Mckay Crossing

This is a nice campground along Paulina Creek. The park signs were covered with trash bags for winter protection in mid-May (but no snow was present), but there is no gate blocking campsite access. The campground has two loops, on the north and south side of Paulina Creek, connected with a steel bridge.
The sites are not level, so large RVs and travel trailers will have a problem. The north loop has more shade, so would be better in the summer, and the south loop is more open forest and would be good in cooler weather. Sites have a picnic table and fire grate. There are a few pit toilets scattered about the campground. About a third of the sites are close to the river. On the west side of the campground is McKay Falls and it seems people use the pool below the falls as a swimming hole. But the access down there seems steep and dangerous. There is also the trailhead to Peter Skene trail along the creek heading to Paulina Lake.

To get there from La Pine take US 97 to Paulina-East Lake Road (Road 21) and turn left (north) to forest road NF-9736 and drive about a mile. It's a dirt road with washboard and a few ruts along the way, but I would have no problem with a travel trailer or RV down the road. But only one campsite is large enough for long RVs or travel trailers (site #6, the one at the Southeast corner of Paulina Creek and NF-9736). North of the campground, NF-9736 becomes steep and rutted and impassible to normal vehicles.

Nice, spacious site! The campground is split by the creek incl. a small waterfall, which makes it a unique spot. The creek is great for a quick swim or ‘bath’. Vault toilets (one on each side of the creek) could use an upgrade. Especially when the campground is full, it gets dirty fast. There’s a 2/3 mile gravel road that leads into the campground, which is pretty bumpy at times. It’s doable when you take it slow with a larger RV/van. Note that the sides along the river aren’t level, so are more suitable for tents.