Recreation area

Pistol River

Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest · Oregon — managed by USDA Forest Service

Open recreation area — no reservation needed

About this campground

The Pistol River is a medium-sized coastal river that enters the ocean approximately 15 miles below Gold Beach. The Pistol River mouth is blocked by a sandbar through late summer, which prevents sea-run cutthroat from entering the stream until late August or September. The river is closed for salmon fishing on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, and it is difficult to fish to from a boat because there are no public launch points. The river does not receive hatchery supplementation, but there is a stable run of wild winter steelhead up to 15 pounds.

Getting there

From Medford, take I-5 North to exit 55 US-199/Redwood Hwy. Merge onto US-101/ Redwood Hwy towards Crescent City. US-101 crosses Pistol River approximately 15 miles south of Gold Beach.

Explore more Oregon camping

Pistol River doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby Oregon campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.

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Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.