What You Need to Know

Is It Legal to Camp in Your Car, Van or RV in Bend?

Bend is fast becoming one of the most popular outdoor destinations in the United States. With that comes expensive lodging and busy paid campsites. With the exploding popularity, more and more people are turning towards free campsites and car camping.

It is illegal to sleep overnight in your car on side streets or within the Bend city limits. Though you can park your car in the same location for up to 3 business days. If you decide to chance it and sleep in your car, prepare for a knock on your door. While Bend police don’t seek car campers, they will enforce the rule for any complaints.

Where Can You Camp for Free in Bend?

As you’ll see below, there are plenty of options for free camping near Bend. Free camping is available in National Forests, Sno-Parks, and on BLM(Bureau of Land Management) land.

A Note on Camping in Bend

The population of Bend has doubled in the last 20 years and its popularity among outdoor enthusiasts has exploded. Add to that a growing number of homeless and there are now overuse issues to consider.

Recently there was a petition to close camping access to, Phil's Trailhead, one of the best free campsites in the country. There have been many reports of campers not taking proper care of this public land. Including dumping grey water, defecating in the open or on private property, and leaving trash behind. Adding to the issues were "campers" staying well past the 14 days allowed.

Before arriving for our stay in Bend, the first time back in 2020, I was warned of the potential of squatters taking over campsites. Unfortunately this was absolutely the case then and i'm sure its still the case now. We can't control this problem ourselves but we can make sure, as a respectful community, not to contribute to it.

With that said we need to make sure that we follow the rules in place:

• Keep your stay in the area to 14 days
• Follow the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace.
• Pick up trash after others who aren't respecting the land.
• Report any disrespect of the land to the forest service.
• Respect private property in the area.

We 100% support public access to public lands and don't believe that they should be closed due to a few who ruin it for others. We can not give any reason to local's in Bend, or any area, to try to strip our right to use this land the way it was intended.

The Best Free Campsites in Bend

As mentioned Bend is a popular destination for all outdoor activities, and one of the most popular is camping. Lucky for us there are not only plenty of paid options, but free camping options as well.

In our experience, the best free campsites in Bend are Phil’s Trailhead, the Sno-Parks on Cascade Lakes Byway, Badlands Rock and Harrington Loop Road Dispersed.

1. The Big Dirt Lot at Phils Trailhead

Dispersed Camping behind Phil’s Trailhead is one of my favorite free camping spots in the country. The vicinity to trails, Downtown, River West and Southern Crossing make this a perfect spot for a couple of nights. The road into Phil’s, off of Skyliner, is easy to access to access and doesn’t require 4 wheel drive. Dirt roads going in can get slightly bumpy, but this is one of the easier forest service roads to access for all vehicle types.

After you pass the bathrooms and parking lot of Phil’s Trailhead, you will start down the dirt road where the campsites are. On the right-hand side, you will see a big dirt parking lot that is open for camping. This lot is usually filled with RVs and larger vehicles soaking up the ample amounts of sun. This is a brilliant spot if you get in later in the evening and don’t want to chance driving further down the Forest Road. It is a big dirt lot though, so you won’t find much shade or privacy.

With that said do not stay here past a couple of nights! As mentioned in the note above there are rampant issues here with overuse and squatters taking advantage of the area. Please don’t contribute to the problem. After all this is just a big dirt lot and shouldn’t be somewhere you stay for very long.

If you see something that shouldn’t be happening flag down a forest service vehicle in the morning to let them know. Respect the locals and private property near it and pick up any trash, yours or not, in the area.

Coordinates: 44.03055079130083, -121.38676979396632

Cell Service: Yes. 2-3 bars of LTE from Verizon

Bathrooms: Parking lot of Phil’s Trailhead

Picnic Tables: No

Fire Pits: No

Water: No

Vehicle Access: All. This is perfect for RVs, buses and other large vehicles.

