Tuesday – July 26, 2016
Deschutes National Forest
Dispersed Camping – Forest Road 41
Bend, Oregon
We spent a restful night a the Sno-Park at mile marker 14 on the Century Drive Highway, along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. During the night two other campers in Class B RV’s had joined us to spend the night.
We passed a Forest Ranger Station on our way to the Sno-Park yesterday. It was closed for the day. We returned today to get information and maps on dispersed camping within the Deschutes National Forest. The ranger provided us five maps and basic rules for dispersed camping. So off we go on Forest Road 41 in search of a campsite.
We find a temporary spot on the river side of Forest Road 41 to unhitch the trailer while we search for a suitable campsite. About 1.5 miles east of the Century Drive Highway on Forest Road 41 we find a rutted dirt road leading into the forest. We subsequently see log trucks hauling logs on this road from the interior of the forest. An adjacent road leads up a hill and forms a circular route back to the logging road. There are a few very nice campsites within this section, but unfortunately all of them are occupied. There are about 50 yards of forest separating the campsites. We return to the logging road and find four more campsites that are also occupied. We find another dirt road that splits off from the logging road. We follow this road for one mile and success! We find the perfect campsite. The campsite is quite large and isolated from other dispersed campsites in the area. Having secured this free campsite, we can now explore the Bend, Oregon area.
The Deschutes National Forest is located in central Oregon. It comprises 1.8 million acres along the east side of the Cascade Mountain Range. Within the boundaries of the Deschutes National Forest is the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, containing cinder cones, lava flows, and lava tubes. The Deschutes National Forest as a whole contains in excess of 250 known caves. The forest also contains five wilderness areas, six National Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Oregon Cascade Recreation Area, and the Metolius Conservation Area.
Recreational activities in Deschutes National Forest include boating, fishing, wildlife watching, and hiking, as well as mountain biking on an extensive system of trails. Hiking and skiing can be done on Mount Bachelor, a stratovolcano in the Cascade Range.
Tomorrow another adventure begins.
Travel Details:
Departed: Snow Park – Forest Road 46 – Mile Marker 14
Departure Time: 9:30 A.M.
Arrived: Deschutes National Forest Ranger Station
Arrival Time: 9:50 A.M.
Campground Name: Dispersed Camping – Forest Road #41
Type: Deschutes National Forest
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: N 43.98896
Longitude: W 121.40256
Elevation: 3,969 Feet
Camping Fee: Free
Campsite: See GPS Coordinates
Campsite Hookups: None
Campground Amenities: None
Total Campsites: Several in area.
Cellular Service: Verizon – 4G-1 Bar
Internet Service: Verizon Jetpack – 5 Bars
Dish TV Satellite Service: Takes 25 minutes to download service - many trees
blocking antenna
Total miles traveled today: 8
Route Traveled:
North on Century Drive Highway
East on Forest Road 41 to Dispersed Campsite
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