CLYDE HOLLIDAY
State Recreation Site
Phone: 541-932-4453
CAMPING
OREGON STATE PARKS PHOTO
Oregon State Parks and Recreation offers two
outstanding park campgrounds in Grant County
– one, a longtime favorite with travelers and the
other, a newer jewel in the park system’s crown.
Clyde Holliday State Recreation Site and Bates State Park each
offer comfortable camping in pleasant, riverside settings.
Clyde Holliday is popular with the road-weary travelers, conveniently located on
Highway 26 just east of Mt. Vernon.
It features 31 electrical sites for folks passing through or those who want to use
it as a base camp to explore the area’s many attractions, from the Fossil Beds to the
Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.
The John Day River, shaded by tall cottonwoods, provides a nice trail experience,
while Clyde Holliday’s campsites are shaded by a variety of landscape trees planted
years ago. Birds abound in the park, drawn to the foliage of the campground and the
river habitat.
In the summer, rangers and others offer interpretive programs at the outdoor
amphitheatre.
Bates State Park, sitting on the site of a former lumber mill community near
Austin Junction, celebrates the region’s rich timber history and natural resources.
The park sits in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, east of Dixie Butte, along the
Middle Fork John Day River.
The park opened in September 2010, wrapping up months of site preparation,
landscaping, tree planting and more. The opening was the realization of a dream for
people who lived in Bates when it was a thriving mill community.
Workers planted more than 4,000 trees and shrubs at the park, which features
28 primitive campground sites designed for tents and self-contained RVs.
Park visitors enjoy the solitude, quiet and natural beauty of the setting. The park
makes a great base camp for hikers, snowmobilers, ATV enthusiasts and hunters, as
well as RV campers.
Where: Just east of Mt. Vernon, 7 miles west of
John Day.
Sites: 31 with electric and water hookups and a
maximum length of 60 feet; hiker/biker camp; 2
tepees.
Amenities: Fire rings and picnic tables at sites;
shower and restroom building; large day-use
area; horseshoe pits.
Season: Open March 1 - November 30,
depending on the weather.
Reservations: Campsites are first-come,
first-served. Tepees can be reserved by calling
Reservations Northwest at 1-800-452-5687.
More info: www.oregonstateparks.org
BATES STATE PARK
Where: County Road 20, one mile north of
the junction of U.S. Highway 26 and Oregon
Highway 7.
Sites: 28 primitive campsites tents or RVs, and 6
hiker/biker campsites.
Water: Potable water is available.
Amenities: Fire rings and picnic tables at sites;
day-use area with a picnic shelter; vault toilets;
more than three miles of hiking trails.
Season: Open May 1 -October 31, depending
on the weather.
Reservations: No. Sites are first-come,
first-served.
More info: oregonstateparks.org
See page 26 and 27 for additional camp sites
around Grant County