North Waldo
October 2026
About
Overview
Waldo Lake is one of the largest natural lakes in Oregon. It offers a uniquely peaceful setting on the water and along remote shorelines, surrounded by forests of Douglas fir and mountain hemlock. Recreation in the area is abundant with the lake an ideal location for water activities like sailing, canoeing and swimming.
Recreation
Waldo Lake is circled by the Jim Weaver Loop, 20 miles of trail for hiking and biking. Bikes are allowed on the trails, but not in the nearby Waldo Lake Wilderness. There is also easy access to the Pacific Crest Trail and North Waldo is also a popular starting point for many wilderness trails and lakes, most notably the Rigdon, Wahanna and Torrey Lakes. There is a 1-mile Shoreline Trail between North Waldo Campground and Islet Campground which provides a short and pleasant hike along the lakeshore.
Facilities
North Waldo is the most popular of the Waldo Lake Campgrounds. There are 58 sites with fire rings and tables, 34 are reservable. The boat launch is somewhat deeper than the others on the lake, which is more accommodating for large sailboats. The drier environment supports fewer mosquitoes, but they are still plentiful in season. This facility is operated by American Land & Leisure. We appreciate hearing from you. Comment cards are available from campground hosts or online at www.americanll.com.
Natural Features
Situated high on the western slopes of the Oregon Cascades at 5,400 feet in elevation, Waldo Lake is one of the purest lakes in Oregon (9.8 square miles with a maximum depth of 427 feet). It has no permanent inlet to bring nutrients into the lake for plant growth. The lack of plant life contributes to its purity, allowing you to see to depths of 120 feet on a calm day.
Amenities
Phone: 801-226-3564
Is NORTH WALDO fully booked?
A campground showing no availability is almost never full for good. People cancel — plans change, weather turns, someone books three weekends and keeps one — and the site goes straight back into the booking system, usually without warning and often at odd hours. The reason sold-out campgrounds feel impossible is not that sites never free up; it is that nobody is watching at the moment they do.
CampHawk watches NORTH WALDO in Oakridge, OR for you. We recheck it every 15 seconds, around the clock, and the moment a site opens we send a text, an email and a push notification — and on Recreation.gov we can put the site straight into your cart, so it is held while you get to your phone.
Searching is free and needs no account — the calendar above is live right now. Watching NORTH WALDO for cancellations is the paid part.