Crooked River Campground — The Cove Palisades State Park

We followed our RV GPS and WAZE, which agreed until we got near the state park. We checked out the confirmation email, which stated to follow the signs. We could have gotten to the campground(CG) following either our RV GPS or WAZE but held steady on following the signs. We arrived at the upper Crooked River CG early, so there was no one at the check-in; however, a ranger pulled up just as we were looking at the information board and she checked us in. We then proceeded to back-in site E61 with water and electric(50/30/20 AMP). We had no problem backing into our site, and the pad was just long enough for our 40’ fifth wheel and F450. We only paid an$8 online booking fee with the Oregon State Park Disabled Veterans Pass. The utilities were in the middle of the site, so that was convenient. The water pressure was close to 60 psi, and we used a reducer. Verizon was 1 bar, and as we were on the northwest edge of the CG, we had no problem getting a north shot for Starlink. There are mature trees in the CG, mainly on the interior sites, so satellite could be iffy in some sites. We were here the first week of October; only the first loop and the associated bathhouse were open. Sites on the NW edge of the CG from E71- E41 could be good for north or south satellites. Sites E65- E55 on the edge provide very nice mountain views. They have a large(about 1/4 acre) fenced dog park on the east side of the CG. Madras, 15 minutes away, has your major amenities. We enjoyed seeing deer moving around the CG, plus amazing views of the mountains and canyon.

Warning: gets scorching-hot in high summer!

Great for anyone who loves doing things on the water but be advised, lots of noise from boats when it's busy!

Lovely hiking but limited: there are really only two in total: if you're camping at Deschutes, you can make a lovely 4.5-mile daily walk which is almost all on trails, and it's so nice I'd return to this park just to be able to go on this walk again! There is also the well-known Tamalau trail which goes a mile up to the top of the canyon and then for miles on a loop around the mesa--the complete walk is 7 miles plus the distance to your campsite. The hike to the top is only recommended when it's cool, so early morning or a day that's not hot. It's not particularly hard but it's exposed and murderously hot when it's a warm day. (In other words, "hotter than Satan's XXXXXXX!!") Once you get to the top, it's all exposed too--this hike comes with posted warnings for overheating and they are not kidding! We've done it twice--once when it was too hot and the other time when it was cool and overcast--perfect!

If you want any more hiking, there is another short hike from the campground across the canyon, and one other I believe, but this place is pretty devoid of trails, so keep that in mind.

Biking: good luck on that unless you like roads and sharing them with construction vehicles hell-bent on getting from Point A to Point B. Short rides around the campground loops are very nice though, but don't expect miles of trails--they aren't there and the hiking trails are not suitable for bikes.

Fishing is fantastic here, and you can rent a boat from the marina to go to the two "scum-lines", where the Crooked and Deschutes rivers meet the lake--this mixing water attracts fish like crazy and we've caught many delicious trout there! 

Water Sport Heaven! Anyone who loves boating, jet-skiing and the like will have a fabulous time here, it's a total mecca.

Campsites: this campground accommodates everyone and include primitive campsites to spaces for 60-foot+ RVs like our truck and 5th wheel, and they have plenty of full hookups too. Clean bathrooms, wonderfully kept grounds, this place is a total winner!

Cell Phone and Internet junkies: BE ADVISED, there is NO CONNECTIVITY! Even with our Wii-Boost and 20-foot antenna, there was nothing. The rare person with ATT can get a signal but Verizon users will be out of luck.

Will you be staying at The Cove Palisades?

If you are, would you please help keep the ground squirrels safe?

There is a dumpster in Loop A for the tent campers and ground squirrels climb in but they can't get out. Which means they die of heat prostration and thirst. The easy solution is to put a branch in the corner so they can climb out, which is what we did. But when I told rangers about the pile of dead squirrels I'd found and the desperate squirrels trying to escape, they nodded and said it was horrible and they'd be right on it, but they did nothing. The next time I checked, I was livid to discover I'd been lied to. I put a branch in and an hour later the trapped ones had climbed out.

If you find this is still an issue, would you please complain to the rangers and make a stink? If enough people make waves, they'll have to fix this situation. And all it takes is a branch or a ladder so they can get out. It's not right. I've often said the worst way to die is in a fire, being burned to death. That is the hell these poor squirrels are dealing with. It really needs to stop, the squirrels were here first.

