U.S. Forest Service · Willamette National Forest · Blue River, OR

Cougar Crossing Campground

Cougar Crossing Campground is located on Forest Road 19 about 10 miles south of the Hwy 126 junction.

Open nowPartly reservable11 sites40 ft maxNo hookupsPets okFires ok

Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served.

More like this: first-come in Oregon · reservable in Oregon · big rigs in Oregon · pets allowed in Oregon

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Cougar CrossingSite 06Site 04Site 12
Photos courtesy of AL&L, Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA (CC BY 2.0) · Recreation.gov
2fires
active
Camas Ts Rx (prescribed burn) · 26 mi away
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups10
Host/management1
Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served. For the first-come sites, arrive early on a weekday and take what is open. The booking page shows which of the reservable sites are open. The first-come playbook

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 40 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

10 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadeWaterfrontPeople / vehiclesFiresRating
01Back-in308 / –
08Back-in30Partial
09Back-in30Partial
11Back-in30Partial
02Back-in40GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 2YesPrime
03Back-in40GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 2YesPrime
04Back-in38GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 2YesPrime
06Back-in40GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 2YesPrime
10Back-in26GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 2YesPrime
12Pull-through32GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 2YesPrime

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length40 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

Cougar Crossing offers 11 sites that can accommodate either RV or tent camping. Vault toilets are provided. There is firewood for sale. The interior roads and spurs are gravel. There is no drinking water.

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

Season & status

StatusOpen
SeasonOpen year-round, weather dependent
ForestWillamette National Forest
BookingReserve online at www.recreation.gov or phone 1.877.444.6777. Over half the campsites are available for advance reservation via recreation.gov.
FeesSingle Campsite - $19 per night. Extra Vehicle - $10 per vehicle, per night. Day Use - $10 per vehicle, per day. May have reduced service and lower rates in off months.
RulesCamping is restricted to developed campgrounds in the Cougar Recreation Area.

Willamette National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Cougar Crossing Campground40°50°60°70°80°January: 13.01 inches of precipitationFebruary: 7.49 inches of precipitationMarch: 9.78 inches of precipitationApril: 8.24 inches of precipitationMay: 4.33 inches of precipitationJune: 2.70 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.73 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.59 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.87 inches of precipitationOctober: 5.83 inches of precipitationNovember: 10.97 inches of precipitationDecember: 12.11 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 43.9°F averageFebruary: 46.3°F averageMarch: 49.4°F averageApril: 54.1°F averageMay: 62.1°F averageJune: 66.9°F averageJuly: 73.8°F averageAugust: 73.4°F averageSeptember: 68.0°F averageOctober: 58.1°F averageNovember: 48.6°F averageDecember: 43.3°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Cougar Dam, 5 miles from the campground at 1,260 feet, station USC00351914 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 78 inches a year.

Getting there

From Blue River, OR, travel 4 miles east on Highway 126 to Aufderheide Drive (Forest Road 19). Proceed south on Aufderheide Drive, taking a right at the Y and climbing to the top of Cougar Reservoir (approximately 4.5 miles).

Nearest townBlue River, Oregon
Coordinates44.0578° N, 122.2198° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Camas Ts Rx

    26 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Junction Rx

    38 mi from the campground

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

Supplies & services

Dump stationSweet Home RV Dump ↗34.2 mi
RV sales & serviceOregon West RV ↗40.3 mi
Outdoor gearCabela's ↗41 mi

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

Explore

Video

Cougar Crossing Campground - Willamette National Forest, OR

Worth a stop

The campground and nearby Terwilliger Hot Springs have a colorful history and attract many visitors year round. There is plenty to explore at nearby trails and Three Sisters Wilderness.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

Trailheads within three miles

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 Willamette 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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

Nestled in among a mix of conifers, the campground rests beside the South Fork of the McKenzie River and the south end of Cougar Reservoir. It is the closest campground to Terwilliger Hot Springs.

Recreation

Hiking is popular as the Three Sisters Wilderness, French Pete Trail, Box Canyon Trail, Indian Ridge Lookout, and Cougar Recreation Area are nearby. Many folks also come to the area to bathe at Terwilliger Hot Springs (clothing optional). There is creek and river access, and opportunities for lake recreation. When the reservoir lake level is high, there is a primitive boat launch across from the campground available for use.

Guidebooks for Oregon

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Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Cougar Crossing Campground?

For some sites. Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Cougar Crossing Campground?

Single Campsite - $19 per night. Extra Vehicle - $10 per vehicle, per night. Day Use - $10 per vehicle, per day.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Cougar Crossing Campground?

Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Cougar Crossing Campground open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026. Season Open year-round, weather dependent.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Cougar Crossing Campground have?

11 sites, including 10 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Cougar Crossing Campground?

The longest site here provides 40 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Cougar Crossing Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at Cougar Crossing Campground. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Cougar Crossing Campground?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 2 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. Camping is restricted to developed campgrounds in the Cougar Recreation Area.

Source: Fire nearby

What is there to do at Cougar Crossing Campground?

Hiking is popular as the Three Sisters Wilderness, French Pete Trail, Box Canyon Trail, Indian Ridge Lookout, and Cougar Recreation Area are nearby. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Cougar Crossing Campground?

Blue River, Oregon. The campground and nearby Terwilliger Hot Springs have a colorful history and attract many visitors year round.

Source: Getting there

What if Cougar Crossing Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Sunnyside Campground (0.1 mi, partly first-come), Slide Creek (1.2 mi, partly first-come), and French Pete Campground (1.2 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby