Deschutes River Campground — The Cove Palisades State Park

The park as a whole is great. beautiful area, deep in the canyon. Great spot for water sports and activities. I'm pretty sure I was the only one camping there that didn't also have boat.

We stayed in Loop B, and campsites were good sized, but limited privacy. But some spots are better than others. We had spot 10, and that one only had neighbors on one side, and behind us was a hill side that led up to the upper loop, so couldn't see/hear anyone up there.

Campground was loud, with a one large group with lots of kids playing a game where everyone was screaming and cheering. But to everyone's credit, when quite time started at 10pm, it was quite. I was pleasantly surprised.

not really any privacy between sites; large rigs were playing music most of the night. but the surrounding area and drive into the park is SO stunning. would try staying here again though but maybe in a site on the outside of the loops

Decent campground, nicely kept, clean, very friendly rangers. Really nice and big dog park. Nice hikes right from the campground. We couldn't go to the water, since we only have an RV and no tow car, and it seems that the water is the main draw to this campground. Lots of jet skis and boats and screaming kids.

Cell reception was ok.

We went up to the upper campground on our way out to dump, and there is no water spigot there. Heads up. We flagged down a nice ranger who hooked us up but you may not be able to fill your tanks here.

Sites in this campground vary in size. We fit into one of the tent sites in our 26ft class c. You'll probably have to drive through the loop first before picking a site if you're trying to stay here in an RV.

We drove to Cove Palisades and it was closed. We had paid for a reserved sight. We were not notified regarding the closure. Gate locked, cones across. We saw other people having to turn around also. Not happy

Well I understand why there's a fire ban, but it sure makes bedtime come quickly after dark! Anyway The Cove is as beautiful as always! It's a very well maintained park, very clean. Even the sewer dump area up top and the garbage areas are in great condition!

This campground was very well maintained. My camp site backed up to the large bluff behind. There is a trailhead there in the campground. Trail up was a pretty easy hike, with great views from the top.

First, the views when you come over the rim were breathtaking. Holy moly. I didn't expect that. The water is beautiful. We were in loop A of the state campground with a truck camper. It was very clean and nice! Bathrooms were clean and great places to shower. The park rangers had a kids activity and there's tons to do for the kids. Took a small hike in the morning to the water with my husband and 8 year old. We only stayed one night to check it out as we went to our next spot. I didn't want to leave! We will be back with our jet skis!

I love the lower campground. The sage-juniper smell is intoxicating. Sites in the C loop can be dusty, but the views are incredible. Most sites in the B and C loop have multiple hammock-ready trees too!

Very well kept campground with full hookups. Good hiking as well as good fishing.

Cove Palisades State Park is one of my favorite Central Oregon destinations.  Lake Billy Chinook is simply stunning, and there is a great hike, the Tam-A-Lau trail, that goes right from the campsite.

This campground is near Lake Billy Chinook.  The campground is well maintained with lots of green grass and shade.  Some spots are better then others but the C loop had amazing views.  The bathrooms were very clean and well stocked.  The Tam-a-lau trail leaves right from the Campground which made for a great sunrise hike with no drive!  The campground is across the street from the lake, but it was very close walking distance and had plenty of day use spots, though dogs were not allowed in the beach area.  There was a large fenced in dog area which is very nice.  I have already recommend this campground to people and I would return.

Steep and curving roads to get there, but a great little campground near the water. Only open mid May to mid September.

There are two campgrounds here: Crooked River Campground (E Loop mid-February through mid-December.) 91 electrical sites with water Flush toilets/showers and Deschutes River Campground (A, B, C Loops - mid-May through mid-September) A and C Loop: 87 full hookup sites B Loop: 93 tent sites with water nearby Flush toilets/showers

There are 3 places to launch a boat - Lower Deschutes, Upper Deschutes and Crooked River The Marina also rents boat moorages, boats, water toys, and Houseboats. The marina also includes a café and store that sells fuel and a few small items.

This is high desert so sites are pretty much just dirt. Some have cool vegetation, grasses and even some sage. Scenery is still awesome and the lake it a lot of fun. If getting out on the water is your thing, can rent boats/kayaks. Sunsets are epic. Has showers and legit bathrooms for those who like civilization. Plenty of hiking nearby.

Nice swimming hole and campgrounds for overnight use.

We went out for the weekend trying to camp and stumbled upon this fabulous camp site. We camped one night here and one night on the other side of the cove. All hook ups and water as well as very clean bathrooms.

Campground Review

Good for a very busy campground.

There are actually 2 campgrounds here. One is where we stayed, Deschutes Campground, and the other is Crooked River Campground which is just for RVs. If I was in an RV and had to choose, I would choose Deschutes because it seemed like a prettier area.

This is a good campground but it is very busy and crowded. If you are camping with kids, I think this would be a great campground with easy access to the bathroom, a playground, and a amphitheater where they offer educational talks. Snakes the night we were there! There is little privacy between the sites but it is a really beautiful area. Our site (B62) and the sites nearby back up to rocky hill which was beautiful and we saw quite a few deer. There is a hike you can do right from the campground called Tam-a-lau Trail. It's a mile to the top of the ridge and then another 6 mile loop or so once you get to the top. Nice view of the mountains the and the lake from the hike. You can also rent kayaks which we didn't do.

