Lava Camp Lake
Its sites are first-come, first-served (no reservations), and camping is free. Lava Camp Lake is a National Forest campground near Sisters, Oregon.
First-come, first-served
- Managed by
- National Forest
Lava Camp 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 0.4 miles outside the boundary of Mount Washington Wilderness; its permit and camping rules and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.
Lava Camp Lake Trailhead: Primitive camp near McKenzie Pass with trail access to the Three Sisters and Mt. Washington Wildernesses near the Pacific Crest Trail; Central Cascades Wilderness Permit required June 15 to October 15.
Getting a site
- Managed by
- National Forest
- Reservations
- None, first-come
- Fee
- Free
Source: apps.fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-28
What's there
- ✓ Toilets
- ✕ Potable water
On site: Toilets. No potable water.
Rules
- Quiet hours
- 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.
Source: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Access and cell service
- Elevation
- 5,200 ft
Cell coverage by carrier (FCC map)
- AT&T
- No coverage mapped
- T-Mobile
- No coverage at the campground; 4G LTE and 5G mapped about 0.3 mi away
- Verizon
- No coverage at the campground; 4G LTE mapped about 0.5 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.
44.2604, -121.7863 in Deschutes. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Common questions
Do you need a reservation at Lava Camp Lake?
How much does it cost to camp at Lava Camp Lake?
Is there drinking water at Lava Camp Lake?
Is there cell service at Lava Camp Lake?
Who manages Lava Camp Lake?
Around Lava Camp Lake
Hot springs, waterfalls and swimming nearby
Nearest to Lava Camp Lake, in straight-line miles: Proxy Falls (waterfall, 9.8 miles), Sahalie Falls (waterfall, 12 miles), Clear Lake (swimming hole, 13 miles), Belknap Hot Springs (hot spring, 14 miles), and Cougar Hot Springs (hot spring, 25 miles). Each has its own page on swimholesmap.com.
Reservable Scott Lake 
Reservable Alder Springs 
Reservable Cold Spring More campgrounds: camping near Sisters and campgrounds in Deschutes.
Sources
- apps.fs.usda.gov (all fields), accessed 2026-09-28
- broadbandmap.fcc.gov (cellCoverage), accessed 2026-09-27
- fs.usda.gov (water, quietHours, notableFeature), accessed 2026-09-29