Elk Lake
Its 19 sites are reservable through Recreation.gov. Elk Lake is a National Forest campground near Bend, Oregon.
Reservable: Recreation.gov
1 / 3Elk Lake w/ view of South Sister. Photo: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Managed by
- National Forest
- Max RV length
- 40 ft
Elk Lake sits inside Deschutes National Forest. Its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com. It sits right at the edge of Three Sisters Wilderness; its permit and camping rules and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com. It sits 1 mile outside the boundary of Willamette National Forest; its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.
Getting a site
- Managed by
- National Forest
- Reservations
- Recreation.gov Book a site
- Fee
- Fee unknown, see agency
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Sites and hookups
- Total sites
- 19
- Max RV length
- 40 ft
- Site driveways
- Back-in
- ✓ Toilets
- ✓ Potable water
- ✓ Fire rings
- ✓ Pets allowed
On site: Toilets, potable water, fire rings, and pets allowed.
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Campsites
19 sites in 2 loops; the longest takes a 40 ft vehicle. Every site below links to its own page on Recreation.gov, where it is booked. Official site list and booking on recreation.gov.
| Book | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Loop 1 | Standard nonelectric | 36 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 1, site 001 |
| 002 | Loop 1 | Standard nonelectric | 24 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 1, site 002 |
| 004 | Loop 1 | Standard nonelectric | 36 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 1, site 004 |
| 005 | Loop 1 | Standard nonelectric | 40 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 1, site 005 |
| 006 | Loop 1 | Standard nonelectric | 30 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 1, site 006 |
| 007 | Loop 1 | Standard nonelectric | 30 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 1, site 007 |
| 008 | Loop 1 | Standard nonelectric | 24 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 1, site 008 |
| 009 | Loop 1 | Standard nonelectric | 24 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 1, site 009 |
| 010 | Loop 1 | Standard nonelectric | 24 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 1, site 010 |
| 011 | Loop 1 | Standard nonelectric | 22 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 1, site 011 |
| 014 | Loop 2 | Standard nonelectric | 30 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 2, site 014 |
| 015 | Loop 2 | Standard nonelectric | 30 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 2, site 015 |
| 016 | Loop 2 | Standard nonelectric | 30 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 2, site 016 |
| 017 | Loop 2 | Standard nonelectric | 24 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 2, site 017 |
| 018 | Loop 2 | Standard nonelectric | 24 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 2, site 018 |
| 019 | Loop 2 | Standard nonelectric | 24 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 2, site 019 |
| 020 | Loop 2 | Standard nonelectric | 24 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 2, site 020 |
| 021 | Loop 2 | Standard nonelectric | 30 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 2, site 021 |
| 022 | Loop 2 | Standard nonelectric | 30 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Yes | Book loop Loop 2, site 022 |
Data source: Recreation.gov , accessed 2026-09-29. Site details are Recreation.gov's own per-site listing and can differ from the campground-wide facts above.
Rules
- Pets
- Allowed
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Access and cell service
- Elevation
- 4,938 ft
Cell coverage by carrier (FCC map)
- AT&T
- 4G LTE
- T-Mobile
- 4G LTE and 5G (35/3 Mbps)
- Verizon
- No coverage at the campground; 4G LTE mapped about 0.1 mi away
Source: FCC Broadband Data Collection, data as of December 31, 2025
Outdoor coverage each carrier reports to the FCC at this campground's map point, and the nearest mapped coverage within about half a mile. The FCC map only includes 4G LTE at 5/1 Mbps or better and 5G; a weaker signal, a text, or an emergency call may still get through, but don't count on it. These are carrier predictions, not measurements, and can be wrong either way: real service in canyons, under trees, and inside a tent or vehicle is often weaker. 5G speeds are the FCC's 7/1 and 35/3 Mbps tiers. This product uses the FCC Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the FCC.
43.9801, -121.8096 in Deschutes. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Common questions
Do you need a reservation at Elk Lake?
How many campsites does Elk Lake have?
Are there pull-through sites at Elk Lake?
Is there drinking water at Elk Lake?
Are dogs allowed at Elk Lake?
Is there cell service at Elk Lake?
Who manages Elk Lake?
Around Elk Lake
The nearest lake with a fishing page is Crane Prairie Reservoir, whose mapped center point is 14 miles away in a straight line. Stocking record and species: Crane Prairie Reservoir fishing on fishypedia.com.
Hot springs and waterfalls nearby
Nearest to Elk Lake, in straight-line miles: Proxy Falls (waterfall, 14 miles), Belknap Hot Springs (hot spring, 19 miles), Cougar Hot Springs (hot spring, 22 miles), Terwilliger Hot Springs (hot spring, 23 miles), and Sahalie Falls (waterfall, 27 miles). Each has its own page on swimholesmap.com.
Reservable Point 
Reservable Little Fawn 
Reservable Mallard Marsh (hosmer Lake) 
Reservable Quinn Meadow Horse Camp More campgrounds: camping near Bend and campgrounds in Deschutes.
Sources
- apps.fs.usda.gov (all fields), accessed 2026-09-28
- recreation.gov (reservationSystem, reservationSystemName, reservationUrl, maxRvLengthFt, drivewayType, petsAllowed, fireRings, sites, campsites), accessed 2026-09-29
- epqs.nationalmap.gov (elevationFt), accessed 2026-09-29
- broadbandmap.fcc.gov (cellCoverage), accessed 2026-09-27
Photo credits
- Photo 1: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 2: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 3: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)