There’s nothing particularly spectacular about many of Oregon’s least visited state parks – no waterfalls or ocean beaches, nothing in the way of big views to speak of. That’s one of the reasons hardly anybody pays these places a visit.

For one pocket of tiny Oregon state parks, there’s also the fact that they are incredible remote, located in a rural part of Northeast Oregon that has long since been bypassed by Interstate 84, ushering most traffic away while offering little to entice travelers to take the extra miles to visit.

For those who love an underutilized attraction, this collection of parks makes a great little road trip destination.

Never one to overlook a potentially beautiful stretch of Oregon, I took the long way home from a recent trip to Joseph just to visit four of these least-visited state parks. And while I found little to write home about, there was something exciting (or at least fulfilling) about exploring a corner of the state that so often goes ignored.

These four parks are regularly featured in stories about remote campgrounds on our annual lists of the least-visited state parks in Oregon. In 2023, three of them were in the bottom four, drawing a combined 48,974 annual visitors – about 4% of the crowds at Silver Falls last year. All four parks are open seasonally, from May 1 to Oct. 15.

To find two of the parks, leave Interstate 84 just west of La Grande to take Oregon 244 west through the Blue Mountains. You’ll find the other two parks just north and south of the intersection of Oregon 244 and U.S. 395, near the tiny town of Ukiah. That highway heads north to hook back up with the interstate, which takes you back to Oregon’s more popular destinations.

HILGARD JUNCTION STATE PARK

Why you go: Easy access campground

Amenities: Restrooms, campground, picnic area, riverside day-use area

2023 visitors: 74,216

Hilgard Junction State Park did not make the 2023 list of least-visited Oregon state parks, perhaps owing to its location just off Interstate 84. The park’s 18 primitive campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and can accommodate tent or RV campers. There are several parking areas that offer access to the Grand Ronde River, with picnic tables and easily accessible shallows.

RED BRIDGE STATE WAYSIDE

Why you go: Charming views on the Grand Ronde River

Amenities: Restrooms, campground, picnic area, riverside day-use area

2023 visitors: 17,680

A short, paved pathway follows the Grand Ronde River, ringing the small day-use area at Red Bridge State Wayside. Found on Oregon 244, the park also has 20 primitive campsites (10 of which are walk-in only) available on a first-come, first-served basis. Picnic tables are scattered throughout the park, found beside the river, in the woods and in grassy areas. A few of the riverside access points are particularly charming. On my visit, a group was busy setting up what appeared to be a wedding in the little park.

UKIAH-DALE FOREST STATE SCENIC CORRIDOR

Why you go: Remote riverside camping

Amenities: Restrooms, campground

2023 visitors: 14,370

There isn’t much in the way of day-use areas in the Ukiah-Dale Forest State Scenic Corridor, aside from a small area by the campground. The seasonal campground, which is first-come, first-served, is the main attraction here, with 27 primitive sites along Camas Creek. It’s also a good fishing spot, according to the state parks department, with access to trout, steelhead and salmon.

BATTLE MOUNTAIN FOREST STATE SCENIC CORRIDOR

Why you go: Picnic area with a granite fireplace

Amenities: Restrooms, picnic area

2023 visitors: 16,924

While home to a perfectly nice picnic area on the side of U.S. 395, Battle Mountain Forest State Scenic Corridor apparently sees very few picnickers. The main draw here is a large granite fireplace in the middle of the park, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, that visitors are allowed to use. The mountain is named for an 1878 battle between white settlers and local Indigenous people that’s said to be the last of such conflicts in Oregon.

--Jamie Hale covers travel and the outdoors and co-hosts the Peak Northwest podcast. Reach him at 503-294-4077, jhale@oregonian.com or @HaleJamesB.

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