2. Forest Service Road 4604 at Phil’s Trailhead

As you continue past the big dirt lot, you will pass a right-hand turn that leads to dispersed sites. In our experience, these sites were all taken, but seemed like quality sites. Continue past this right-hand turn until you are given the option to take a left or continue straight around the curve. Continue straight and you will see 4-5 sites on your left and right. These were our favorite sites in this area and weren’t scarce for a 14 day stay in June. July or August might be another story. If these sites are taken, continue further down the road and there will be sites on both sides of the road. The road gets a little more narrow and rocky as you go further in, but you will be fine without 4 wheel drive.

Coordinates: 44.04669, -121.38448

Cell Service: Yes. 2-3 bars of LTE from Verizon. The further back you go the less service you have.

Bathrooms: Parking lot of Phil’s Trailhead

Picnic Tables: No

Fire Pits: Yes

Water: No

Vehicle Access: All. There are RV’s down this road, but the further you go the harder it is to turn around and the more narrow the road gets. Our suggestion would be not to go past the first few sites after the left turn option.

3. Meissner, Wanoga or Swampy Lake Sno-Parks

Sno-Parks in Oregon offer free camping from May 1st to October 31st. For the rest of the year, a permit is required. The Sno-Parks in Bend are all paved parking areas that allow car camping for many vehicles. They are at higher elevations on the road heading up to Mt. Bachelor and provide a nice drop in temperature during the hotter months. The vicinity to trails, hiking and the mountains makes these great choices for 2-3 days at a time. Our suggestion would be to spend your extended time closer to town and then short outings in the snow parks based on your activity. There are more than a few options available on the way up.

Coordinates: Check out Meissner Sno Park, Wanoga and Swampy Lake.

Cell Service: Yes. 2-3 bars of LTE from Verizon. The further back you go the less service you have.

Bathrooms: Yes

Picnic Tables: No

Fire Pits: No

Water: No

Vehicle Access: Yes, these are paved parking lots.

4. Harrington Loop Road Dispersed

If you are looking for a spot with access to Bend but slightly out of town, then this free camping area in Sisters, Oregon, is a splendid choice.  Harrington Loop is just 20-25 minutes from downtown Bend and provides a great option for those coming into town from Mt. Hood. We stopped and stayed here the first two nights before heading onto Forest Road 4604 afterwards. This a big dirt loop with a ton of spots and fire pits. It was busy during the end of May, but not so much were there wasn’t a spot available on a Thursday night.  

Coordinates: 44.2506, -121.4967

Cell Service: Yes. Full bars of LTE from Verizon. Cell service heaven! 

Bathrooms: No

Picnic Tables: No

Fire Pits: Yes

Water: No

Vehicle Access: Yes, easy access for all types of vehicles.  This is a loop so no real turnaround issues.

5. Badlands Road Dispersed

Another site to stay, only 25 minutes, that provides convenient access to Bend. This is on land from the Bureau of Land Management and includes a big gravel lot for RVs, buses and other large vehicles. There are also several smaller roads with access for vans and other vehicles. This was only a one night stop, but it provided superb mountain views while we were there.

Coordinates: 43.9435, -121.0257

Cell Service: Yes. 2-3 bars from Verizon. 

Bathrooms: No

Picnic Tables: No

Fire Pits: No

Water: No

Vehicle Access: Yes, the roads are dirt and gravel, so there is easy access for all types of vehicles. No turnaround issues as there is a big gravel lot for parking.

Maps and Planning

Home Base: Forest Service Road 4604

This provides the most comfortable option, for up to 14 days, in a location that is closest to Bend. Not only are you steps away from running and mountain bike trails, but you are less than 15 minutes from Deschutes River and Downtown Bend. You are also in a prime location that’s 30 minutes from Mt. Bachelor and less than 45 minutes from Smith Rock. This is a location you will want to spend the full two weeks at.

2-3 Night Stay: The Sno-Parks

Depending on how long you are in Bend for, the Sno-Parks are a great option. We planned the big hikes at Mt. Bachelor, South Sister and Bend Glacier to No Name Lake around our stay at the Sno-Parks on the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. These free parking lots provide camping that’s less than 15 minutes to the best hiking in the Bend area.