HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE
5Heads up5 fires, nearest 21 mi
- Right now
- Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
- A night
- $30From, per site
- Sites
- 17All of them booked ahead
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 15 notices
In the agency’s own words
Located in southwest Oregon in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Hart-Tish Park is surrounded by a variety of landscapes, boasting nearby volcanic peaks, rivers and old-growth forests. Hart-Tish Park offers several acres of beautifully groomed lawn sloping down to the shores of Applegate Lake. Visitors can spot the peaks of the majestic Red Buttes Wilderness while looking south over the lake. General Store with lengthy nonalcoholic drink selection w/no sugar drinks as well, large snack selection as well as camping, fishing, outdoor amenities, worms, ICE CREAM, ice and more sold. Boat Ramp. Fish Cleaning Station. Stand up paddleboard and kayak rentals. Bathrooms. Truck with trailer and car parking. Camping and dry RV sites all with easy access to the lake. Keep reading
Recreation
Hart-Tish Campground sits on the shores of Applegate Lake, a popular recreation lake located north of the Red Buttes Wilderness Area. Visitors enjoy swimming, cycling, boating, canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, world renown fishing and hiking the various trails near the lake. There is a trail that goes 18.5 miles around the lake, with two short sections that are back on the road, as well as various trails close to the lake that are popular with mountain bikers due to the trails and choices of climbs having trails for every level. Collins Mountain Trail, named for the family of Freeman and Sophia (Lewis) Collings, sisters who moved to the area in the mid-1870s from the Forest Creek/Kanaka Flat area, begins at the Hart-Tish Park picnic area. The trail crosses Upper Applegate Road and drops down to Grouse Creek, where it passes an abandoned miners' cabin and several mines, as well as an inactive Bigfoot trap. Leaving Grouse Creek, the trail climbs steeply for one mile to the ridge top, gaining 1,000-foot elevation, and begins a long traverse of the western slope of Collins Mountain. Panoramic views of Applegate Lake and the Siskiyou Crest are seen at several locations along the trail. The inactive Bigfoot trap, found at the beginning of the trail, was built in 1974 by the North American Wildlife Research Team. The trap was inspired by a miner who lived near the Applegate River who claimed to have found 18-inch-long, human-like tracks in his garden. The organization operated the trap, keeping it baited with carcasses for six years, but caught only bears and a hiker. Trails and lake activities are plentiful.
Facilities
Hart-Tish Campground has seven traditional tent campsites and eight lakeside RV parking spots. All tent campsites are a short walk in of approximately 75 yards, with carts provided for transporting gear. The RV sites are a sectioned-off portion of the day-area use parking. The RV sites back-up directly to the lake shoreline. It's a beautiful setting, but there may be day-use car traffic in close proximity to the boat launch area. RV campers are allocated two parking spots to help accommodate slide-outs and extra gear. Drinking water and flush toilets are available, as well as an on-site General Store. Kayak and Paddle Board rentals are available at $45 for 3-hrs or $60 all-day. This is also a boat ramp as well as a fish cleaning station offered. Please note, GENERATORS ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO OPERATE FROM 10 AM TO 12 NOON AND FROM 4 PM TO 6 PM in order to keep the peace and quiet people visit here for. Please note, there is a two-night minimum when you desire to reserve a Friday or Saturday night. Please Note: There is NO INTERNET service or cell coverage at the Lake. Wi-Fi is available to purchase for $30 for 12 hours.
Natural Features
The unique character of the landscapes comprising the area has led to the designation of over 340,000 acres of the forest as wilderness, and over 200 miles of streams as National Wild and Scenic Rivers. The forest itself is composed of two distinct geological provinces, the Cascade Range and the Siskiyou Mountains. The Cascade Range is dominated by snow-capped volcanic peaks like the 9,495-foot Mt. McLoughlin, located within the Sky Lakes Wilderness. The Siskiyou area embodies the most complex and treasured plant communities in the Pacific Northwest. World-class wild rivers, biological diversity, remarkable fisheries and complex watersheds all define the Siskiyou. Diverse landscapes provide habitat for a wide range of wildlife, from spotted owls and bull elk to salamanders and sandhill cranes.
Nearby Attractions
The nearby Rogue River National Recreation Trail, stretching 40 miles between Grave Creek and Big Bend, offers some of southwestern Oregon's most scenic landscapes and rewarding hiking experiences. This hiking-only trail follows the north bank of the Rogue River as it winds its way toward the Pacific Ocean. The historic town of Jacksonville has an endless amount of activities for adults as well as children not to mention The Incredible Venue the Britt Fest. Visitors enjoy Crater Lake National Park and learning about its unique natural and cultural history. At 1,943 feet deep, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the ten deepest lakes in the world.
What the agency tells you
RV spots are DRY-Camping. No hook-ups or utilites.RV Generator usage is allowed between 10AM-noon and 4PM-6PM daily. Please plan accordingly. You may park 1-extra vehicle, within your site, at no extra charge. If you park your vehicle in general parking, the per-day fee is $7-$10 per vehicle/spot. If you have a boat/trailer, and park in a standard boat-spot, it's $10 additional each day.
Tent sites are designed for 4-people. YES....little kids are considered people. If your party is more than 4-people, please reserve additional-sites. This is designed so that all campsites have adequate spacing. Tent-camping includes parking for one vehicle, each additional vehicle is $7 per night
Please schedule your arrival prior to 8 p.m., or call to make late arrival arrangements. These campsites are walk-in of approx 100-yards. We provide courtesy wheel-barrows, but they create quite a commotion. As a courtesy to other campers, and the peace and quiet of the campground, if you arrive late, we may accommodate you elsewhere. Our goal is to NOT disturb the sleeping and quiet campground.
