Deschutes National Forest             Sisters District

Sisters Area

THE SISTERS AREA includes campgrounds within a short distance of the town of Sisters. Three of the campsites are horse campgrounds. These are campgrounds set up for those camping overnight with their horses. If you do not have a horse you would be better camping at another spot. The campgrounds are nice, but not any better than the others in the area and those with horses become understandably upset when the campground is full because of campers without horses. The two other campgrounds in this area, Indian Ford and Cold Springs are located on the Cascades side of town. Indian Ford is on Hwy 20 and Coldsprings is on Hwy 242, the old McKenzie highway. There are plenty of sites between these two campgrounds and they are rarely full since for the most part campers here mostly come in for  a special event or they are locals trying to get away for a night or weekend. They are nice campgrounds but do not have the advantage of a river or mountain that make the other campgrounds nearby so popular.

            The horse campgrounds are popular as they allow access to the trails that lead up to the nearby mountains. Graham Corral is located next to Black Butte Resort and is great for those visiting a friend while bringing their horses. The Black Butte general store is nearby. Whispering Pine is further out of town and more rustic, but has easier access to the mountains. The Cow Camp has no amenities, but is free.

 The other two non-horse camps are a great alternative to the more expensive commercial RV “campgrounds” in town. The commercial areas do cost quite a bit more but do have RV hookups. If you are looking for shade to get away from the heat Cold Springs is my choice. If you would like some sunshine, Indian Ford might be better. Indian Ford, however, does not have drinking water.