Central Oregon has 12 state parks, with five of them within a short drive of the town of Redmond. This makes the area an ideal place to stage an outdoor vacation for health-conscious and active campers. State parks can be ideal places for tent camping in the area around Redmond, and they're really the only options for tent campers.
Rock Climbing
Located just outside Redmond, Smith Rock State Park is the crown jewel of Oregon's rock climbing world. Walk-in camping is available at the bivouac camp at the park, available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Open fires are not allowed in the park, because of the fragile landscape. You can use a cook stove in designated areas. Campsites are primitive, with no extra facilities, though the park does have a basic restroom. On top of the great hiking, biking and climbing, you'll also have the chance to see eagles, falcons, otters and deer in their native habitat.
Cool Camping
Cove Palisades State Park, just north of Redmond, offers plenty of activities to keep you cool during the hot summer months. The park's Lake Billy Chinook offers boating and fishing opportunities, with 20 boat slips available to reserve. The park's miles of trails also offer plenty of chances to get in a great hike. Ther are two campgrounds–the year-round Crooked River Campground offers more than 90 electrical sites, while the seasonal Deschutes Campground has more than 90 designated tent sites, along with more than 80 hookup sites. Deschutes Campground also has three group tent areas. See the link in Resources to make reservations.
Going Fishing
Just east of Redmond is the fishing haven known as Prineville Reservoir State Park. The large reservoir offers two kinds of trout, bass, crayfish, crappie and catfish, and you can take your boat for a cruise and go swimming. You can also hike on one of the many trails. Two campgrounds have space for tent campers. The main campground has 23 tent sites, while Jasper Point offers another 30 electrical sites that can be used by RVs or tent campers. Both campgrounds have boat access to the reservoir, and the main campground has boat moorage available to reserve. Showers and restrooms are available. Jasper Point is first-come, first-serve.
RV Parks
Two RV parks are the only campgrounds available in the city of Redmond. The Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center is mostly a parking lot, meant for campers driving big rigs, while the Green Acres RV Park is filled with mostly permanent residents living in their RVs. Neither business is tent-friendly, so avoid setting up camp in Redmond and drive a few miles outside the town.
Weather
Central Oregon's climate is different from parts of the state that tend to be more well-known. While the area around Portland and the Willamette Valley is wet and soggy, the area around Redmond is much more arid, with less than 9 inches of rain a year, according to the Redmond Chamber of Commerce. In the summer, the average high is 85 degrees Fahrenheit and the average low is 42. Because of that, be prepared with warm sleeping gear, even in the summer. In the winter, the average high is 47 degrees and the average low is 20. There is a fair amount of snow in the winter, so camping in a tent from November to March is not advisable. Some state park campgrounds even shut down during the winter.
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