Burnt Ranch Campground

Reveiws that recommend 4wd are totally bogus. My wife and I stayed there in our 21 foot RV and had no problem with accessibility. Some sites are not very level. Others are fine. No electricity or water. Pit toilets.
8 years ago (01-11-2017)

Rugged and peaceful. Great place to watch the eclipse in 2017! There were lots of other people there for the eclipse, but on any other day, you might just have the whole place to yourself. It's a few miles from the Painted Hills National Monument.
8 years ago (26-08-2017)

Nice, really primitive campground. no water, NO RESTROOMS (do not believe any web-sites, bushes will be your restroom, there is plenty of them though :) ). we visited place in the end of July, no mosquitoes (which is super cool, did not expect that). fishing, swimming, relaxing. there is a nice hike along the river (don't spook people in the bushes, lol). dog friendly (super-friendly). beautiful place, if I will visit the area and need to camp somewhere, I will definitely return (without whiners now :) ).
8 years ago (24-07-2017)

Awesome location and view! WARNING: You need a high clearance vehicle and 4 wheel drive to get in and out. The road is very worn out, I struggled with my Subaru Crosstrek!
8 years ago (14-09-2017)

Highly recommended adventurous campsites along the John Day River that are accessible by both boat and vehicle can be found at the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) sites just north of the Painted Hills Unit. The areas are called Lower Burnt Ranch, Burnt Ranch, and Priest Hole. These areas combined are commonly referred to the "Burnt Ranch Campground. The drive along Burnt Ranch Road, north of the Painted Hills Unit, is a bumpy rock and gravel trek through amazing canyons and rocky outcroppings and is an exceptionally scenic drive. The road leads to three of the state’s finest BLM camping areas with primitive camp spots. There is rocky beach access and boat ramps leading to the river. There are no services such as trash pick-up or water; there are vault toilets, however. There are no campfires allowed from June – September at BLM campgrounds and on the BLM land along the John Day River; plan a trip just before or after this time frame if you would like to have a roaring fire while you camp. Priest Hole has been known to be a summertime party spot with locals, but these three campgrounds are close together and you can scope them out before settling down and choosing the right one to make camp. The camping experience at either Lower Burnt Ranch, Burnt Ranch, or Priest Hole is exceptional as there is no finer view than from a tent along the John Day River.
9 years ago (23-01-2017)