Happy New Year! Can you believe it’s time again? Time to start making plans and reservations for the Fifth Annual W7O/PNW SOTA Campout! We will be at a new location, Crane Prairie Campground July 9th-12th, 2026, in beautiful Central Oregon. I am not very familiar with the area so Etienne K7ATN, Chris W7MTB, Randi N7OLE and Tim N7KOM have joined the Campout team to help out with intel, hosting and planning. Much appreciated!
Reservations open SIX months in advance, on January 9th, 2026 (or 6 months from your check in date)so mark your calendar. Remember, make a reservation even if you are a bit uncertain, cancellation fees are minimal and the area is popular, but please ALWAYS inform me if you are canceling your site so we can try to fill it with another SOTA op. It really helps to have an area that is only us, rather than with non-SOTA campers scattered within. We will be focusing on filling the area on the west side of the campground, Sites 90-146. I reserved 108 which will probably be the gathering area. Please focus on reserving sites close to 108, particularly the ones I have circled in the attached map. You can currently reserve if you reserve your start date prior to the official campout date, some already have. You just have to go back and delete the earlier nights on a later date. Example, I reserved site 108 June 30th-July12th, but will edit it to the correct dates around January 9th to July 9th-12th. There is no penalty for doing this and it would be great if some could do this for the sites in the SOTA loop around January 5th when current 4th of July reservations at the sites expires.
Campsite info from the team: Sites 104, 105, 106, 108, 109, 110 are on the lake near the boat ramp and have one bar of cell service. All other sites have no cell service. While driving through the campground, sites 112 and 115 were noted as being nice and sites 119, 120, and 122 have a note of being deep and big. Sites 76, 79 and 82 are nice and on the lake but outside of the “SOTA loop”.
2026 Campout - Lodging Alternatives
There are lots of lodging options in the Bend area. From whole house rentals to many different hotel and motel options and from budget to luxury. Bend is just under an hour away from Campout central, and Sunriver a half hour away, and both have a good range of prices and features for those wanting a more comfortable experience. All are welcome at Campout gatherings which happen every evening - we should be able to find a place for your vehicle in the campground while you visit. As for any overnight stays, let Amy know your campsite or lodge/hotel so she can track attendance. Central Oregon is a popular destination - it’s best to book early!
Tim N7KOM has a list of lodging places in Bend from his wedding last summer that he will post as a separate note on the Jefferson State SOTA Group.
Crane Prairie Resort is directly adjacent to the Campground and has RV sites, TeePees, one and two bedroom cabins, and a yurt. It appears that reservations for Crane Prairie Resort can be made anytime, so if you want this option, you should book soon. I believe the resort also has showers available for campers at a cost but I do not have details.
https://www.craneprairieresort.com/ (541) 383-3939
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There are alpine climbing opportunities nearby for those folks interested in ten-point fun on a volcano. For some of the alpine trailheads like South Sister, climbing permits are required.
Three Sisters- Devils Lake/ Wickiup (South Sister) Trailhead
https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/300009/ticket/10088687
Tim N7KOM will prepare instructions for anyone looking to do permit-required summits in the Three Sisters and post as a separate note on the Jefferson SOTA Group.
Within about 30 miles of the Campout, there are over 100 Summits: (https://sotl.as/map/coordinates/43.796000,-121.757000/9.0):
~15 Summits to the S and SE
~20 Summits to the N and NE
~70 Summits to the West
Some trailheads might require the Northwest Forest Pass or the America the Beautiful Pass.
https://shop.usparkpass.com/collections/popular/products/america-the-beautiful-national-park-pass
We will post details on the summit list and permits as we get closer to the campout date.
It’s going to be another great year at a new venue! If you have any questions about booking campsites please forward to me at ag7gp.amy@gmail.com, or via Jefferson State SOTA. Contact me if you are not on the Jefferson SOTA Group email list, it will be the primary communication source for details when we get closer to July.
If you have questions regarding the local area, campground specifics, lodging outside the campground, and summits, please contact Chris W7MTB at chrisbjohannsen@gmail.com
73,
Amy-AG7GP and Central OR Team
