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While reservations in this area are only available on the group campgrounds of Hardrock and Red Diamond, there are plenty of sites available and while often the Blue River area will be full on the weekends, Delta Campground located nearby just off Hwy 126 is almost never full. The further you travel away from Hwy 126, the more remote and less crowded the campgrounds become until about a half hour drive away you come to the last campground, Frissel Crossing.
For those of you interested in visiting the Terwilliger Hot Springs and spending the night, there are four campgrounds within about 5 to 10 minutes from the springs. Slide Creek is normally used by those with boats. Sunnyside is next door at the beginning of the reservoir. Cougar Crossing is located the closest to the springs and has the largest sites. French Pete is a little further along, but is the quietest and most secluded. If you go a little further you will find a couple small group campgrounds which allow reservations for the first time in 2005. Reservations must be made through the NRRS. (See our reservation page).
Information on the individual campgrounds can be found by clicking on the campground name on the left. Directions to the campgrounds are below.
Follow
the sign on Hwy 126 to Blue River Reservoir up a hill just east of Blue
River to find Lookout and Mona. You will go past the reservoir and then
see the sign to Lookout. Just past Lookout is a bridge that takes you to
Mona on the other side of the lake.
For the Cougar Reservoir campgrounds turn on Hwy 19 just southeast of Blue River or just west of McKenzie Bridge. You can also take the road from the other side in Westfir off Hwy 58. Cougar Crossing is the first you will come to about two miles past Terwilliger Hot Springs and just across the bridge. Turn left here and continue about 100 feet to get to Sunnyside or go along the same gravel road to find Slide Creek about a mile more to the left. Back on Road 19 turn right over the bridge and continue about 2 miles to get to French Pete (my favorite in the area) or continue a little further going about 50 feet past road 1980 to find Hard Rock (Entry sign is gone and the entrance is easy to miss). Continue about 2 more miles to Red Diamond. Again watch carefully for the entry. Continue about 7 more miles to Frissel Crossing. If you are coming from Westfir, it will be about forty miles before you will hit Frissel Crossing. During most of the campground season during the day, there is a Hoodoo information booth at the entrance to Terwilliger Hot Springs. So if you have questions stop and ask the attendant as you go by.
