A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Forest Service group campground

Hard Rock Campground

Forest Service group campground in Willamette National Forest, Lane County, Oregon. About 1,800 feet. 24.1 miles from Oakridge.

Managed by
Forest Service Willamette National Forest
Elevation
About 1,800 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
1 1 group standard area non-electric
Longest rig
36 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Lane County

Overview

Hard Rock Campground is a small, primitive group site along the South Fork of the McKenzie River in Oregon. Many hiking trails are available in the surrounding area and the river offers fishing opportunities.

Recreation

The river offers good catch-and-release fishing for wild redside and cutthroat trout. Cougar Reservoir is open to motorized boating and offers a beautiful setting.

Facilities

The campground offers one tent-only group campsite that can accommodate up to 10 people. No water or electricity is available at Hard Rock. Campfire rings, picnic tables, portable toilets and trash collection are provided.

Natural Features

The campground sits just south of Cougar Reservoir, near where Balm Creek feeds into the South Fork, at an elevation of 1,800 feet. Hard Rock is set on the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains, where gorgeous, lush mountain landscapes abound.

Nearby Attractions

Just east of Cougar Reservoir, the Castle Rock Trail leads through a dense Douglas-fir forest to the top of Castle Rock. Once on top, hikers enjoy impressive views of the McKenzie River Valley below.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • fishing
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Hard Rock Campground

The ringed pin is this group campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated March 1, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.