Big Lake

Willamette National Forest — lakeside, hiking

Location: Sisters, OR, OR

Price: From $28 per night

Rating: 3.9 out of 5 (107 reviews)

Season: May through October

This campground provides 49 single campsites. There are both reservable and FCFS sites. The original campsites within Big Lake are in two loops, (sites #1-14 and #15-20) which have eight or so sites with frontage on the lake shore.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): strong signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas. Best carrier: T-Mobile. Verizon 4G: 100%. AT&T 4G: 100%. T-Mobile 4G: 100%.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/big-lake to be notified when sites open up.

Big Lake offers 48 sites with direct lake access in two developed loops, plus a boat launch for water recreation. The campground provides vault toilets and drinking water in a scenic mountain setting near Santiam Pass.

Wildlife alert: Pacific chorus frogs are present in the area. Red foxes have been observed nearby, so secure food and trash properly.

Insider tips for Big Lake: Book early—this is a popular federal campground with both reservable and first-come, first-served sites Sites #1-14 and #15-20 offer direct lake frontage; sites #21-49 have larger parking spurs but require stairs to access tables and fire rings No hookups available, so plan accordingly if you have an RV—the campground is suitable only for self-contained units

Skip Big Lake if: You need RV hookups—none are available at this campground. You're traveling outside May-October—the campground operates seasonally.

Best time to visit Big Lake: May-October — Official operating season for the campground.

Nearby campgrounds: Big Lake West Campground (Sisters, OR), Lost Lake - Willamette (Or) (Blue River, OR), Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) (Sisters, OR), Link Creek (SISTERS, OR).