Rock Creek Campground

Rock Creek Campground is located on the quiet, southwestern side of the expansive Crane Prairie Reservoir off the Cascades Lakes Scenic Byway. Comprised of five small loops of six to eight individual sites in each one, Rock Creek Campground feels quite a bit smaller than it actually is. In addition, it is not a particularly highly trafficked campground compared to others in the area, and only about half of the campsites are typically occupied at any given time, even on weekends. 

While the campground is several miles away from any trailheads or other lakes, Rock Creek might not carry a lot of appeal to most visitors to this region; however, it is a favorite campground for many who visit for the fishing in Crane Prairie. Many campsites have some way to access Crane Prairie's sandy shores where many campers opt to tie up their boats, a unique characteristic to Rock Creek Campground that most other campgrounds on the Cascade Lakes cannot offer. Combined with a fish cleaning station adjacent to the recently renovated boat launch and spectacular views of the South Sister, Broken Top, and Mount Bachelor, it is no wonder that many fishermen love staying at Rock Creek, often for extended periods of time. For those who do not have access to the water or who do not wish to rope their boats up, the sites are generally big enough to accommodate boat trailers regardless.

Rock Creek Campground, like every other campground on the Cascade Lakes Highway, is not accessible nor maintained in the winter. It is usually one of the earlier campgrounds to open up for the summer season - typically opening a week or two before Memorial Day weekend. The driving directions in this guide take you on a route around Mount Bachelor and Sparks Lake, which is the last section of Cascade Lakes Highway to open; so, if you are traveling from Bend, you may need to drive to the Sunriver/Three Rivers area to access the part of Cascade Lakes Highway that accesses Rock Creek Campground if that section is not yet open for the summer season.