From rocky coastlines to sagebrush deserts, camping in Oregon has never been better. The Best in Tent Camping: Oregon is a guidebook for tent campers who like quiet, scenic, and serene campsites. It's the perfect resource if you blanch at the thought of pitching a tent on a concrete slab, trying to sleep through the blare of another camper's boom box, or waking up to find your tent surrounded by a convoy of RVs. Whether you are an Oregon native in search of new territory or a vacationer on the lookout for that dream campground, this book will help you unlock the secrets to the best tent camping that Oregon has to offer. "This is a great resource for families looking for scenic, secluded locations where they can easily take the kids, or for those folks who don't have the time or the inclination for a full-scale backpacking trip." -- Backpacker Magazine -- Review A superb guide for anyone looking to enjoy the peace and freedom of nature. -- The Midwest Book Review, November, 2004 From rocky coastlines to sagebrush deserts, camping in Oregon has never been better. The Best in Tent Camping: Oregon is a guidebook for tent campers who like quiet, scenic, and serene campsites. It's the perfect resource if you blanch at the thought of pitching a tent on a concrete slab, trying to sleep through the blare of another camper's boom box, or waking up to find your tent surrounded by a convoy of RVs. Inside you will find: Detailed campground locator and layout maps Key information such as fees, restrictions, and dates of operation Ratings for beauty, privacy, quiet, security, spaciousness, and cleanliness. If you subscribe to the opinion that televisions, Japanese lanterns, and electric guitars are not essential camping equipment, The Best in Tent Camping: Oregon should be your constant companion. Jeanne Louise Pyle is a transplanted Marylander who has lived in the Pacific Northwest for nearly 30 years. She has worked exclusively in the book and magazine publishing industries, wearing many hats--from publisher to sales rep to author. Her love of the outdoors led to authoring the first edition of The Best in Tent Camping series 10 years ago, and she is proud that this unique guide continues to lead campers to new and interesting discoveries in Washington and Oregon. She currently resides in Bellingham, Washington, conveniently equidistant between her two favorite cities--Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. One look at the southeastern expanse of Oregon, roughly 60 miles south of Burns, and you know you're in a place where country-western music is as common as cornbread. Mile after dusty mile, scraggly sagebrush, twisted juniper, and jagged rimrock share a landscape punctuated only by the hulk of mile-high Steens Mountain. This is the highest fault-block mountain in the nation and a snowcapped beacon for all of southeast Oregon. The region was once the turf of the largest cattle ranch in the United States. Pete French arrived in the Donner und Blitzen River valley in 1872 with 120 head of cattle and built an empire that totaled 45,000 cattle and 200,000 acres. Cattle operations still exist in parts of the Steens Mountain area today. But with all the natural wonders to behold, outdoor recreation and tourism are gradually replacing the traditional sources of income. Page Springs Campground sits invitingly in the midst of this spectrum. Maintained by the Bureau of Land Management out of its Burns district office, Page Springs is one of three public campgrounds that the Bureau provides for visitors. I prefer it because it is more centrally located to interesting day trips that await in just about any direction you choose to go. It is also the only one of the three campgrounds that is open year-round. Once you've settled in among the sagebrush and aspens, your first activity of choice may be the 1.8-mile walk that follows the meandering Donner und Blitzen through tall stands of surprisingly lush grasses and other vegetation. This short path is part of a longer route known as the Desert Trail that will-if the efforts of the national Desert Trail Association are successful-provide access to some of the most beautiful arid sections of North America between Canada and Mexico. Oregon's contribution to the trail network is 77 miles. BEST IN TENT CAMP: OREGON