the dyrt
Group
Tent Sites
Fires Unknown
Pets Unknown
Drinking Water
About
Sunset Cove Campground
Located next to Odell Lake, Sunset Cove Campground is in the midst of sparkling lakes, tranquil streams and nearby scenic peaks that provide visitors with the perfect backdrop for fishing, boating, hiking and biking throughout the area.
Natural Features:
This area offers a beautiful mix of Oregon forest types with Douglas fir, white fir, hemlock and a few ponderosa pines towering over a variety of springtime flowers. Huckleberry is common in the underbrush of the campground. Wildlife found in the area include deer, elk, pine martens, ravens, native fish and an occasional black bear.
Diamond Peak stands as a sentinel over Odell Lake as one of the blue giants of the Deschutes National Forest and the most prominent peak in the nearby Diamond Peak Wilderness. At an elevation of 8,744 feet, this shield volcano formed as the entire Cascades mountain range was undergoing volcanic activity and uplift.
Recreation:
Odell Lake also offers beautiful campsites tucked away in thick forests and some excellent opportunities for water recreation as boating, fishing and wind surfing are all popular. Boats are the most effective way to fish this lake but be aware of afternoon winds as the lake can get rough. Both motorized and non-motorized boats are allowed on this body of water.
Facilities:
Sunset Cove Campground can accommodate RV, trailer or tent-campers however water and electric hookups are not available. All sites are equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring with grill and the campground has vault toilets and drinking water available. This campground offers a boat ramp with access to Odell Lake as well as a handful of first-come, first-served boat slips.
Nearby Attractions:
Campers can explore wilderness areas, rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and approximately 1,600 miles of trails that comprise nearly 2.5 million acres within the Deschutes National Forest and the adjacent Ochoco National Forest.
Visitors can enjoy traveling the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, known as Oregons Highway in the Sky, which climbs into the clouds on a 66-mile drive through the Cascade Range, weaving past snow-capped peaks and alpine lakes.
Lava Lands Visitor Center in nearby Bend, Oregon, and the unique geological landscape of Newberry National Volcanic Monument draw visitors to the region as well. It is a great starting point for visitors to learn about the diverse landscape and history of the area through interpretive programs and exhibits. Visitors can also explore the Lava River Cave, located in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. At 5,211 feet in length, the northwest section of the cave is the longest continuous lava tube in Oregon.
A nearby resort on Odell Lake offers lodging and a general store with camping supplies, coffee, snacks and fishing licenses.
Sites
21
Operator
National Forest
Access
Drive In
Walk In
Boat In
Features
Alcohol Allowed
Drinking Water
Firewood Available
Picnic Table
Sanitary Dump
Toilets
Trash Available
Water Hookups
Contact
Location
Sunset Cove Campground
is located in
Oregon
Directions
From Crescent, OR: Travel 12.2 miles west on County Road 61/ Crescent Cut-Off Road, then 6.2 miles north and west on Highway 58.
5 Reviews of Sunset Cove Campground
Coulnd’t Have Imagined a Better Spot
This campground was perfect for a quick road trip night. Got a spot right by the river and it was beautiful. It had a nice boat ramp, picnic table and trails to walk around the river to some fishing spots. The camp host Ray came by in he morning and was the sweetest man. For two ladies camping by ourselves, we felt safe and had a great time.
Will definitely be coming back for a longer stay with some friends and family.
Beautiful Wooded Spots
Similar to nearby Princess Creek Campground, Sunset Cove Campground is part of the Deschutes National Forest and is located on Oddell Lake. They also both have docks for day-use boating, pit toilets, and generally nice, larger camp sites surrounded by trees.
Sunset Cove is a bit larger and more developed, the day use area is nicer and more accessible, and there's drinking water available. The spots on the lake at Princess Cove, however, are amazing, and I never found camp sites quite as nice at Sunset Cove.
In summary: you'll do great at either of the Deschutes National Forest campgrounds on Odell Lake. If you want slightly more developed facilities, including drinking water, go to Sunset Cove. If you want to get away from everything with an amazing spot on the water, go to Princess Creek.
