Shady Campground

Wallowa Whitman National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Joseph, OR, OR

Price: From $10 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (0 reviews)

Season: May through October

Shady Campground is a rustic campground located along the Wild and Scenic Lostine River. Nestled in a ’shady’ cool fir and pine tree forest, the campground is popular during the summer for local and regional campers. There are 14 campsites, offering a variety of settings for campers.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Fishing

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

Rustic campground nestled in cool fir and pine forest along the Wild and Scenic Lostine River. Popular for summer camping with access to Maxwell Lake and Eagle Cap Wilderness via nearby Maxwell Trailhead.

Wildlife alert: American Pika, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Red Fox, Mountain Goat, Pacific Wren, American Dipper, Oregon Dusky Grouse present within 8km

Insider tips for Shady Campground: Book early — federal campground fills quickly, especially weekends Visit on weekdays for better availability Use sport utility vehicle or high-clearance vehicle; access road is gravel with washboard conditions for several miles

Skip Shady Campground if: Need hookups — no hookups available. Prefer paved roads — gravel with washboard surfaces. Want to camp outside May-October — seasonal operations only.

Best time to visit Shady Campground: June-September — Primary use season per RIDB; cooler due to elevation and forest cover.

Nearby campgrounds: Two Pan Campground (Joseph, OR), Arrow Forest Camp (Joseph, OR), Turkey Flat Forest Camp (Joseph, OR), Irondyke Forest Camp (Joseph, OR).

Cell Phone Coverage at Shady Campground

Cell signal at Shady Campground (Joseph, 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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Wallowa Whitman National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Shady Campground

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Joseph, OR, OR★ 4 (0 reviews)From $10/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Shady Campground is a rustic campground located along the Wild and Scenic Lostine River. Nestled in a ’shady’ cool fir and pine tree forest, the campground is popular during the summer for local and regional campers. There are 14 campsites, offering a variety of settings for campers.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesBackpackersSites:Tent
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.
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire Rings
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Fishing

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:✕ Need hookups — no hookups available✕ Prefer paved roads — gravel with washboard surfaces✕ Want to camp outside May-October — seasonal operations only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

federal campground fills quickly, especially weekends

Visit on weekdays for better availability

Use sport utility vehicle or high-clearance vehicle; access road is gravel with washboard conditions for several miles

Best: June-September

Primary use season per RIDB; cooler due to elevation and forest cover

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: American Pika, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Red Fox, Mountain Goat, Pacific Wren, American Dipper, Oregon Dusky Grouse present within 8km

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
800-111-1111· Wallowa Whitman National Forest
Getting there →

From Enterprise, Oregon travel west on Highway 82 for 10 miles to Lostine, Oregon; In Lostine turn left at Lostine River Road and go 7 miles; The Lostine River Road turns into Forest Road 8210 at Forest Boundary; Continue 10.5 miles on Forest Road 8210; Campground entrance is on right side of road.

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 — Wallowa Whitman National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Wallowa Whitman National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Shady Campground cost per night?+
Shady Campground costs $10 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Shady Campground open?+
Shady Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Shady Campground have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Shady Campground?+
Shady Campground is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Shady Campground?+
Shady Campground 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 Shady Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Shady Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Shady Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Shady Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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●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.

$10 /night★ 4 (0)
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 Shady Campground cost per night?+
What season is Shady Campground open?+
Does Shady Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Forest campground camping

Two Pan Campground

Joseph, OR

From $10/night

Arrow Forest Camp

Joseph, OR

From $10/night

Forest campground camping

Turkey Flat Forest Camp

Joseph, OR

From $10/night

Irondyke Forest Camp

Joseph, OR

From $10/night

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