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

Kenneth C

Verified

August 16, 2020 Stayed at: 018, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

3

(CLA) Management Company at Smiling River doesn’t even pay minimum wage to camp hosts.... no wonder so many have quit this year. Bring back Hoodoo! Return to first come for at least half of sites. Employees are mostly ok, just the company sucks.

Susan A

Verified

August 16, 2020 Stayed at: 029, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

3

The main thing that interfered with our enjoyment was we were surrounded by generator noise for hours at a time. Would recommend allowing tent campers and those with non generator teardrop trailers, etc. to have sites away from RVs that run generators. Thank you.

Kenneth C

Verified

August 16, 2020 Stayed at: 018, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

3

(CLA) Management Company at Smiling River doesn’t even pay minimum wage to camp hosts.... no wonder so many have quit this year. Bring back Hoodoo! Return to first come for at least half of sites. Employees are mostly ok, just the company sucks.

Jan G

Verified

August 7, 2020 Stayed at: 023, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

3

Let me FIRST SAY that my family has been camping, on the metolius river since 1968, yes, that's over 50 years!
We are now into the FOURTH GENERATION!
This year was different. There was no campground host and several of the bathrooms were closed due to not being usable because they had not been cleaned out...disgusting!
They 1 lady, who came to count cars, was told about the issues on Mon., July 27th, said she would come back on Wed, that she would order cleaning for the toilets, we left on Thur., it had not been done, we didn't see her again either. Funds need to be reallocated and Oregon, not California, needs to oversee our campgrounds and parks.

Jan G

Verified

August 7, 2020 Stayed at: 023, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

3

Let me FIRST SAY that my family has been camping, on the metolius river since 1968, yes, that's over 50 years!
We are now into the FOURTH GENERATION!
This year was different. There was no campground host and several of the bathrooms were closed due to not being usable because they had not been cleaned out...disgusting!
They 1 lady, who came to count cars, was told about the issues on Mon., July 27th, said she would come back on Wed, that she would order cleaning for the toilets, we left on Thur., it had not been done, we didn't see her again either. Funds need to be reallocated and Oregon, not California, needs to oversee our campgrounds and parks.

Pat T

Verified

July 30, 2020 Stayed at: 013, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

4

Nice campground. Camp hosts were friendly. Campsite dusty. Outhouse smelly, but made worse by people not propping door open and leaving lid up.

Pat T

Verified

July 30, 2020 Stayed at: 013, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

4

Nice campground. Camp hosts were friendly. Campsite dusty. Outhouse smelly, but made worse by people not propping door open and leaving lid up.

THOMAS S

Verified

July 22, 2020 Stayed at: 009, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

4

Camping at the Metolius is always special!
Site #9 is very secluded and private!

THOMAS S

Verified

July 22, 2020 Stayed at: 009, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

4

Camping at the Metolius is always special!
Site #9 is very secluded and private!

Chris P

Verified

July 21, 2020 Stayed at: 014, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

5

Wonderful

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

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Managed by USDA Forest Service