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Hunting on the Deschutes
Do you have a tag to the Deschutes National Forest?
Portions of the Deschutes National Forest are closed due to wildfire suppression rehabilitation efforts.
If you're hiking in a Wilderness area, the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests share management of the Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson and Three Sisters Wilderness areas. To view closures on the east side of the Cascade Crest, click here.
If you are hunting on the west side of the Cascade Crest, visit the Willamette National Forest alerts and closures to find out what is open.
We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable hunting experience this fall and winter. Please take a few moments to browse the information below before planning your trip to the Deschutes National Forest.
10 Tips for Your Hunting Trip on the Deschutes National Forest
Frequently Asked Questions about Hunting on the Deschutes National Forest
Camping
- We have a select number of camping spots and rental cabins that can be reserved ahead of time: Camping & Cabins
- All reservations are handled online at www.recreation.gov
- All other campground sites and dispersed camping is on a first come, first served basis.
- If you plan to camp, please take a moment to learn a little bit about dispersed camping on National Forest lands and how you can help conserve the resources while you’re here.
- Getting familiar with the principles of Leave No Trace will prepare you to leave your campsite better than you found it, so those who come after you can have an enjoyable camping experience, too.
- If you camp near water, please camp at least 200 feet back from the water source. This helps to protect fragile plants and soil, and the wildlife that depend on them.
- Potable drinking water is not found many places on the Forest. We encourage you to bring your own drinking water.
Maps
We encourage everyone who visits the National Forests to have a good map. It can be easy to get lost or turned around on unfamiliar forest roads.
While the Deschutes National Forest has better cell coverage than other Central Oregon National Forests, some areas are spotty, and sometimes service is completely unavailable. Please don’t rely on cell service for vehicle navigation. Having a map will help ensure your safety.
The two most popular maps are the Recreation Map and the Motor Vehicle Use Map.
The Recreation Map is a colored overview of the National Forest and Grassland, the major roads, campgrounds and facilities, and useful tourism information.
The Motor Vehicle Use Map is a detailed, black-and-white reference of all roads on the Forest and Grassland that are open to motorized travel. This map contains many of the narrower roads that the Visitor Map does not.
Recreation Maps cost $10 or less and Motor Vehicle Use Maps are FREE.
Both maps are available at any of our Central Oregon Forest Service offices or they can be downloaded online.