Haystack Reservoir, Oregon

It is April 4th, 2026 in Bend, Oregon. We awoke to a beautifully chilly 28 degree morning and decided to go kayaking at Haystack Reservoir, which we have never explored before. Why Haystack?

Well, it is too snowy to get to any other lakes and many of the mountain roadways are closed for the season. So why not!? Let's go explore a new-to-us lake and try out our new double kayak.

The kayak is an inflatable Sea Eagle Fast Track 385 with tandom seats. It measures 12' 8" with a V-bottom and skag. First impression was that it was very easy to inflate and at 31 pounds, easy for us to transport. On the water, it was super stabile, very fast, and tracks beautifully.

The lake, a mere 35 miles from our house, surprised us with its beauty; amazing and scenic views of the Cascade Mountains with rustic red rock formations, nestled in a high desert juniper forest.

On this day the water was calm, the air was crisp and clean, and the temperature had warmed to 70 degrees by launch time, which allowed us to comfortably paddle the entire lake.

A bonus about Haystack Reservoir is that there are two very scenic campgrounds.

Haystack Campground East Shore has 24 very spacious sites and is open year-round. Sites include a fire pit, a picnic table and access to incredibly clean vault toilets. Not too pricey for such a nice campground at $20.00 a night, but with your Golden Pass it is a mere $10.00. Reservations can be made at Recreation.gov.

The other campground is on the West Shore. It has 14 picturesque campsites, which are paved and located right on the lake shore. The fees on this side are $25.00 a night. Spaces have a 32 foot maximum length for your RV, include picnic table, a fire pit and access to vault toilets, as well. I will say the views are amazing and who doesn't like to camp right on a lake?! The day we visited everybody had a fishing pole trying their luck at catching rainbow and brown trout, kokanee salmon, small and largemouth bass and even catfish. No wonder everyone was fishing. For reservations contact Crook County Parks and Recreation.

This reservoir will definitely be a future camping adventure for us.

Cheers!

Jeff and Liz