USDA Forest Service · Oregon

Coalmine Hill Cg

USDA Forest Service · Oregon, United States

Open on the map Drive there Official page Directions
Cost
No fees are required for this site
Drinking water
No
Restrooms
Yes
Elevation
4,856 ft
Dark sky
Bortle class 1
Cell coverage
AT&T good · T-Mobile none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
Access road
COALMINE HILL CG (NFSR 5300155) · bituminous surface treatment · suitable for passenger cars
Nearest town
Heppner, Oregon
Activities
Cave Exploring/Spelunking

About

US Forest Service campground. Coalmine Hill is just off the paved Blue Mountain Scenic Byway (also called the Western Route). The Campground serves as access to the Bald Mountain, Hells Half Acre, and Willow Creek trails, offering a 7.5 mile-long loop experience for hikers and equestrians. Once inside the campground 's large parking area, there is an information board on the northeast side. Past the information board runs the Bald Mountain hiking trail leading to Gibson Cave, which is 1.25 miles from the parking lot. The cave is really a shallow overhanging shelter with an interpretive; sign describing its history. Once you 've reached Gibson 's cave, continue up the Bald Mountain trail until you reach a nice view point. The mountain 's view point overlooks the drainages in between Coalmine Hill (to the northwest) and Little Bald Mountain (to the east), providing fantastic views and tranquility. About five miles southwest of the campground is Penland Lake; follow the Blue mountain Scenic Byway and Forest Service Road 21 and 2103, until you 've reached Penland Lake where there are fishing and nonelectric boating opportunities. . Coalmine Hill Campground provides one larger, separate site near the entrance and the remaining five sites are located along the tree edges of the large parking area. There is one vault toilet and a travel access information board. This campground was constructed to serve double-duty as a snow park in the winter. There is no potable water or garbage service, so please pack out all garbage and dispose of it at home. Not reservable through Recreation.gov, so plan on first-come, first-served; check with the ranger district for current conditions and fees.

Weather, month by month

MonthTypical highTypical lowColdest nightHottest dayYears with a night below 32°F
January36°25°-6°46°11 of 11
February35°24°-9°53°11 of 11
March41°26°11°65°11 of 11
April47°30°14°69°11 of 11
May56°39°28°78°5 of 11
June66°44°33°81°0 of 11
July80°55°44°92°0 of 11
August79°55°47°93°0 of 11
September68°47°38°84°0 of 11
October58°38°29°72°8 of 10
November42°31°12°60°9 of 10
December35°24°5°52°10 of 10

Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.

Nearby campgrounds

All public campgrounds in Oregon · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2025-07-31. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.