Everything else this campground posts · 12
Check-in time is 2 p.m., but we will accommodate early arrivals if the campsite is empty.
Check-out time is 10:00 a.m. If your spot is open on your departure day, you may pay $7 additional dollars, and enjoy the day.
Quiet time is 8 p.m.
Dumping of sewage or gray water is prohibited.
Click here for more information about Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
When your first camping night is a Friday or Saturday night, a two-night minimum reservation is required.
Over weekends and holiday periods, there is a two-night camping minimum.
Dogs on a leash are welcome. Please be considerate of other campers and keep pets under control at all times.
Please visit www.applegatelake.com for more info. Please note: there is NO INTERNET service at the Lake
Check out the forest's campground description for specific information to Fish Your National Forest
Don't Move Firewood: Please protect Pacific Northwest forests by preventing the spread of invasive species. Firewood can carry insects and diseases that can threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by obtaining and burning your firewood near your camping destination. Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further information.
Cancellations: Recreation.gov collects an $8 reservation fee, which is non-refundable. The campsite cancellation fee is a flat $10 for your entire reservation. EXAMPLE: if you booked (2) nites at $30 per nite, your total camping fee would be $68. If you cancelled at least 48-hours prior to your reservation arrival, your refund would be: $68-$8-$10 = $50 net refund. If you late cancel (within 48-hr of your arrival), you will also forfeit the first-nite camping fee. In this same example, you would be refunded: $68-$8-$10-$30 = $20 net refund. Processing refunds is time-consuming & expensive for the facility, and we potentially will not refill your camping spot. This loses revenue for the facility due to your situation & circumstances changing. The Facility is NOT responsible for acts of God / weather / fire-restrictions / smoke / or other things outside the control of the facility. Thanks for your understanding. If you have any questions please email: info@applegatelake.com
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 17 · 9 tent-only, 1 group
- Hookups
- None
- Longest rig
- 40 ft
- Paved pads
- 8 of 17
- Accessible sites
- 1
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets
- “…and extra gear. Drinking water and flush toilets are available, as well as an on-site General Store.…”
- Drinking water
- Yes
- “…accommodate slide-outs and extra gear. Drinking water and flush toilets are available, as well as an…”
- Boat ramp
- Yes
- Store
- Nearby
Around the campground
- On the water
- Lake, River, Creek, Beach, Coast
- Biking
- Boating
- Canoeing
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Ranger programs
- Kayaking
- Mountain biking
- Paddle Boating
- Paddling
- Picnicking
- Sailing
- Stargazing
- Swimming
- Night sky · 591st darkest of 770 in OR
- Bortle 3
- Cell signal · Cell signal · Forest Service says
- None
No reading yet, book on recreation.gov
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 25
What you actually pay
“Tent-camping includes parking for one vehicle, each additional vehicle is $7 per night” · the U.S. Forest Service’s own agency notice
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $30 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Oct 1, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
17 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 16 mapped sitesAll 17 sites
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 16 of the 17 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 17 of the 17 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | 001 | tent only nonelectric | 111 ft | 262 ft | 2,772 ft | $30 | ||
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | 002 | tent only nonelectric | 111 ft | 225 ft | 2,857 ft | $30 | ||
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | 003 | tent only nonelectric | 158 ft | 105 ft | 2,713 ft | $30 | ||
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | 004 | tent only nonelectric | 114 ft | under 10 ft | 3,155 ft | $30 | ||
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | 005 | tent only nonelectric | 114 ft | under 10 ft | 3,112 ft | $30 | ||
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | 006 | tent only nonelectric | 170 ft | 12 ft | 3,067 ft | $30 | ||
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | 007 | tent only nonelectric | 170 ft | 27 ft | 3,048 ft | $30 | ||
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | 008 | tent only nonelectric | $30 | |||||
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | Group1 | group tent only area nonelectric | 154 ft | 94 ft | 3,047 ft | $75 | ||
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | RV1 | rv nonelectric | 40 ft | yes | 22 ft | under 10 ft | 2,351 ft | $30 |
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | RV2 | rv nonelectric | 40 ft | 22 ft | under 10 ft | 2,367 ft | $30 | |
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | RV3 | rv nonelectric | 40 ft | 25 ft | 15 ft | 2,385 ft | $30 | |
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | RV4 | rv nonelectric | 40 ft | 24 ft | 23 ft | 2,410 ft | $30 | |
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | RV5 | rv nonelectric | 40 ft | 24 ft | 25 ft | 2,429 ft | $30 | |
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | RV6 | rv nonelectric | 40 ft | 27 ft | 30 ft | 2,460 ft | $30 | |
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | RV7 | rv nonelectric | 40 ft | 27 ft | 31 ft | 2,481 ft | $30 | |
| HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE | RV8 | rv nonelectric | 40 ft | 32 ft | 33 ft | 2,507 ft | $30 |
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Carberry Group CampgroundRogue River National Forest · 3.3 mi
Jackson Campground on the Applegate RiverRogue River National Forest · 4.3 mi
Flumet Flat Group CampgroundRogue River National Forest · 4.5 miFrom Jacksonville Oregon, take Highway 238 west. Go 7 miles, then turn left at Ruch on Road 859. Continue 14 miles, passing Applegate Dam. About 3/4 of a mile past the dam turn left into the park entrance. The check-in is at the general store at the bottom of the hill.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Ruch, OR
Typical weather
Typical October night 36°F, day 68°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical December night 29°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it
What threatens this place
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
HART-TISH PARK at APPLEGATE LAKE is in Oregon’s 2nd congressional district. Its representative, Cliff Bentz (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →
How we know
every fact on this page, and where it came from
“…Please Note: There is NO INTERNET service or cell coverage at the Lake. Wi-Fi is available to purchase for $30…”