2025 • Stayed at: 09, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
Great campsite for smaller rigs. Bathrooms very clean. Host very helpful. Great trail through forest, over dunes leading to the ocean. Had a great 2 day stay. No cell coverage but that’s part of a great camping experience.
Laurel B
VerifiedSeptember 27, 2025 • Stayed at: 21, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
We originally booked site 20, but switched to 21. 20 is beautiful, but a little cramped and SO windy (late September). 21 is more spacious, protected from wind, and a lovely spot. The camp host was great and the bathrooms were well stocked. I recommend!
Laurel B
VerifiedSeptember 27, 2025 • Stayed at: 21, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
We originally booked site 20, but switched to 21. 20 is beautiful, but a little cramped and SO windy (late September). 21 is more spacious, protected from wind, and a lovely spot. The camp host was great and the bathrooms were well stocked. I recommend!
Location Carter Lake
Address:
Oregon Dunes Visitor Center
Reedsport, OR, 97467
United States
From Florence, travel south on Highway 101 for about 10 miles. The entrance to Carter Lake Campground is on the west (right) side of Highway 101.
Carter Lake Campground is accessible from Highway 101, which runs approximately 10 miles north from Florence. The campground entrance is located on the west side of Highway 101.
Latitude & Longitude: 43.8567 / -124.146
Elevation: 16 feet
Policies & Rules
General
- Guidelines for a safe visit to the Siuslaw National Forest The Siuslaw’s campgrounds, day use areas, and trails continue to be open for public enjoyment. While you are visiting the Forest, please adhere to the following guidelines. These guidelines will help ensure a safe and healthy visit for you and your family, our employees and volunteers, and other visitors: Please keep in mind that restrooms are generally cleaned and disinfected at least once daily at the more popular campgrounds and day use sites, and once to three times a week at other sites. Be prepared to provide your own soap, sanitizer, or disinfectant. If no trash receptacle is provided, please protect your public lands by packing out your waste and trash. For more information on COVID-19 in Oregon, please visit: https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19
- There is a 14-day in 30 rolling days camping limit on the Siuslaw National Forest. The 14 days does not have to be consecutive. The 14-day limit covers the entire Siuslaw National Forest and not just this campground as shown in the Rules Section. This means you cannot go to other campgrounds on the Siuslaw National Forest after reaching the 14-day limit.
- Forest Service-operated campsites on the Siuslaw National Forest are currently available by online reservation only.Visitors can make reservations online through this website (preferred), or via phone by calling the recreation.gov phone line at 877-444-6777. If you call this number, please be prepared for longer-than-usual wait times. Please note that the Siuslaw National Forest does not have any control over the recreation.gov phone line, so we ask you to please prepare by making reservations well in advance.
- Sites must occupied within first 24 hours of arrival time. Otherwise unoccupied sites will be considered a "no-show" and will be released.
- No off-road vehicle use allowed in campground
- For more information on Siuslaw National Forest, click here
- 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.
- Two vehicle maximum per site.
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Last updated: June 4, 2026
