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Located in the high desert region of central Oregon, Perry South Campground sits on the shores of Lake Billy Chinook in Deschutes National Forest. It is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy the area's scenic beauty and year-round recreational activities. Recreation Fishing and motorized boating top the list of recreational activities for visitors. Hikers should be sure to check out nearby Balancing Rocks Overlook, just west of Perry South Campground. Water enthusiasts of all types will enjoy the opportunities available. Motorized and non-motorized boats share the vicinity with swimmers and water skiers braving the cold, clear waters of Lake Billy Chinook. The Day Use is a fee area; daily passes are $5. PGE also honors the NW Forest Pass and the America the Beautiful Passes. Boat slips are free—visit the Park Host to reserve one. Facilities Picnic areas and scenic overlooks, along with the conveniences of firewood, drinking water and vault toilets, give visitors the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors in a comfortable camping environment. The campground has a boat ramp, and dock space is available for tie up on two docks on a first come-first served basis. Natural Features Lake Billy Chinook is the highlight of the area. The lake, created by Round Butte Dam, fills the canyons of the Crooked, Metolius and Deschutes Rivers. Within these three large arms is 72 miles of shoreline, supporting fish habitats for bass, trout, salmon, whitefish, suckers, minnows and dace. Rugged hills and a diverse evergreen forest surround the lake, providing homes for mammals such as mule deer, coyote, black-tailed jackrabbit and cougars. Nearby Attractions Visitors may want to explore the Tam-a-lau Trail, a scenic hike that starts on a peninsula at the confluence of the Crooked River and the Deschutes River in Cove Palisades State Park. Under the designation of a Wild and Scenic River, nearby Metolius River is nestled in a forested valley west of Mt. Jefferson. Its clear, cold and constant waters support flyfishing and whitewater boating. Lava Lands Visitor Center in nearby Bend, Oregon, offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the diverse landscape and history of the area through interpretive programs and exhibits. Charges & Cancellations A service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. Late cancellations are subject to additional fees. For full details see the Recreation.Gov, Rules & Reservation Policies. ADA Access: N
From Sisters, travel 5.6 miles northwest on Hwy 20. Continue 20.8 miles north on Forest Road 11, then 5.0 miles east on Forest Road 1170, and then 2.6 miles northwest of Forest Road 64.
Payment in-full will be charged to your credit card upon completion of the reservation. A non-refundable online reservation fee may be charged for some facilities.
Great for water sports and relaxing. Not so much for hiking or mountain biking. Pretty much a boat show. Perry South is a very secluded campground. A tribal fishing permit is required to fish this portion of the lake. The sites are well appointed with fire pits and a picnic table. Although the spots seem to vary greatly in size. I recommend viewing Google maps satellite view of the campground before choosing a spot if you have an RV. A nice little creek wanders through a lot of the sites. Not many hiking trails / opportunities. The Metolius balancing rocks are nearby and worth checking out. There is a nice boat ramp and dock available. Saw an owl in camp. Bald eagle nesting pairs can be viewed by following the old / now blocked road to the right past the fish cleaning station. No dump station for RVs. However there's a dump station in Culver behind the firehouse if you need one on your way home. The campground is well taken care of. The vault toilets are very clean. The camp hosts were very nice.
We visited this campground in mid July. There were well kept toilets, pump water, a nice stream, a dock, and a fabulous lake to paddle around with kayaks and paddle boards. We saw lots of people fishing. When we were there we also saw a few boats pulling people on water skis.
Been camping there for 40 years. It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been
QUALITY CAMPGROUND
Thank you PGE and their wonderful campground hosts for having a well-maintained clean campground for my family of four to use on our trip to recreate at Lake Billy Chinook in August 2023. The sites had established fire rings, a bench, and freshly raked tent spots. Very little trash was around and our particular site in the upper section had ample space for multiple tents. These pit toilets were the cleanest and best smelling I’ve ever encountered in my time camping as an adult.
You can reserve a boat slip to leave your watercraft for $10 a night and this may be the BEST reason to camp here.
Unfortunately, the water int the campground arm was very green with floating algae and not swimmable at all. We drove to Suttle Lake on the forest roads for Saturday so we could kayak and enjoy swimming with our dog in a beautiful cold clear lake.
Water pump at lower CG is MUCH easier to use than the upper CG pump pictured here.
PSA that NF 64 was gated and locked just passed Monty Campground so we could not drive up the Metolius as planned.
