Rock Creek Campground (Deschutes National Forest, OR)

Rock Creek Campground is located on the western shore of Crane Prairie Reservoir along the Cascade Lakes Highway, spread out along the reservoir's western shores. Almost all the sites are large and isolated from the other sites, and many are located right on the shore of the lake. Crane Prairie Reservoir is known for fishing and boating opportunities. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife manages populations of rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, brook trout and largemouth bass. Fish cleaning stations and a boat ramp are within the campground, offering access to the reservoir; boat launch parking is for day use only and requires a recreation fee separate from camping fees. Crane Prairie Reservoir is a great spot for viewing a variety of wildlife. Sandhill cranes, bald eagles and osprey frequent the area, and the adjacent forest is home to black-backed woodpecker, Williamson's sapsucker and mountain chickadee. On summer mornings or evenings, visitors may glimpse Rocky Mountain elk grazing the lakeside meadows. Deer, squirrel, beaver and an occasional black bear also find habitat in the surrounding forest. Nearby Osprey Point is a unique interpretive area where visitors can observe osprey nesting platforms erected after natural snags toppled from age. Visitors enjoy traveling the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, which climbs 66 miles through the Cascade Range, weaving past snow-capped peaks and alpine lakes.