U.S. Forest Service · Malheur National Forest · Oregon

Rock Springs Campground

This small campground is conveniently located just off of Forest Road 17. Nestled among ponderosa pine trees, this secluded campground offers a wonderful place for those in search of a quiet place to stay, whether camping or just needing a quiet place to spend the night while traveling from Burns to John Day, Oregon. The campground has light use until big game hunting seasons. Visitors can enjoy fishing in Poison Creek Reservoir, hiking, hunting and horseback riding local trails such as Malheur River Trail #303 and Craft Cabin trail #319.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov12 sitesFrom $6 per nightTents only

More like this: reservable in Oregon · tent only in Oregon

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
vault toilet and campsite in backgroundFee Station and information board
Photos courtesy of USDA Forest Service · Recreation.gov
4fires
active
Jane 102 Rx (prescribed burn) · 4 mi away · 3,000 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups12
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
Fees$6/Night for single unit, $3/Night for extra vehicle

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestMalheur National Forest
Fees$6/Night for single unit, $3/Night for extra vehicle

Malheur National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Rock Springs Campground20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.58 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.01 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.23 inches of precipitationApril: 1.18 inches of precipitationMay: 1.71 inches of precipitationJune: 1.19 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.53 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.38 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.53 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.07 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.44 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.82 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 23.5°F averageFebruary: 26.8°F averageMarch: 33.1°F averageApril: 38.8°F averageMay: 46.8°F averageJune: 53.1°F averageJuly: 60.3°F averageAugust: 58.4°F averageSeptember: 50.3°F averageOctober: 40.5°F averageNovember: 30.8°F averageDecember: 23.4°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Seneca, 12 miles from the campground at 4,660 feet, station USC00357675 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 14 inches a year.

Getting there

From Burns, OR. travel east on US Highway 20 approximately 2.8 miles to US Highway 395 north. Turn right onto US Highway 395 north toward John Day, OR. Follow US Highway 395 for approximately 30.8 miles to the junction with Forest Road 17. Turn right onto Forest Road 17, travel 4.8 miles to the junction with Forest Road 054.

Coordinates43.9990° N, 118.8396° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Jane 102 Rx

    4 mi from the campground · 3,000 acres

  • Prescribed
    Damon 2A Rx

    18 mi from the campground · 85 acres

  • Prescribed
    Greenwood Rx

    33 mi from the campground · 38 acres

  • Wildfire
    Second Flat

    40 mi from the campground · 105,854 acres · 99% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗31.4 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Kelly Park/Rock Springs campground review (with site by site tour)

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Malheur National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Nearby

  • Idlewild Campground
  • Joaquin Miller Horse Camp
  • Craft Cabin Trail
  • Idlewild Loop Trail
  • Joaquin Miller Horse Trail
  • Poison Creek Reservoir
  • Burns BLM

Guidebooks for Oregon

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Rock Springs Campground?

Sites at Rock Springs Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Rock Springs Campground?

$6/Night for single unit, $3/Night for extra vehicle

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Rock Springs Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Rock Springs Campground have?

12 sites, including 12 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I bring an RV to Rock Springs Campground?

Rock Springs Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Recreation.gov

What if Rock Springs Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Parish Cabin Campground (12.9 mi), Joaquin Miller Horse Camp (13.6 mi), and Wickiup Campground (15.1 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby