Smiling River Campground

Sites & Rates

Average nightly rates

28 total sites

RV Sites

28 sites

About Smiling River Campground

Nestled in Deschutes National Forest, Smiling River Campground offers visitors some of the most stunning scenery in central Oregon and easy access to an abundance of recreational activities.

Number of accommodations: 28

Activities & Attractions

Nearby

Hiking

Hiking

Year-round

Campground Amenities

Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

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

28 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 001, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 002, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 003, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 006, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 007, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 008, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 009, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 010, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 011, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 012, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 013, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 014, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 015, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 016, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 017, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 018, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 019, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 020, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 021, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 022, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 023, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 024, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 025, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 028, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 029, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 030, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 031, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups
🚐 032, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
No Hookups

Reviews (367)

What Guests Are Saying

Smiling River Campground offers a beautiful setting with clean and well-maintained facilities, attracting many campers who appreciate the quiet and peaceful atmosphere by the river. Guests have praised the helpful camp host and the enjoyable outdoor activities available, such as hiking and biking. However, some concerns have been raised about the maintenance of the bathrooms and issues with the reservation system, which could detract from the overall experience.

Review Summary

4.3
367 reviews
5
54.0%
198
4
27.8%
102
3
11.2%
41
2
4.9%
18
1
2.2%
8

Carol L

Verified

July 19, 2023 Stayed at: 015, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

5

Beautiful camping right on the river. The campground was clean and quiet. Daily walks to Camp Sherman General Store and dips in the cool river made this a memorable stay.

Katie B

Verified

July 16, 2023 Stayed at: 020, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

5

Clean quiet campground, beautiful setting, and the river feet away from the site.

Katie B

Verified

July 16, 2023 Stayed at: 020, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

5

Clean quiet campground, beautiful setting, and the river feet away from the site.

Cathy J

Verified

July 11, 2023 Stayed at: 012, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

5

Wonderful campground! Our site, #12, was along the river trail, but the river is not visible from the campsite. The river is bordered by lots of underbrush and trees. There are a few short paths along the trail that lead directly onto the river from a few sites - #11, 13, 14. In some places the river is slow and shallow enough to walk over, in others, it's deep and swift. Lots of fly fishermen. Great birding while we were there at the end of June. Pit toilets, water, camp host, selling wood. Camp Sherman is a mile hike along the river from our campsite. No mosquitos! We loved it and will return.

Cathy J

Verified

July 11, 2023 Stayed at: 012, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

5

Wonderful campground! Our site, #12, was along the river trail, but the river is not visible from the campsite. The river is bordered by lots of underbrush and trees. There are a few short paths along the trail that lead directly onto the river from a few sites - #11, 13, 14. In some places the river is slow and shallow enough to walk over, in others, it's deep and swift. Lots of fly fishermen. Great birding while we were there at the end of June. Pit toilets, water, camp host, selling wood. Camp Sherman is a mile hike along the river from our campsite. No mosquitos! We loved it and will return.

Gabrielle V

Verified

June 28, 2023 Stayed at: 011, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

5

Honestly the perfect campground. The host was super kind and helpful, the trail along the River was the perfect post-dinner walk for my dog and I, it is an amazing location (we hiked Black Butte and explored a bunch of lakes, in addition to getting ice cream from Sno Cap in Sisters, which I also highly recommend), and the weather was pretty much perfect. Didn’t have any issues with bugs, although we did use bug spray so maybe they just left us alone because of that. I will DEFINITELY be back again. Highly recommend. Also want to add that my dog is extremely dog-reactive and it was a fantastic campground because there weren’t a ton of dogs and the sites are spread out! So I would say it’s a pretty decent place for reactive dogs in general ☺️

Gabrielle V

Verified

June 28, 2023 Stayed at: 011, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

5

Honestly the perfect campground. The host was super kind and helpful, the trail along the River was the perfect post-dinner walk for my dog and I, it is an amazing location (we hiked Black Butte and explored a bunch of lakes, in addition to getting ice cream from Sno Cap in Sisters, which I also highly recommend), and the weather was pretty much perfect. Didn’t have any issues with bugs, although we did use bug spray so maybe they just left us alone because of that. I will DEFINITELY be back again. Highly recommend. Also want to add that my dog is extremely dog-reactive and it was a fantastic campground because there weren’t a ton of dogs and the sites are spread out! So I would say it’s a pretty decent place for reactive dogs in general ☺️

Marjorie G

Verified

June 15, 2023 Stayed at: 008, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

5

Love this campground. Restrooms were clean and well cared for. Camp host was friendly.

Edward P

Verified

June 15, 2023 Stayed at: 030, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

3

Unfortunately pollen was so intense it coated everything all the time. The roads have not been patched even though the fees have been raised. The camp host is really outstanding. The better campsite next to us was unoccupied so we couldn't reserve it. Then no shows. Wish they could be prohibited from any future reservations at Smiling River, at least for over a year.

Marjorie G

Verified

June 15, 2023 Stayed at: 008, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

5

Love this campground. Restrooms were clean and well cared for. Camp host was friendly.

Location Smiling River Campground

Address:
Po Box 249
Sisters, OR, 97759
United States

Highway access

Smiling River Campground is located approximately 20 miles from US Highway 20, which provides access to the area.

Elevation: 897 feet

Distance to downtown

19 mi drive to downtown Sisters (about 26 min)

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: September 9, 2026

USDA Forest Service Logo
Managed by USDA Forest Service