Lower Bake Oven Dispersed Camping

The dispersed camping areas along the nearby Tieton River were filled to the brim when we showed up on a summer Sunday. We spent one night in a less desirable spot then decided to explore along the South Fork Tieton Road (Forest Road 1000) for something better. That’s how we stumbled on this beautiful campground. It’s set below the forest road on a flat spot along the South Fork of the Tieton River about 8 miles up from Rimrock Lake. Five unnumbered large sites are each directly on the river. All have picnic tables and fire rings. One has a hitch for horses, several could easily handle 2-3 rigs. The sites are well separated. Road use is light and the river masks sound from other campsites. The campground has a dumpster and excellent vault toilet.

The forest road is one lane with pullouts but paved all the way to the campground. The campground road itself is dirt/gravel and descends steeply, weaving through some trees to the campsites. There was a 24-25 foot trailer camped in one of the sites but I doubt any rig much larger could maneuver the weave. Our truck camper brushed a few trees driving down the campground road but the sites were clear of obstructions.

The Tieton River is closed to fishing so R&R was the order of the day. No Verizon signal, no satellite coverage and no OTA TV or radio. We read and relaxed. Hunting, OHV and horseback riding are popular activities in the area.

Price reflects the price with Golden Age Senior Pass.