There are 2 campgrounds in The Cove Palisades; Crooked River Campground, which is the upper or rim campground, and Deschutes Campground, which is the lower campground at Lake Billy Chinook level, another 5 miles drive down into the canyon past the upper campground. This review is for Deschutes Campground.  We stayed at Deshutes a week with our travel trailer in loop A in mid May.  We would stay here again.  I would not want to stay here during wildfire season due to the smoke and low visibility (personal preference), plus I'm not crazy about hot weather and it would certainly be hot in the high desert in summer as well as crowded which is also not my thing. Every time you come and go from this campsite, you have a 5 mile drive in or out of this canyon. I have Republic Wireless on Sprint and had no signal within the canyon but did at the top.  Husband has Cricket on AT&T and had a signal in the canyon. Our antenna did not pick up any TV channels so download some Netflix to your device before coming here, or maybe have a better antenna than we do if you desire to watch anything. The hosts take great care of the grounds. I do not know the condition of the bathrooms but heard and read they were very clean as well. We spent most of our time away from the campground but the time we were there was pleasant and quiet.  Our spot backed up to the road which was slightly above us so didn't really affect our view and there were some trees and shrubbery between us and the road.  Occasionally a vehicle would go by that was quite loud which would be louder and more frequent in the busy season. We had a large gap between us and the campsite to our right as well as a view of the palisades on that side.  We usually travel with our dog, but she recently passed away unfortunately so this trip was dogless, but I still view things from the eyes of a dog owner.  They had a large, grassy, fenced-in dog park that would be a great respite as the campsites aren't that grassy, mostly dirt with some juniper trees, sage, and boulders.  Watch for foxtails which we saw in spring, as well as rattlesnakes.  We didn't see any rattlesnakes at the time we were there - a rainy, cool week in mid May. Because of all the rain, everything was still very green and all the wildflowers were in bloom. On a clear day you can see at least 6 mountain peaks from the top of the canyon.  This is a great spot to explore Central Oregon.  In fact, we need to go back because we didn't get to everything we wanted to do but we visited Richardson Rock Ranch, Smith Rock, Bend, Lava Lands, Oregon High Desert Museum, Glass Buttes, and more.

Ranger Review: OOFOS Recovery Shoes at Crooked River Campground

Campground Review:

The Crooked River Campground is one of two campgrounds in the Cove Palisades State Park. Located in Culver, Oregon, this high desert gem is just above Lake Billy Chinook which lies at the confluence of the Crooked, Deschutes, and Metolius rivers. It is open, airy, and has amazing views of Mount Jefferson, Mount Hood, Mount Bachelor, Broken Top, Three-Fingered Jack, and the Three Sisters. Super clean restrooms and friendly camp hosts, this family-friendly spot is sure to please. There is a swing-set, a couple of nice horseshoe pits, an animal exercise area, and a volleyball pit.

Top reasons I love this campground:

1. Views!! On a clear day, you can easily see the majestic mountains of Oregon.
2. Open year-round! It’s sister campground, the Deschutes Campground, is only open from May - September.
3. A short hike up the Crooked River Rim trail offers a spectacular view of the entire area.
4. Tons of wildlife including, owls, deer, hawks, and lizards to name a few.
5. Awesome fishing on Lake Billy Chinook. Brown trout, rainbow trout, bull trout, salmon and Kokanee.
6. Cool geology such as rimrock basalt and lava flows.
7. The Erickson Air museum is a quick trip into Madras.
8. Thunderegg digging!!! Dig for your very own Thundereggs at the Richardson Ranch. If your lucky, you will see hundreds to sheep grazing on your way out to the claim.
9. You can rent a houseboat, kayak, canoe, or fishing boat from the Cove Palisades Marina.
10. National Natural Landmark - The Island.

Note: VERY busy in the summer. We prefer to go during the off-season when we have the campground, hiking trails, and lake all to ourselves.

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Product Review:

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the OOFOS Recovery Shoes. I had previously heard of OOFOS from friends who run and spoke highly of how great they are. Well, after a long day of hiking, my tired feet fell in LOVE, love, love, with these shoes! They are insanely comfortable and like walking on two-inches of shock-absorbing heaven! Their revolutionary OOfoam technology absorbs 37% more impact than traditional footwear foam and it’s awesome for aiding achy feet and joints. And that’s not enough, these bad boys are machine washable and bacteria resistant!

I tried two different shoes; the Women’s OOahh Luxe Slide Sandal in Latte ($59.99), and the Women’s OOlala Luxe Sandal in Rose Gold ($64.95

The OOlala Luxe Sandal is my favorite for during the day. It is easy to slip on and off and look cute. I prefer the OOahh Luxe Slide Sandal for the evening when I get super Klassy and wear them with socks.

I give these shoes 5 stars and will be purchasing another pair to keep at work when I kick-off my heels.

Though we came with only a tent, due to the type of year, we stayed in the E loop which is not on the Peninsula and is designed more for RV's. We did get a site with a great view of the river, though (at the West side of the loop), and since it was early in the year, there were few other campers. We hear gets very busy other times of the year, though. There were bathrooms with showers and there was a playground in part of the loop. There is a nice hike in the Peninsula with views of the river and the surrounding mountains. Driving up to the trailhead took us by the the Deschutes Loop of the campground (which looked cuter with only tent sites, but didn't have nearly the view we had). The Cove Palisades Resort is close by and rents boats and kayaks for the lake. For early Spring, it was a great option and felt like a vacation from the wetter parts of the state. Despite the warmth during the day, it did still get very chilly at night though, so come prepared. We drove through Warm Springs Reservation to get here from Portland, and there is a Native American history museum en route that is worth a trip!