Elk Lake
Its 17 sites are first-come, first-served (no reservations), camping costs Single Site: $12 per night, and it is open from July to October. Elk Lake is a National Forest campground near Detroit, Oregon.
First-come, first-served
- Managed by
- National Forest
Elk Lake sits inside Willamette National Forest. Its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com. It sits 0.2 miles outside the boundary of Bull of the Woods Wilderness; its permit and camping rules and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com. It sits 0.4 miles outside the boundary of Mt. Hood National Forest; its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.
Bull of the Woods and Opal Creek Wildernesses: The tent-only campground is adjacent to both wildernesses, with trails including Elk Lake Creek #559, Battle Ax Creek #3339 and Beachie #3341; non-motorized Elk Lake for swimming and paddling.
Getting a site
- Managed by
- National Forest
- Reservations
- None, first-come
- Fee
- Single Site: $12 per night
Source: apps.fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-28
Sites and hookups
- Total sites
- 17
- Tent sites
- 17
- ✓ Toilets
- ✓ Pets allowed
- ✕ Potable water
On site: Toilets and pets allowed. No potable water.
Sources: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29; recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Rules
- Stay limit
- 14 days
- Pets
- Allowed
Source: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Access and cell service
- Elevation
- 3,729 ft
Cell coverage by carrier (FCC map)
- AT&T
- No coverage mapped
- T-Mobile
- No coverage mapped
- Verizon
- No coverage at the campground; 4G LTE mapped about 0.4 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.
44.8224, -122.1278 in Marion. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Season and winter services
Elk Lake is open from July to October , at 3,729 ft.
Sources: epqs.nationalmap.gov, accessed 2026-09-29; fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Common questions
Do you need a reservation at Elk Lake?
How much does it cost to camp at Elk Lake?
How many campsites does Elk Lake have?
Is there drinking water at Elk Lake?
Are dogs allowed at Elk Lake?
When is Elk Lake open?
How long can you stay at Elk Lake?
Is there cell service at Elk Lake?
Who manages Elk Lake?
Around Elk Lake
Public land within 15 miles: Table Rock Wilderness (15 miles to its center) ; publiclandsdb.com has each unit's camping rules and boundary.
Hot springs and swimming nearby
Nearest to Elk Lake, in straight-line miles: Opal Creek / Little North Santiam (swimming hole, 6.7 miles), Breitenbush Hot Springs (hot spring, 8 miles), Bagby Hot Springs (hot spring, 8.1 miles), and Butte Creek Falls (swimming hole, 20 miles). Each has its own page on swimholesmap.com.
Reservable Fox Creek Group Campground 
Reservable Detroit Lake State Recreation Area Reservable Cleator Bend More campgrounds: camping near Detroit and campgrounds in Marion.
Sources
- apps.fs.usda.gov (all fields), accessed 2026-09-28
- epqs.nationalmap.gov (elevationFt), accessed 2026-09-29
- broadbandmap.fcc.gov (cellCoverage), accessed 2026-09-27
- fs.usda.gov (sites, water, stayLimit, season, petsAllowed, notableFeature), accessed 2026-09-29
- recreation.gov (sites), accessed 2026-09-29