Ranger Review: Vivobarefoot Tracker FG at Sunset Cove Campground
Campground Review:
We arrived late Friday night to this quiet campground and couldn't really see what we got ourselves into. A tent from a neighboring site was fairly close to our space so we built a quick fire, pitched our tents on semi-level areas, and turned in early. When we awoke the next morning, we were pleasantly surprised!
Our site was very well maintained, with a wide parking space and solid picnic table. There were no tent pads, but flat ground could be found fairly easily for our small tents - though this would have been a struggle for anything much larger. The fire pit's movable grill was very handy. We found water spigots close-by that had clear, cool water running through them. Trash was centrally located, though no recycling was indicated. Restrooms had vault toilets that were smelly, but maintained, just remember to bring your own hand sanitizer!
Though our site (#21) was close to road noise, the sounds didn't bother us, even in the quiet campground. Firewood can be purchased onsite for $6 a bundle. Mosquitos stayed away and our fellow campers were very respectful.
Sunset Cove is right off of Odell Lake and water access was easy to find. A trail marked with blue arrows took us from our campsite and brought us to a day-use area with a jetty, multiple picnic areas, and a beach! We enjoyed dinner and sunset there on our last night. We also found great activities nearby during the day like Crescent Lake and Moon Falls. Protip: the closest store is the Odell Sportsman Store though it felt like a convenience store for us. If you can take a little drive, we recommend Rays in Oakridge for food and supplies.
Gear Review:
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. For the last few weeks, I have been testing the Tracker FG hiking boots from Vivobarefoot.
Even before I made my choice of which Vivobarefoot shoes would be best for me, I was apprehensive. I have flat feet and their "Firm Ground" barefoot sole didn't seem like it would be very helpful for me. But after encountering toe pain and shin splints from a high-arch boot, I decided to give the Tracker FG's a try.
On first impression, the look is great. The red detailing and age-friendly, waterproof vegan leather made me really excited. I did notice that my feet look a little different in these shoes, though that's normal. The wide toe is meant to allow room for your piggies to move around and get strong on their own, but it looked a bit like I had slippers on at first. I quickly got over this. More than anything, I was curious how long it would take for me to feel the benefits of this new shoe style.
Vivo recommends working with the shoes to build foot strength for long hikes in the future, so I did just that. I wore my shoes around town, to work, and on trails close to home. I never felt the need to do any extra breaking in however - in fact, I actually felt ready to wear them on my longest hikes because they made my feet and legs feel that much better. Within days of walking at least 4 hours in the shoes, my shin pain was almost completely eliminated. The long-term pain in my big toes and balls of feet was gone within 3 weeks. After a month of use I was able to complete a 12 mile hike over rocks, fallen trees, and streams with ease.
The Tracker FG boots fit me like a cozy sock from the start, and provided all the support I needed in every environment. Their smooth thermal insole came in handy on cold morning hikes yet weren't too stuffy when I wore them for 18 hour days while camping in and around Sunset Cove. The sole's lugs gripped terrain of all types while also keeping me steady in the mud. Though I did find my footing less secure when descending on ultra-smooth surfaces, I experienced less slippage than my friends when hiking beside a powerful waterfall. My feet stayed nice and dry as well!
Quick tips and full disclosures:
- Order a size up
- Wear during daily activities to get used to "barefoot" feel on your soles first
- Don't switch laces - these ones are perfect
- Meant for dry environments; other Vivo shoes are better for water adventurers
- Shoes appear to age quickly but don't lose quality
Woodsy and close to recreation
Quiet, wooded campground. No hookups. Vault bathrooms. Great areas for kids to play, lots of access to water via boat ramps or jetty or shoreline spots to sit. Close to Crescent lake where there are fun water rentals to enjoy on the lake and a great restaurant. Mosquitos weren’t bad in July.
Perfect Sunsets
Sunset Cove is a beautiful camproground with imprpved sites, group camps, and great singles. Vault toilets, firewood from camphosts, fish cleaning stations, and excellent freshwater spigots all over.
The lake is gorgeous, with a lot of day time boat fishing and shore fishing. There's a jetty with a park bench and it's a perfect spot to watch the sunset.
