Applegater Summer 2017
15
Camping is trendier than ever!
BY SHELLEY MANNING
Do you love camping and the great
outdoors? With the abundance of
campgrounds in the Applegate Valley, why
not unplug from your daily routine with a
camping adventure! A hot cup of coffee in
the morning chill can become a sublime
experience. You can play, watch nature,
hike, swim, make art, bicycle, meditate,
paddle, and fish until you snuggle up at
night in your cozy sleeping bag.
Camping has become trendy, as
evidenced by Hipcamp (hipcamp.com), a
website like Airbnb, but for camping, that
helps you find public and private campsites
across the US (including in the Applegate
and neighboring areas).
Fees and length of stay at campgrounds
vary. For more information on specific
campgrounds, search the internet or
visit recreation.gov. Star Ranger John
McKelligott invites you to contact him at
jmckelligott@fs.fed.us or 541-944-1176
if you have questions about camping in
the Applegate.
Beaver-Sulphur Group
Campground. Popular for hunting and
family reunions, Beaver-Sulphur Group
Campground has six tent sites and four
trailer sites. The entire campground must
be rented. There is a vault toilet. Bring your
own water and pack out any trash. Access
hiking trails Charlie Buck/Baldy Peak Trail
918 and the Little Grayback Trail 920.
Cantrall Buckley Park and
Campground. One of only two public
access points on the Applegate River,
Cantrall Buckley Park is 88 beautiful
acres on 1.75 miles of the Applegate
River. The campground has 30 campsites
under native laurel and pine trees with
fire rings and picnic tables. The group site
can accommodate up to 100 people and
can be reserved through Jackson County
Parks. The park recently added two RV
sites, with water and power, within the
group camping area. Individual sites are
first come, first served. The restrooms
are modern, with coin operated showers.
Currently there are no RV hookups on
individual sites, but fundraising efforts for
improvements are under way. For more
information, see the Cantrall Buckley Park
article on page 10.
Carberry Campground. Four miles
past the dam on Applegate Lake you will
find this quiet and peaceful campground
for tent campers. Ten campsites have picnic
tables and fire rings. Cool off in Cougar
Creek or practice your trout-fishing skills.
Campers bring their own water and use
vault toilets. First come, first served.
Harr Point and Tipsu Tyee
campgrounds. Both are accessible from
the Payette Trail, which winds around the
eastern shore of the Applegate Lake, and
can also be reached by boat. Each has five
campsites. Campsites are first come, first
served. Bring your own water and pack
out your trash.
Hart-tish Park and Campground.
Located on Applegate Lake, Hart-tish Park
and Campground has a boat ramp and a
grassy day-use area for swimming. Just
past the dam are seven tent sites, eight RV
sites without hookups, and a group site.
Campfire and barbecue pits are provided,
along with showers and restrooms. The
general store has snacks, sells day passes,
reserves campsites, and rents kayaks.
Fishing enthusiasts can catch trout and
bass. Hart-tish is across the road from the
Collings Mountain “Bigfoot Trail.” Be sure
to reserve a site.
Jackson Campground. Located on
the Applegate River, Jackson Campground
provides swimming, fishing, and hiking
along the river. Eight shaded tent sites and
one group site are first come, first served
and open year-round. There are modern
restrooms and a day-use area for picnics.
Reserving a site may be possible by calling
the camp hosts, Tom and KT.
Squaw Lakes. High in the pristine
wilderness you will find secluded Squaw
Lakes, a breathtaking campground with
abundant wildlife. Nineteen campsites
around the lake are spread out for privacy.
Advanced reservations are mandatory.
Paddle boats are permitted, as are
swimming, hiking, biking, and fishing.
There is a one-mile interpretive hike to
Little Squaw Lake. Porter service for $10 a
trip may be available to help with your gear.
Watkins Campground. Rustic
Watkins Campground has 14 campsites
with picnic tables (some of which have seen
better days) and fire rings. It is located on a
steep hillside with no terracing, so pitching
a tent is a challenge. From the top of the
campground you can peek at Applegate
Lake through the trees; trails lead down
to the Lake. Bring your own water. Vault
toilets are provided.
Wrangle Campground. With access
for hikers to explore the Pacific Crest Trail,
Wrangle Campground, at Wrangle Gap,
has five campsites, picnic tables, fire pits,
a rustic shelter, a community kitchen, and
a cabin built in the 1930s by the Civilian
Conservation Corps. The Seven Miles
Ridge Trail is also accessible. Opens in
June. First come, first served. Bring water,
pack out trash. Vault toilet.
From hiking adventures to still
mountain lakes, make the Applegate the
place for your next camping experience.
Shelley Manning
manningshelley@icloud.com
Left photo: View of Applegate Lake from Hart-tish Park and Campground.
Right photo: Jackson Campground on the Applegate River.
Photos: Shelley Manning.
Campground Locations
Beaver-Sulphur. Take Highway 238 to Upper Applegate Road 8.5 miles, left on
Forest Road 20 for three miles. $50 for group campsite (entire campground). More
information: 877-444-6777 or recreation.gov.
Cantrall Buckley. Take Highway 238 to Hamilton Road approximately one mile,
turn right on 154 Cantrall Road. Individual campground $16/night; group campground
$65 the first night, then $50/night (reservations required). More information: 541-774-
8183 or jacksoncountyor.org/parks/Day-Use/Cantrall-Buckley.
Carberry. From Highway 238, take Upper Applegate Road 18.5 miles to junction
of Forest Road 777, take right for .3 miles. $15/night. More information: 541-899-
9220 or applegatelake.com.
Harr Point and Tipsu Tyee. From Highway 238, take Upper Applegate Road to
Applegate Lake, cross the dam, follow County Road 959 about three miles, turn right
on Forest Road 100 for a half mile to Squaw Arm Parking Area. Hike about 0.25 mile
(Harr Point) or 1.25 miles (Tipsu Tyee) west along Payette Trail. Also accessible by boat.
No fee. More information: search fs.usda.gov.
Hart-tish. From Highway 238, take Upper Applegate Road 16 miles. $20/night.
Reservations: 877-444-6777 or reserveamerica.com. More information: 541-899-9220
or applegatelake.com.
Jackson. From Highway 238, take Upper Applegate Road 7 miles. $20/night.
More information: 541-816-2115 or applegatelake.com.
Squaw Lakes. From Highway 238, take Upper Applegate Road 15.5 miles to
Applegate Dam, cross the dam and continue up for 8 miles. $15/night. Reservations
mandatory, bring documentation. Reservations: 877-444-6777 or reserveamerica.com.
More information: 541-899-9220 or applegatelake.com.
Watkins. From Highway 238, take Upper Applegate Road 18 miles. $15/night.
More information: 541-899-9220 or applegatelake.com.
Wrangle. From Highway 238, take Upper Applegate Road 8.5 miles to Forest Road
20 for 18 miles to Wrangle Gap, then left on Forest Road 2030 for less than a mile. No
fee. More information: search fs.usda.gov.