USFS · National forest · Oregon

Ochoco National Forest

The Ochoco National Forest is located in the Ochoco Mountains in Central Oregon in the United States, north and east of the city of Prineville, location of the national forest headquarters. It encompasses 850,000 acres (3,440 km2) of rimrock, canyons, geologic oddities, dense pine forests, and high desert terrain, as well as the headwaters of the North Fork Crooked River. A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the forest was 95,000 acres (38,000 ha).

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest912,775 acresUSFSOR41 campgrounds within 10 mi97 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
4fires
active
Coyote · 19 mi from the center · 17,460 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateOregon
Size912,775 acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0607, region 06
Center point44.3706, -120.4129
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12)

Boundary map

3 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

30 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 11 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Allen Creek Horse Camp
First-comeOR
FS · Inside
Antelope Flat Reservoir Campground and Day Use
First-comeOR
FS · Inside
Barnhouse Campground
First-comeOR
FS · Inside
Biggs Springs Campground
First-comeOR
FS · Inside
Bingham Springs Campground
First-comeOR
FS · Inside
Cold Springs Cabin
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Cottonwood Campground
First-comeOR
FS · Inside
Cottonwood Pit Campground
First-comeOR
Show 4 more

29 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 97

The Forest Service lists 97 recreation sites in this forest, among them 39 trailheads, 28 campgrounds, 5 horse Ridings, 4 day hikings. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 60

The 60 closest to the center point are listed; 37 more are on the Forest Service site.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Coyote

    19 mi from the center point · 17,460 acres · 99% contained

  • Wildfire
    0821

    20 mi from the center point · 10 acres

  • Wildfire
    Shingle

    26 mi from the center point · 2,500 acres · 99% contained

  • Wildfire
    Henry

    29 mi from the center point · 29,844 acres · 99% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Monument · 10 mi
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
National Register listings within 15 miles · 16 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Ochoco National Forest?

912,775 acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Ochoco National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Ochoco National Forest in?

Oregon.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Ochoco National Forest?

30 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Allen Creek Horse Camp, Antelope Flat Reservoir Campground and Day Use and Barnhouse Campground. 41 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Ochoco National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 97 recreation sites here, including 39 trailheads, 28 campground campgrounds and 5 horse ridings. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Ochoco National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 44.371, -120.413. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is 10 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Ochoco National Forest right now?

4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Coyote at 19 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Ochoco National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 12 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Ochoco National Forest?

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (10 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Ochoco National Forest?

16 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Lamonta Compound--Prineville Supervisor's Warehouse and Crook County Bank Building.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: Ochoco National Forest on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.