by Rex Trulove

Created on: February 10, 2009

The number of camping sites within an hour drive of Klamath Falls is surprising to a visitor, though the town is near wilderness forests. Selecting favorite places to camp depends primarily on what a person is looking for.

Many great improved campsites await the person wanting to camp. These include campgrounds on and around Lake of the Woods and Fish Lake, on Highway 140 west, North Fork Campground just west of Fish Lake, a short distance from Highway 140, Kimball State Park, a short distance from Fort Klamath a little ways off Highway 62 and on the headwaters of Wood River, and Williamson River campground about a mile past Collier State Park off Highway 97.

For many people, though, the preference is to camp where the sites are free, unimproved, and where a person is even closer to nature. We will concentrate here on one of those places, and what makes it special.

Anne Creek campground: It is hard to call this a campground, since it is totally unimproved. Anne Creek is a spring fed stream that flows out of Crater Lake National Park, and borders Highway 62 to the south of the park. The campground is located about one and a half miles south of the park boundary, just to the east of Anne Creek Snow Park.

At the snow park, there are two maintained outhouses. The access to the campground is a short dirt road just past the outhouses, which drops down into a charming hollow next to the creek. There are only about a half dozen sites, more suited for tent camping than RV camping, and there are no outhouses down below. Running water comes directly from Anne Creek, though the water is clean and sweet tasting. The water is also cold.

Firewood can be found easily in the area from deadfall. The stream does contain fish, and deer, elk, grouse, squirrels, and other wild animals are frequent visitors. Mushrooms are also found in abundance in the area, many of which are prime edible mushrooms such as morels and puffballs.

Both the US Forest Service and Park Service patrol the area.

The downside of the location is that early in the year, it is necessary to create a fire pit, since the Forest Service will destroy any they find, late in the year. This is to prevent people from thinking they can have open fires during fire season. It is a wise move to contact the Winema National Forest office in Klamath Falls if you are going out later in the year, to make sure if fires are allowed and what restrictions are in place.

For pure rustic beauty, nature, and a stunning setting, this is one of the best, especially if you enjoy unimproved camping. It is only about eight miles from Fort Klamath, so store supplies can be found easily, and since it is so close to the Crater Lake park boundary, it is a great place to stay when visiting and exploring the national park. Strangely enough, not many people even know this place exists...until now.

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