Harpham Flat :: Campgrounds Oregon

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Harpham Flat

Last Updated: Nov-16-2014, Hits: 5,704, Rating: 2, Reviews: 1, Votes: 1

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Harpham Flat is a popular campground on the lower Deschutes river. Harpham Flat offers camping with 9 single sites and 4 group sites as well as a day use area. The site is used heavily by whitewater rafters and fisherman. The day use area is extremely busy on weekends. The campround is also very busy starting in early May through September. Harpham is situated on a long and skinny flat adjacent to the Deschutes. Sites are located in open and unshaded areas.

The lower Deschutes river is designated a Wild and Scenic River. From below Pelton Dam to the Columbia river if flows through a deep canyon providing only limited access points from the canyon rim. The high canyon walls provide welcome shade in the evenings in the otherwise dry and hot canyon. The riparian zone is dominated by white alter, willow, and cottonwood while the uplands are dominated by sagebrush, bunch grasses and the occasional western juniper.

The lower Deschutes river has two primary activities; fishing and whitewater rafting. Fly fishing is very popular and extremely productive. Fishermen come from all across the United States targeting a robust and healthy population of rainbow trout known as "redsides" as well as the renowned run of summer steelhead. The lower Deschutes has significant and predictable insect hatches that makes the river popular with fly anglers, of primary interest is the yearly salmonfly hatch that typically starts in mid May and extends through early June. Steelhead begin to arrive in July with the run peeking in September.

River rafting, kayaking and exceedingly popular on the lower Deschutes. A number of guide services are offered in Maupin. Boating passes are required on the Lower Deschutes. You might think that this would keep the number of boaters down, but you would be wrong. Popular launching sites such as Harpham Flats are zoos on hot summer days. The town of Maupin doubles or triples in size during the summer with the influx of visitors.

Camping on the lower Deschutes is more oriented towards activities than the overall camping experience. During the summer months sites are dominated by large groups of rafting or fishing parties. Campsites tend to be open, providing limited shade and privacy. The sites provide few amenities, usually only a picnic table, vault toilet and campfire ring. Campground fires are not allowed between June 1st and October 15th in most of the lower river. Overall the campground experience is not ideal, but the draw of the Deschutes river is the recreation opportunities. And these opportunities draw in enough campers in the summer to make it difficult to find a spot on the weekends.

4 miles south of Maupin on Upper Deschutes Access Rd. (gravel road)

Camping Types: Group Camp, RV Camping, Tent Camping

Geography: High Desert, Waterfront (River)

Features:

Boat Ramp or Dock	Camp Host	Fire Pits
Flush Toilets	Garbage Service	Pets Allowed
Picnic Tables	Vault Toilets

Activities:

Boating (Non-motorized)	Fishing (Fly)	Fishing (Lure)
Hiking	Kayaking	Rafting

Access: Drive in

Number of sites: 13

Max People: 12

Max RV Length: 25 feet

Elevation: 910 feet

Availability: January 1 - December 31

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Website:	Harpham Flat

Address:	BLM Access Road

City:	Maupin

State:	Oregon

Zip code:	97037

Country:	United States

Phone:	541-416-6700

GPS Lat:	45.136417

GPS Lon:	-121.121332

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	Blitzfan

User Reviews (1)

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My Average Rating: 3.51
I am from Oregon

Reviewed by: Blitzfan
Review date: Aug-13-2013

Rating:

In terms of campgrounds along the Lower Deschutes, Harpham is one of my least favorite. In general campgrounds along the lower Deschutes are not to my liking. Don't get me wrong, I love the Deschutes for fishing. When I camp on the Lower Deschutes, I do so because I want to be fishing the river, and not because I want to enjoy the camping experience.
Harpham rates low with me for a couple of reasons. First it is very flat and provides next to no shade or privacy. It also gets a fair share of knuckleheads during the summer months.

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