Field Notes: Swamp Wells Campground

The access road has to Swamp Wells one very short but very steep stretch that is tough for large camper/trailer combos and RVs. The best way in is from Bend via the 1810 Road which is all cinder or dirt for 16 miles. Look for Rd. 1816 on the east side of the road. The steep pitch is about 2 miles in. Give it plenty of gas and hang on. Unload at the bottom if you are overly heavy. We pull a three horse trailer without a camper with a two-wheel drive pickup and do fine.

The riding from camp is pretty good with 3 main routes that are mostly single-track (50% or more) and the road riding is on VERY old logging roads. Plus tons of small, old logging roads to ride for lots of loop opportunities. There are several large lava tube caves within a day's ride of camp. The biggest is Skeleton Cave and is about 3,000 feet long. There is also a cave that keeps ice in it year around (Arnold Ice Cave) and several scenic roof collapses in the same area.

The ride south to Paulina Mountain is very scenic in the last three miles. It is very similar to the high Cascades in feel but much less crowded. In fact the Swamp Wells complex of trails is a safe bet if you are looking for solitude as you will meet very few, if any, people on a given day.

Potable water will be a problem for a large group however as the closest fresh water is at least 20 + miles away. The horses will be OK with the ponds and guzzler.

The camp has 5 picnic tables and fire rings and 5, four-horse metal stalls. There is a vault toilet and handicapped access via a wheelchair mounting ramp should be finished during the summer of 2001. It is situated in a small basin with a large dry meadow (after June) and ringed by hills and logged forest of ponderosa and lodge pole. The camp was once heavily forested with each camping spot carved out of the trees. The beetle kill of the 70's and 80's wiped out all the trees 'cept for a few and there are small stumps everywhere (we cut them all down to ground level).

Basically, it is not "pretty" but then again its been in recovery since about 1990 so it doesn't look _that_ bad. There are small trees sprouting up all over and all the dead trees are gone.

I like riding around there but I helped build or re-establish the trail system. If your folks are used to primitive camping they'll do fine. And you'll have the place completely to yourselves.

Chuck Engel