Overall, I prefer quieter campgrounds but it was a pretty area and nice to have a trailhead right from the campground.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. On this trip I tested the Matador DL Backpack. I’ve had this ultralight, waterproof backpack for awhile now and I love it! It is extremely light (4.2oz) and scrunches up to the size of your hand. It's a totally packable backpack so I can just throw it in my gear and it takes up no space. (It’s actually really great for traveling, too) It’s waterproof which is great for Oregon but not needed on the hot day I used it.

There are 2 side pockets for water bottle and a smaller, zipper pocket on the outside which was perfect for my car keys. This is a perfect little, light daypack that I keep in my car (when I'm not using it) at all times because it so handy.

This is the best Oregon State Park in the entire state!!! Better than anything on the coast. Been to all so I know of what I speak!!! There isn't a lot of privacy in the sites, but I didn't really want to spend time in my site. There's the 6 mile Tam-a-Lau trail that starts on the west side of the park. With a 1 mile, 600' elevation gain, you find yourself up on the rim with about 3.5 miles of trail over looking Lake Billy Chinook and "the island". There's also a wonderful, huge, fenced off leash dog area with green grass. Only Farewell Bend SP has a nice large dog area like this. Always appreciated. The hosts and rangers really work to keep this park clean and in great repair and it shows.

Again with most of our trip in Central Oregon, late August/early September, it was very smoky. But the campground was very central to a lot of cool adventures, including Peter Skene State Park, Smith Rock State Park, and Cove Palisades (obviously). Its not too far off the highway, but the road there goes through some small towns and farm land, so be careful to pay attention to the signs. And the road down to the campground and the marina is not fun for people that have vertigo. Bungee jumping at Peter Skene, rock climbing at Smith Rock, fishing and cliff jumping into the Deschutes River nearby. Campsites are close together, which is the only downside, and it was full, or near full when we were there in September. Terrebone, Redmond, Prinville, and Bend are an easy drive to get supplies (beer). Its hot and in the high desert so days are really hot but it can be cold at night. I would love to stay there again when its not covered in smoke as you can see in the photos.

My husband and I just spend 6 days at Cove Palisades Deschutes Loop B. Very clean spots. Super chill and kind hosts and staff. They all love he area and have tons of knowledge to share!

Mature large Pine with lower level privacy trees. Clean flush bathrooms. Free clean and quality showers! Toy structure, b-ball hoop, fenced off-leash area, tether ball, water spigots, sink dumps, park nature program discussions on weekends at great little Campground amphitheater.

The Campground is not ON the lake. It is about a mile walk from the lake to the Campground. There is a well maintained and well marked trail between the two. The Campground sits in a quiet canyon with high beautiful rock walls.

Campground itself is close-quarters car camping, with lots of flat grassy spots in the center of the loop. Spots along the eastern side of the loop are more rugged and less flat, but have big trees for hammocks & boulders for climbing. They all have picnic tables & fire rings.

There's a playground and grassy park area in the middle of the loop, good for kids & lawn games. Four-legged friends will be happy to see a fully fenced dog area. Firewood is available, and there was a small ice cream stand too, but it wasn't open when we were there.

The canyon surrounding the campground and Lake Billy Chinook is stunningly beautiful, but the cliffs can't be seen from the campground. The lake is a only short hike or drive away.

I took hwy 242 from McKenzie bridge and found myself in sisters. Decided to continue north on 97 to Smith Rock SP, only to find they only had a bivy site. I wanted to have a fire and a shower, so I continued north to cove palisades SP. It surprised me how the small town of Culver and the outlying farmland just ended abruptly opening to a high desert oasis. A giant canyon with a large lake "Billy Chinook" at the bottom. I stayed at the crooked river cg within the park. Luckily they had one spot available, so I snatched it up. With how hot and dry it was the large 'Billy Chinook lake' was nice to take a dip and cool off. The canyon was amazing and there is lots to keep one busy on and off the water. Will have to book a longer stay next time. This campground has one of the nicest restroom facilities yet. Hot solar powered huge shower rooms, kept very clean and nice flush toilets as well.

PROS:

• Restroom facilities
• Cleanliness
• Close to lake billy Chinook and state park proper

CONS:

• Not a lot of privacy
• Gets HOT in summer

This was my family's spot to go camping. We always brought our boat, and either left it in the long double car parking pads offered st each site, or in the extra 30+ parking lot. Several CLEAN restrooms with showers, pretty good size campground. Horseshoe pits, volleyball court, basketball hoop, a small little quaint "stage" for presentations. Campground always seemed to be +90% full whenever I was there. I think they have made recent renovations in the last couple year.

This campground has it all, except water. Although, the water is nearby & there's bumper boats! Electricity, running water, showers, a fire pit, picnic table, a campstore, & firewood for sale. We only stayed two nights, but we had a great time. We went to nearby Richardson Rock Ranch & came back to the campground in the evenings. We will be coming back.