North Fork John Day Campground (Or)

Umatilla National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Ukiah, OR, OR

Price: From $8 per night

Price range: $8–$25 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (20 reviews)

Season: May through October

This campground sits along the Wild and Scenic North Fork John Day River at the junction of the Blue Mountain and Elkhorn Scenic Byways. It features 20 campsites, 3 accessible toilet facilities, and stock handling facilities. There is no potable water or garbage service, so please pack your garbage home.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Electric Hookups, Camp Host, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/north-fork-john-day-campground-or to be notified when sites open up.

Located along the Wild and Scenic North Fork John Day River at the junction of two scenic byways, this campground serves as the eastern access point to the North Fork John Day Wilderness with excellent backpacking and day hiking opportunities. Campers praise it as quiet with plenty of open space and picnic tables, earning a 4.8/5 rating.

Wildlife alert: Bald Eagles, Western Red-tailed Hawks, Ruffed Grouse, Snowshoe Hares, and Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels documented in the area.

Insider tips for North Fork John Day Campground (Or): Book early—this is a federal campground with high demand. Pack out all garbage; there is no garbage service. Trailhead parking is located at the north end of the campground for access to North Fork John Day River Trail #3022.

Skip North Fork John Day Campground (Or) if: You need full RV hookups; only electric hookups available and campground is suitable for self-contained RVs only.. You require potable water at the site; verify water availability before arrival.. You need year-round camping; seasonal operations May through October only..

Best time to visit North Fork John Day Campground (Or): May-October — Campground operates seasonally during this period only..

Nearby campgrounds: Peavy Cabin (North Powder, OR), Anthony Lake (North Powder, OR), Caretakers Cabin (UKIAH, OR), Olive Lake Campground (Or) (Ukiah, OR).

Cell Phone Coverage at North Fork John Day Campground (Or)

Cell signal at North Fork John Day Campground (Or) (Ukiah, OR): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Umatilla National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

North Fork John Day Campground (Or)

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Ukiah, OR, OR★ 4 (20 reviews)From $8/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

This campground sits along the Wild and Scenic North Fork John Day River at the junction of the Blue Mountain and Elkhorn Scenic Byways. It features 20 campsites, 3 accessible toilet facilities, and stock handling facilities. There is no potable water or garbage service, so please pack your garbage home.

Best for:AnglersHikersWildlife watchersBackpackersSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites4 sites
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking WaterFishing
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric Hookups
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsCamp Host

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need full RV hookups; only electric hookups available and campground is suitable for self-contained RVs only.✕ You require potable water at the site; verify water availability before arrival.✕ You need year-round camping; seasonal operations May through October only.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand.

Pack out all garbage; there is no garbage service.

Trailhead parking is located at the north end of the campground for access to North Fork John Day River Trail #3022.

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during this period only.

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Bald Eagles, Western Red-tailed Hawks, Ruffed Grouse, Snowshoe Hares, and Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels documented in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
(541) 427-3231· Umatilla National Forest
Getting there →

From Ukiah, OR head southeast on Forest Service Road 52 approximately 40 miles to the North Fork John Day Campground and trailhead. Parking for the trailhead is in the north end of the campground. Besides the 20-site campground, there is a large trailhead parking area, toilet, unloading ramp, and facilities for stock animals (corrals, mangers, hitching posts). This site is directly adjacent to the Wild & Scenic North Fork John Day River and the Blue Mountain National Scenic Byway.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Umatilla National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Umatilla National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.
  • Bear country — store all food in bear boxes or locked vehicle at all times.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does North Fork John Day Campground (Or) cost per night?+
North Fork John Day Campground (Or) costs $8–$25 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is North Fork John Day Campground (Or) open?+
North Fork John Day Campground (Or) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does North Fork John Day Campground (Or) have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at North Fork John Day Campground (Or)?+
North Fork John Day Campground (Or) is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at North Fork John Day Campground (Or)?+
North Fork John Day Campground (Or) is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at North Fork John Day Campground (Or)?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at North Fork John Day Campground (Or) is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is North Fork John Day Campground (Or) open, and what are check-in times?+
North Fork John Day Campground (Or) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Umatilla National Forest
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$8 /night★ 4 (20)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does North Fork John Day Campground (Or) cost per night?+
What season is North Fork John Day Campground (Or) open?+
Does North Fork John Day Campground (Or) have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Peavy Cabin

North Powder, OR

From $105/night

Anthony Lake

North Powder, OR

From $12/night

Caretakers Cabin

UKIAH, OR

From $80/night

Olive Lake Campground (Or)

Ukiah, OR

From $12/night

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