By:
Submission
Magone Lake Campground is situated along its namesake lake in the northern reaches of Malheur National Forest in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. Visitors enjoy fishing, canoeing, swimming and hiking.
Natural Features:
The campground is set in a forest of Engelmann spruce and ponderosa pine. Magone Lake covers about 50 acres and features both deep holes of up to 100 feet and shoals on the north side. Geologists believe Magone Lake was created by a landslide in the early 1800s. It is located in the southern reaches of the Malheur National Forest.
Recreation:
The Magone Lake area offers swimming, fishing, hiking and mountain biking opportunities. The lake contains eastern brook and rainbow trout. A boat ramp is available on-site. Visitors also enjoy viewing wildflowers and interesting geology throughout the region.
Facilities:
The campground offers both a picnic shelter and overnight campsite for groups to reserve. These sites can accommodate up to 75 people each. Individual family sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Picnic tables and campfire rings with grills are provided, as are vault toilets and drinking water.
ACTIVITIES
Biking: Mountain Biking
Boating
Fishing
Hiking
Hunting
From John Day, Oregon, take U.S. Highway 26 east for approximately 9 miles. At the junction of County Road 18, travel north approximately 10 miles. At Forest Road 3620, turn west and drive approximately 1 mile to Forest Road 3618. The campground is about 1 mile from the turnoff.
From Prairie City, Oregon, take U.S. Highway 26 approximately 3 miles west. At the junction of County Road 18, travel north approximately 10 miles. Turn west on Forest Road 3620 and travel approximately 1 mile to Forest Road 3618. The campground is about 1 mile from the turnoff.
The Group Sites range from $25-60. See details at Recreation.gov $13/Night for single unit, $6.50/Night for extra vehicle.
All individual sites are first come first serve.
There are plenty of spots to fish here. Would not recommend fishing if you dont have a boat though. The beach is pretty kept, but there is still a lot of trash every time I end up visiting. The campsites seem to be made for RV's and not so much regular tents. All in all, it's not such a bad place.
The locals know about it and so should you.
It's one of the more accessible attractions in grant county. If you go on a weekday you can avoid the crowds, which due to the small size of the lake this is an extra step I recommend taking. The drive in is easy to make with any vehicle, but entirely paved if you come in from Prairie City.
Absolutely splendid place to beat the heat while in the John Day area!! No cell service and direct routes will be re-routed temporarily starting Monday July 12th 2021
Camped a couple times here the hosts were amazing and we will be back. The campground is clean and beautifully set for picture taking hiking or just sun bathing in the water.
Good little campground. Sites are fairly close together. Popular family spot with lots of kids running around peak season. They do have a bit of a problem with chipmunks nesting in vehicles. Pop your hood and leave it open for the duration of your stay. Otherwise, you might be taking home a chipmunk, or worse, have your vehicles wiring chewed up. The lake is gorgeous.
