Sunriver, Oregon, is a planned community in Deschutes County, at the heart of the Deschutes National Forest and on the Deschutes River. Sunriver has residential areas, recreational facilities and the Sunriver Resort. The Sunriver Resort does not have facilities for camping, but are many campgrounds are available in the Deschutes National Forest between Sunriver and the town of Bend. Take part in a variety of outdoor activities from kayaking and canoeing to rafting and hiking.
Types
Choose to stay at a commercial campground between Bend and Sunriver or at a state park campground close to Sunriver in the Deschutes National Forest. Commercial campgrounds provide many facilities and leisure amenities including hot water showers and modern restrooms, and offer plenty of space for both RVs and tents. The campsites in the Deschutes National Forest offer a more basic set of amenities. Both types of campground are close to the Deschutes River for boating, fishing and swimming.
Commercial Campgrounds
The Bend/Sunriver Thousand Trails preserve is a 283-acre campground on the Little Deschutes River, 4 miles from Sunriver, which offers 300 electric and water hook-ups sites for RV travelers. The park also has plenty of space for tent campers. Leisure amenities include basketball courts, Frisbee golf, mini-golf, a swimming pool and spa. Twin Lakes Resort is on the banks of the Deschutes Channel of Wickiup Reservoir and has electric, water and sewer hook-up RV sites.
Forest Camping
The Fall River Campground is 15 miles from Sunriver, near to Fall River. The campground has 10 sites for RVs and tents. The maximum permitted length of RV is 30 feet and there are no hook-ups. Toilets are vault-style and the forest sites have no showers or hot water. Big River Campground, 10 miles south of Sunriver, has 11 sites for RVs and tents and a group camping area. The facilities here are also basic, with no hook-ups, showers or drinking water.
State Park Camping
LaPine State Park is within Deschutes National Forest, 12.5 miles south from Sunriver. LaPine State Park provides 80 full hook-up spots, 48 electric hook-up sites plus rustic and deluxe cabins. Further amenities include showers, a dump station, picnic sites and restrooms. Some of these sites are alongside the Deschutes River. Camping in LaPine State Park offers easy access to swimming and boating, mountain biking and hiking, plus cross-country skiing and snow shoeing in the winter.
Hiking
A camping trip to Sunriver is a great opportunity to strap on your hiking boots and take in some fresh air. The Fall River campground is close to the 3-mile Fall River Trail, which has five trailheads along the river plus one within the campground. Access the Deschutes River Trail from the Big River campground, a moderately difficult 9-mile trail. For a more challenging hike, take the Charlton Lake Trail from Charlton Lake, 35 miles from Sunriver. This route connects with the Pacific Crest Trail.
Weather
Sunriver is in Central Oregon, which sees around 300 days of sunshine each year. Central Oregon has low humidity levels and, at 4,200 feet in elevation, the climate is arid, high desert. Most of the precipitation falls as snow in the winter so if you camp in the summer you'll likely experience a dry vacation. Summer days are warm, with an average temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit in July, and nights are cool. Days are cool in the wintertime, and December sees a low of 23 degrees Fahrenheit.
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