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Crooked Wild and Scenic River

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for 1 in every 10 acres of land in the U.S.

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Crooked Wild and Scenic River

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency created by President Truman in 1946 that currently manages nearly 700 million acres of land across the United States. Many of the locations that the BLM oversees offer camping opportunities for a small fee. To find BLM camping sites, you can search “BLM camping near me.”

The Crooked Wild and Scenic River is 125 miles long and flows across Oregon. This river originates in the forests of the Ochoco Mountains, which are located in central Oregon and continue through a diverse range of landscapes before dropping through a desert gorge and converging with the Deschutes River at the Lake Billy Chinook reservoir in Jefferson County, Oregon where The Cove Palisades State Park is also located. Other key areas that the Crooked Wild and Scenic River pass through include the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests as well as the Crooked River National Grassland. This river also flows through Smith Rock State Park, which is famous across the world for its rock climbing options. Because of where this river flows, it has a lot to offer for recreation including hiking and biking, swimming, fishing and boating, climbing, picnicking, hunting, and OHV riding. The Crooked Wild and Scenic River is comprised of three parts: the North Fork, the Chimney Rock segment, and the Lower Crooked River.

What to See and Do

Hiking and Biking

Gray Butte Trail (#852)

Gray Butte Trail (#852) is a popular hiking, biking, and horseback riding trail that has incredible views of the Crooked River National Grassland and the Cascades. You can access this trail from its trailhead, which is located in the southern part of the Crooked River National Grassland. The Gray Butte Trail starts in a juniper forest and offers beautiful views of sagebrush and wildflowers in the spring. After heavy rains, the soils of this trail become muddy and uncomfortable to navigate. It is best to avoid this trail during these times.

Length: 6.3 miles

Intensity: Moderate

Tam-A-Lau Trail (#856)

Tam-A-Lau Trail (#856) is a hiking trail that is accessible from its trailhead at The Cove Palisades State Park. It begins with a short, somewhat-steep climb to a lava plateau called The Peninsula, and it offers excellent views of Lake Billy Chinook, the Deschutes River, the Metolius River, and the Crooked River.

Length: 5.3 miles

Intensity: Easy

Warner Loop Trail

Warner Loop Trail is available for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, and it is accessible from Cyrus Trailhead, which is located on the Crooked River National Grassland. This loop trail connects into the Cole Loop Trail (#854), a trail that’s over 23 miles long and is primarily designed for horseback riders, although hikers and mountain bikers can use it too. The Warner Loop Trail is a flat loop that parallels the dirt roads on the Crooked River National Grassland.

Length: 8 miles

Intensity: Easy

Fishing and Boating

The Crooked Wild and Scenic River has multiple areas that are ripe for fishing. While in the North Fork or Chimney Rock segments of the Crooked Wild and Scenic River, you can fly-fish year-round for an array of redband trout, rainbow trout, and mountain whitefish.

Both the North Fork part of the Crooked River as well as the lower segment of the Crooked River are difficult to float because of low flows and the potential for Class V rapids. The Chimney Rock segment of the Crooked Wild and Scenic River has nearly continuous riverside access. However, this portion of the river is still difficult for most boaters as it requires expert boating skills.

Climbing

World-famous for its rock climbing opportunities, Smith Rock State Park offers more than 1,800 climbing routes and multiple climbing guides for beginners.

Picnicking

The Haystack Reservoir Campground and Day Use Area is the best location for picnicking as it has five shaded pavilions and 12 picnic tables.

Hunting

Rocky Mountain elk, cougars, pronghorns, and mule deer are all available for hunting in the Crooked River National Grassland, the Deschutes National Forest, and the Ochoco National Forest. Turkey hunting is also available at these locations, and there are varying populations of mourning doves, quails, and ruffed grouse that you can hunt too.

OHV Riding

The Crooked River National Grassland offers 18 miles of designated OHV trails. These trails, which are all part of the Henderson Flat OHV Trail System, range in difficulty, and they are only open from April 1st until November 30th. Class I and Class III ATVs are allowed to use these trails, and so are hikers, bikers, and other recreationists like horseback riders, so be careful and stay alert while using these trails.

Bureau of Land Management Camping

RV Camping

BLM RV camping at the Crooked Wild and Scenic River is possible. However, all of the available developed camping sites are near the Chimney Rock part of the Crooked River. At this location, there are nine campgrounds and two day-use areas available, and they are non-reservable. Camping at these sites will cost $8 or $16 per night depending on whether you’re camping at an individual or group site, and for group camping, each additional vehicle costs $2 per night. Drinking water is only available at Chimney Rock Campground, and it has a fishing platform as well.

Free Camping

Dispersed camping is available in the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests. These free camping sites do not provide any amenities such as toilets, trash cans, picnic tables, or fire grates, so you should plan accordingly.

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Credit: Vanna Mae, @vannamaeart

Planning your Crooked Wild and Scenic River BLM trip

When planning your trip, it is imperative that you account for your water needs. Many of the trails have limited or no water sources and get very hot. Be sure to bring enough water to prevent you from getting dehydrated or worse. When camping in either the Deschutes or Ochoco National Forests, do not drink from their natural water sources like creeks, lakes, or waterfalls without treating the water first by bringing it to a rolling boil or by using purification tablets or water filters.

Bureau of Land Management free camping is a fun and affordable way to camp. Before you head out on your trip, check out our blog for all you need to know about BLM camping.

Leave No Trace

When dispersed camping in the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests, you must be aware of the following rules: You should only camp on bare soil, and camping within 200 feet of any water source is prohibited. Also, your campsite should not be in the middle of a meadow or clearing. The Crooked Wild and Scenic River as well as Bureau of Land Management Campgrounds are protected areas. Therefore, you should leave no trace by picking up your trash and disposing of your waste properly.

Crooked Wild and Scenic River Location

To reach the Crooked Wild and Scenic River from Prineville, Oregon, drive south on the Crooked River Highway (OR 27) for 12 miles. The wild and scenic segment begins here and continues south 7.3 miles to Bowman Dam.

The Bureau of Land Management office address for the Crooked Wild and Scenic River is 3050 NE 3rd Street Prineville, OR 97754.

Ready to visit the Crooked Wild and Scenic River? An RV rental is a great way to experience your destination. Not only will you be close to all the action, but at the end of a long day exploring you’ll have your RV to return to for the night where you’ll enjoy a full kitchen, bathroom, and nice soft bed. Not sure about renting an RV? Here’s a step-by-step guide to renting an RV with RVshare.