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
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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
Susan C
VerifiedJuly 6, 2025 • Stayed at: 08, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
A charming and seemingly underutilized location. During a week when all of the state parks we’re unavailable,this little national gem was almost vacant! Sites vary dramatically in size! Before forewarned! Some are not much larger than a large van with space for a tent in the grass beyond. Other others, like the one I was in was spacious enough for my 24 foot trailer, my Ford F150, and my friend’s SUV with plenty of room for the picnic table and fire ring. A dense under story keeps the sites very private and trees provide just enough shade, but allow for good use of solar too! My only regret was being there before all of the blackberries were ready to ripen! My site was on the end across the road from the parking area for the beach, right on the lake. A few cars came through to make day use of the lake and there were some nighttime visitors on Friday, but it was never a disturbance. There is a great trail that takes you over to large sand dunes to get to a beautiful spot on the beach! It’s pretty straightforward, though walking through the sand might be more of a challenge than some people are up for!This will be my go to place when I am in this area! Clean vault toilets, portable water, and some road noise that diminishes dramatically at night.
Susan C
VerifiedJuly 6, 2025 • Stayed at: 08, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
A charming and seemingly underutilized location. During a week when all of the state parks we’re unavailable,this little national gem was almost vacant! Sites vary dramatically in size! Before forewarned! Some are not much larger than a large van with space for a tent in the grass beyond. Other others, like the one I was in was spacious enough for my 24 foot trailer, my Ford F150, and my friend’s SUV with plenty of room for the picnic table and fire ring. A dense under story keeps the sites very private and trees provide just enough shade, but allow for good use of solar too! My only regret was being there before all of the blackberries were ready to ripen! My site was on the end across the road from the parking area for the beach, right on the lake. A few cars came through to make day use of the lake and there were some nighttime visitors on Friday, but it was never a disturbance. There is a great trail that takes you over to large sand dunes to get to a beautiful spot on the beach! It’s pretty straightforward, though walking through the sand might be more of a challenge than some people are up for!This will be my go to place when I am in this area! Clean vault toilets, portable water, and some road noise that diminishes dramatically at night.
Shon H
VerifiedJuly 5, 2025 • Stayed at: 05, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
Beautiful campground! The camp host was very friendly and helpful! Very clean bathrooms and well kept campgrounds
Shon H
VerifiedJuly 5, 2025 • Stayed at: 05, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
Beautiful campground! The camp host was very friendly and helpful! Very clean bathrooms and well kept campgrounds
Lorelei V
VerifiedJune 30, 2025 • Stayed at: 09, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
It's a nice enough campground. When I got there, there was only one other group besides the host who was off duty. Cars drive through quite a bit, and one seemed to make multiple trips, plus stopping to look into the back of my vehicle. My dog barked, and they left quickly. Then they went around again to get out and peer through the bushes. It did not seem safe, and I packed up and left.
Lorelei V
VerifiedJune 30, 2025 • Stayed at: 09, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
It's a nice enough campground. When I got there, there was only one other group besides the host who was off duty. Cars drive through quite a bit, and one seemed to make multiple trips, plus stopping to look into the back of my vehicle. My dog barked, and they left quickly. Then they went around again to get out and peer through the bushes. It did not seem safe, and I packed up and left.
Michael P
VerifiedJune 11, 2025 • Stayed at: 04, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
The Volunteer host was awesome, so friendly the entire week we were there
Michael P
VerifiedJune 11, 2025 • Stayed at: 04, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
The Volunteer host was awesome, so friendly the entire week we were there
Miranda D
VerifiedOctober 5, 2024 • Stayed at: 05, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
The camp host came over and tried opening my daughter's tent at 8 am and was very rude while asking for proof that there was a reservation made. She showed him the picture of the reservation reciept and he turned around and walked away. I have been camping at carter Lake for 35 years and never has anyone treated us this way. I do not appreciate it at all and will be rethinking our camping trips to carter lake in the future
Miranda D
VerifiedOctober 5, 2024 • Stayed at: 05, Loop: AREA CARTER LAKE
The camp host came over and tried opening my daughter's tent at 8 am and was very rude while asking for proof that there was a reservation made. She showed him the picture of the reservation reciept and he turned around and walked away. I have been camping at carter Lake for 35 years and never has anyone treated us this way. I do not appreciate it at all and will be rethinking our camping trips to carter lake in the future
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
