Army Corps of Engineers Camping
Learn about camping and boondocking on Army Corps of Engineers projects
Army Corps of Engineers Rules for Camping
These are the full set of rules adopted by the Army Corps of Engineers for camping and recreation on lands they manage.
Threemile Canyon Park
Threemile Canyon Park, Boardman, OR When construction began on the John Day Dam near Rufus, OR, it went on to create numerous fishing camps further upstream along the Columbia River. One of those camps was Threemile Canyon Park. Originally, it was meant to provide Columbia River Indian Tribes with a place to continue their heritage of catching salmon. There’s still a Native American fishing camp there. But in recent years, the Army Corps of Engineers expanded the camp to include an area for non-natives. This non-native area is where Threemile Canyon Park sees 99% of its usage. The most popular time of the year ... Read more
Rufus Landing Recreation Area
Rufus Landing Recreation Area – Rufus, Oregon When they began building the John Day Dam in 1958, the Army Corps of Engineers dredged up tons of gravel and rock from the river bed, and deposited it in various places along the Columbia River Gorge. One of their primary dumping grounds eventually turned into Rufus Landing Recreation Area. The landing juts out into the Columbia River like a small peninsula, giving RVers and local fishermen a great place to enjoy the beauty of the river gorge. The most popular time of the year for Rufus Landing is from mid-May to about beginning of ... Read more
North Shore Recreation Area, Fort Thompson, SD
North Shore Recreation Area, Fort Thompson, SD Free camping is hard to find in South Dakota once you get east of the Badlands. Fortunately, the Army Corps of Engineers has set up several recreation areas along the Missouri River. Most of the better campgrounds within these recreation areas will cost you per-night fees. However, North Shore Recreation Area seems to be an exception. It’s part of the greater Lake Sharpe region, a lake created along the Missouri River after the construction of Big Bend Dam, about 30 minutes north of Chamberlain. North Shore Recreation Area and Tailrace Left Campground used ... Read more
Nelson Creek Recreation Area, Fort Peck Lake, MT
Nelson Creek Recreation Area, Fort Peck Lake, Montana Fort Peck Lake is technically property of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and is officially known as, “Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge”. However, the USFWS contracts the management of Fort Peck Lake Campgrounds to three different agencies. The Army Corps of Engineers manages most of the recreation areas, along with Fort Peck Dam. A few other recreation areas are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the State of Montana. Nelson Creek Recreation Area is among those managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. There is no fee to get in and ... Read more
Highway 31 Landing, McAlester, OK
Highway 31 Landing, McAlester, OK Oklahoma is not well known for boondocking or free camping. However, there are many places where one can camp for free; it’s just difficult to find these places. Locals know about them but tend to keep them a secret. Highway 31 Landing is one of those places. Well, not anymore now that we’ve published this. While it’s part of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Corps doesn’t actively maintain it. Maintenance is actually contracted out to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. However, when we a DOT employee drove by our camp, we stopped them to talk. ... Read more
Dude Ranch Lakeside Use Area, Oacoma, SD
Dude Ranch Lakeside Use Area, Oacoma, SD You won’t find a lot of free camping in South Dakota east of the Badlands. Dude Ranch happens to be among the handful, and probably one of the most popular. Because it’s located just a couple miles away from I-90 and the City of Chamberlain, many RV boondockers come here to capitalize. It was primarily intended to give boaters access to Lake Francis Case, but it ended up becoming more known as a boondocking area. There are still plenty of boats launching from Dude Ranch, however. It’s just that you’ll probably see more ... Read more
Cedar Creek Campground, Lake Whitney, TX
Cedar Creek Campground, Lake Whitney, TX Cedar Creek Campground stands as a natural haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Surrounded by rocky cliffs, limestone formations, and the serene waters of the lake, this campground offers a diverse and captivating landscape. As documented in various sources, Cedar Creek is praised for its well-kept facilities, expansive camping grounds, and an array of amenities, making it an enticing destination for nature lovers and campers alike. Free for 14-days, there are dozens of smaller campsites suitable for tents, cars, and vans, along with about a half-dozen larger sites for RVs. During the winter season, most of ... Read more
A Guide to Boondocking at Army Corps of Engineers
Boondocking at Army Corps of Engineers! Boondocking on Army Corps of Engineers land offers an unparalleled camping experience of beautiful rivers and reservoirs and stunning landscape scenery. Even though most Army Corp of Engineers projects involve developed campgrounds for a fee, there are still some free campgrounds and primitive camping sites available for boondockers. Army Corps of Engineers Free Camping Map This map of free camping at Army Corps of Engineers projects depicts locations where boondockers and campers have been able to set up camp for free along rivers and reservoirs operated by the Army Corps of Engineers… Army Corps ... Read more
Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds in Connecticut
Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds in Connecticut is limited to just the one campground at West Thompson Lake in North Grosvenordale. Aside from that, the Army Corps of Engineers supports no other camping at any of its dams and reservoirs in Connecticut...
