Howard Prairie Lake Resort

If I had rated this place last year when we went I would have given it 4 – 5 stars. Since Jackson County took over ownership, a lot of things have gone down hill.
I come back up to Oregon from Southern California to vacation over Labor Day weekend. It’s a pretty good spot if you’re looking for a place either tent camp or bring your RV. They do a pretty good job of keeping people in line and making sure it doesn’t get too loud or rowdy which is good.
Where I really feel they’re dropping the ball is with the amenities. They don’t carry as many supplies at the store as they used to. They did a great job of entertaining people last year by getting a band or someone to DJ and play music in the evenings. There wasn’t really any of that this year.
It’s a great place to go with your family though. There are fishing boats you can rent and plenty of fish to be caught out on the lake.

Don’t waste your time or money! The campground is too congested and the host was a complete ass.
We booked a full amenity campsite for Labor Day somewhat last minute (we now know why spots were available). When we arrived, the check-​in folks were nice and helpful. Unfortunately that’s where it ended. The first night the camp host was constantly pestering us about our fire and making up stories about forest service fines for not tending to our fire. I’ve camped in the forests of Oregon for over thirty years. I’m very cognizant of fire danger and always tend to and have water available.
He then tried to get us to snitch on a group of ladies down the road who were laughing and having fun. Isn’t that what your supposed to do when you camp? He wanted us to complain so he could tell them to quiet down. It wasn’t even 9 pm yet. We advised they were not bothering us.
The next night was the season opener of college football. We put the game on our car stereo. The neighbors were also fans. We turned it up so they could listen also. Within minutes we were paid a visit by the meddling host. It wasn’t even dark out.
The third night we were enjoying ourselves around the fire. We had six adults. It was later in the evening, our children were sleeping so we couldn’t have been too loud. The rude and arrogant host would not leave us alone. We ended meeting another group he was pestering for laughing around their fire. If questioned the host became irritate and hostile. He threatened to have us arrested. I’m an attorney, we hadn’t broken any laws, we were merely camping.
Unless you don’t want a campfire, you lIke camping on top of your neighbors, and you enjoy a camp Nazi pestering folks non stop Howard Prairie resort campground is not for you.
We will not return. The’re are much nicer campgrounds within the area for better rates

A one star is too high for my last experience at Howard Prairie. I have been camping at Howard Prairie for the last 15 years and NEVER have I ever been treated so ill. My husband, 2 kids and I were enjoying a nice day out in a boat we rented from the marina. We get back to our camp and someone had taken all of our firewood. We talked to some of the campers around us and they said the HP tractor had come and taken it. We go down to the lodge to confront them and find out why our wood was taken. The young girl behing the counter could have cared less about our problem and trying to find a solution to our problem instead she told me to «go be productive somewhere else». My husband and I left to go look for the tractor, we find out the name of the employee who was driving the tractor, so we go back to the lodge where the young girl was still there and then she called her mother over (supposedly the owner) we told her we wanted our wood back and she said no, it’s not the right size. I told her we have a saw, we cut it to size to fit in the fire pit. She then proceeds to say «I’ll give you your wood back, then you need to pack up and leave, and I’m not giving any of your money back» I said I don’t think so, walked out of the lodge and in 15 minutes they had their «security» bring me a refund notice for my stay and said I had to be gone in 1 hour and I am never welcome back. I was totally blown away by the treatment that I recieved over firewood. Totally uncalled for. I’ve heard that we are not the first campers this has happened to. Other then the people who run the lodge the campgrounds are nice and the lake is great.

We stumbled upon this resort accidentally after driving on backroads for hours looking for a place to stay. It really is a gem and I would recommend it without hesitation to just about any crowd. If you have kids (we do not), there is plenty for them to do. I also think this would be a great place for a group reservation. And as an added bonus they have trailers for rent, which appear to be nice.
The campsites were spread out — a fair amount of privacy. We lucked out and got a spot on the water, worth it if you can get one. The resort amenities make you feel like you stepped back into the 60’s, but that was what I loved most. We rented a little boat and spent a day touring the lake. The lake isn’t that busy, so you can pull up and have a beach entirely to yourself.
The minor downside. There are no amenities nearby and the resort store has a few things to offer, but nothing fresh. They do have a restaurant at the resort, we gave it a try for breakfast and it was only average — nothing special here. The restrooms were clean. The showers were mostly clean, but they have some ongoing issues keeping the quarter dispenser unjammed. The night when all the showers were broken they sent a guy to fix them immediately, so I can appreciate that. And finally, the shoreline at the campground is muddy, but hey… you can’t have it all. There are other beaches on the lake that are much more enjoyable.
Overall…I would go back for sure. Check it out, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

What a hidden jewel! Howard Prairie is not located on Riverside Ave. in Medford. It is on «Hyatt Prairie Road» which is just off Dead Indian Memorial Road out of Ashland. I drove over Sunday to visit but took Hwy. 140 to 37 through the «Rogue Wilderness» which was a little gnarly.
Having never been before, I was STUNNED at the beauty of this large, pristine lake.
Many people come to fish for trout and bass. Others come for boating, jet skiing and canoeing. Still others come to hike and bike in the mountains. Some just come to kick back & chill.
This is a very well maintained campground/​resort with all the amenities you could ask for. The store at the marina sells just about anything you may have forgotten, smokes, snacks, food (gotta have those smores around the campfire) and sundries. The restaurant is absolutely lovely and the food delicious and reasonably priced. I enjoyed a creamy pasta, mushroom & veggie dish that was perfectly done, melt in your mouth divinity.
The marina blew my mind … there were yachts and sail boats in addiiton to speed boars moored! There is a regatta each year and this place is so mellow that many, many people leave their boats, fifth wheels and/​or camp trailers here for the «season». Yep, you can store your goods here during the week for just a couple bucks, head up Thursday or Friday after work and rent your campsite for the weekend. Week after week, month after month people do this until they close at the end of October.
Just a little ways off the beaten path, I highly recommend Howard Prairie Lake & Resort for a nice get away.