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Detroit Lake State Recreation Area, Detroit, OR

Photo: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & Outdoors

Detroit Lake State Recreation Area

A forest-ringed reservoir in the Cascade Mountains with a large campground, boating, fishing, and views of Mt. Jefferson.

Detroit, OR

About Detroit Lake State Recreation Area

Detroit Lake State Recreation Area sits on a long canyon reservoir in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Its campground has close to 300 sites near the shore, with full-hookup, electrical, and tent options, plus flush toilets and hot showers. Visitors fish, boat, and swim on the lake, and can rent paddlecraft at the Visitor Center during the warm months. Day-use areas such as Mongold offer picnic spots, a swimming area, and a boat launch. Sightseers can look toward snow-capped Mt. Jefferson. The park was hit hard by the 2020 Santiam Canyon wildfires, and a reservoir drawdown is planned for late 2026.

  • #reservoir
  • #camping
  • #boating
  • #fishing
  • #swimming

What's around here?

The closest stops to Detroit Lake State Recreation Area, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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    The Museum at Warm Springs

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    45 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

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    Pelton Park

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    Lakeside campground and day-use park on Lake Simtustus in Central Oregon, offering boating, camping, fishing and hiking.

    46 mi awayMore like this

  • Stay
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    Cove Palisades Resort & Marina

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    Transit: reachable by public transit

    50 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay

  • Sightseeing

    Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint

    Check prices

    Canyon-rim lookout over tall basalt cliffs and the Crooked River gorge, open for day use all year.

    54 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Outdoor Adventure

    Mt. Bachelor

    $50+

    Ski and snowboard a Cascade volcano in winter, then ride lifts for mountain biking, scenic views and a zip line in summer.

    56 mi awayMore like this

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Outdoor Adventure

    Smith Rock State Park

    Under $25

    Hike or climb among welded tuff spires and 600-foot cliffs above a bend of the Crooked River.

    57 mi awayMore like this

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