Priest Hole Recreation Site | Oregon
Priest Hole contains 14 drive-in campsites with fire rings and picnic tables including one group site. An area in the northwest corner of the recreation site is designated for walk-in dispersed camping without fire rings or picnic tables. There are also day use areas with picnic tables and two restrooms. Access to the John Day Wild and Scenic River includes a boat launch and walk-in day use. No potable water or garbage services area available.
Please help take care of this beautiful resource by using the restroom facilities, packing out garbage including organics such as fruit peelings and nutshells, and only driving along open roads and camping in designated campsites.
The John Day River bans campfires annually from June 1 through October 15. When campfires are allowed they must be contained in the provided campsite fire rings. If having a campfire in the dispersed walk-in camping area, you must contain the fire in a raised fire pan and pack out all ashes.
Know Before You Go
- The site is open year-round but the rough road to the site can make access difficult in winter or wet weather.
- Two roads access the Priest Hole Recreation Area. Both roads are semi-improved with minimal pull outs and maintenance. We advise against the use of trailers exceeding 25 feet in length and suggest caution when towing any trailer.
- There are no fees for camping. A free paper permit found at kiosks is required to float the one mile section of river around Priest Hole.
- There are two toilets; however there is no potable water, garbage service or cell connectivity.
- Pets are allowed on a leash or under physical control. Watch for rattlesnakes and please pickup after your pet.
- Please bring your own firewood. Cutting vegetation, including standing dead vegetation is not allowed.
Firearm discharge is prohibited in all developed recreation sites including Priest Hole.
Point of Interest
Priest Hole is a local favorite for fishing and swimming. Stopping here is a natural part of a visit to the Painted Hills, a gateway to the "John Day Country" of eastern Oregon.
Accessibility Description (ABA/ADA)
View images of accessibility features in a new window.
There is no cell phone reception at this newly updated site.
The packed-gravel lot near the entrance to the site has 42 parking spaces, 7 of which are accessible and marked off with fire-hose dividers. All 7 of these spaces have access aisles for wheelchair vans.
There are 2 kiosks at an appropriate height for mobility device users. The kiosk with a site map, along with the fee-payment box next to it, sits on somewhat uneven terrain.
The site’s 2 accessible single-vault toilets are at opposite ends of a one-way packed-gravel loop. One toilet is near the boat ramp and picnic tables in the northeast part of the site; the other is near the picnic area in the southwest. The transition from gravel to concrete slab at the toilet entrances may be uneven. This site has no potable water.
Of the 14 campsites, 9 are back-in sites and 5 have pull-through parking. None are designated as accessible but they all are similarly configured and likely to be appropriate for visitors with limited mobility. All the campsites are on packed gravel and have picnic tables with extended ends to accommodate wheelchair users, elevated fire rings with grill attachments, and tent pads.
The flat gravel trail to the day-use area in the southwest corner of the site was designed to be accessible. It is 10 feet wide except at the beginning of the trail, where there is a 3-foot-wide pinch point to prevent vehicles from entering. The 4 picnic tables with extended ends in the nearby day-use area are on a slight slope.
In the day-use area near the boat ramp, in the northeast part of the site, there are 3 picnic tables with extended ends. Both day-use areas are prone to flooding from the end of winter through early May. The flooding has washed away some of the gravel from the day-use areas, the loop, and other parts of the site, so visitors with limited mobility may need to use caution when flooding and erosion occurs
Descriptions and photos uploaded March 2026. Please note that actual on-the-ground conditions may vary due to natural events (e.g., weather, wildfires, erosion), normal wear and tear, or site improvements.
Contact Us
Activities
Addresses
Geographic Coordinates
Directions
Priest Hole is located on the John Day River about 12 miles from Mitchell, Oregon. From Prineville, head east on Highway 26 and turn north on Burnt Ranch Road toward the John Day Fossil Beds, Painted Hills Unit. Pass the Painted Hills and follow the gravel road for three miles. Take a right (uphill) at the junction of Priest Hole or Burnt Ranch Rec Sites. From there, take a left downhill, following the sign to Priest Hole.
Fees
No fees for camping or floating the one-mile section around Priest Hole.