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.

Cove Palisades state park is pretty rad, especially if you’ve got a family! There’s a playground, a fenced in dog park, trail heads, showers, and a cute little camp store. If you’re looking for seclusion, this probably isn’t the park for you. But if you can get roll with the communal feel, Cove Palisades is great.

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.