Cove Palisade State Park

Super crowded campgrounds, small individual sites, and absolutely zero privacy. That said, the grounds were well maintained, and there are even free showers.
If you don’t do much camping, you might find this to be «pretty» or scenic. For us, it was exactly what we expected: a decent-​enough spot to rest for a night while passing through, but definitely not a place we’d make a destination.

Make sure you have your tetanus shot if you go down to the park by Lake Billy Chinook. The water has oil floating and there is a lot of broken glass in water & sand. Camping grounds are really nice but not the beach.

This is a beautiful park that anyone travelling to the area should make time to see. The water is warm in the summer and everything is very accessible. The only drawback was in August when we went the campground was very crowded, very little chance for privacy. On the other hand, it felt like a little community with kids riding around on bikes and people’s clothes drying on lines. The picture opportunities and fantastic!

The campground itself was fine. Employees and hosts were nice. Playground for kids, rocks to climb around on, a trail or two to take. It’s beautiful a canyon area around Lake Billy Chinook.
However, if you want to swim… and who doesn’t when it’s 90 – 100 outside… you’ll want to drive somewhere else. Lake Billy Chinook is as green as a protein shake!
So…Much…Algae! Probably fine for a boat. My husband and daughter rented a waverunner and had a great time, but no one wanted to swim in it.
Pelton Park and Lake Simtustus are within driving distance and they are clear for swimming, fishing, boating, etc. We stopped along side the road and climbed down the embankment to swim in a creek. My daughter saw some good sized fish while swimming.
Like I said… if you want to just hang out at camp, then the Cove is probably fine. Good showers, although the water was SO hot I could barely stand under it. (And I get teased about being part asbestos because I use such hot water at home.) There are two campgrounds in the area… upper ridge is Crooked River… lower is the Deschutes. The upper ridge tends to be about 5 – 6 degrees cooler than the lower.
Crooked River looked to have a more greenery… Deschutes is rocks and dirt, with some large spots of grass — which you’re not allowed to put your tent on, but can put chairs and the table.

All the rangers/​staff we met were friendly, polite and informative.
Super clean cabins.
Pristine nature, an amazing find in Central Oregon!
Can’t wait to camp here again.

Great Clean Suburban Camping!!!
This is a great place to go, if you want a taste of the outdoors, but not really toughin’ too much. Its near Lake Billy Chinook, which I was told is considered the «Baby Grand Canyon.» The views and scenery is very breathtaking & its usually very warm/​hot there in the summer. Some site has grass so its not so dusty. I prefer Deschute campsite, but Crooked River isn’t so bad, it has ALOT of grass there. The temperature can drop dramatically at night. There’s tons of water activities there. Let me list the Pro/​amenities they have:
* Very Clean
* Paved Roads
* Full bathrooms w/​showers (they don’t charge you a fee to shower) w/​electrical outlets
* Water Line at site
* Electrical hookup (it’s based on what you booked)
* Dog Run
* Day Use Area
* Small Store, sells wood & necessities
* Play Ground Area
* Lake full of Bass!
* Restaurant & Marina Nearby
* Extra car fee is only $ 5, unlike most places that charges $ 10+
* Great Hiking Trail (7miles, 550ft elevation)
The Con is no Lakeside camping, but Lake Billy Chinook is just around the corner & your parking pass allows you to use the day area for free. If you go there on the 4^th, you’re not allowed to light fireworks, but you can go by the Indian Reservation, which is about 20minutes away (they got a warm spring water slide there) and their firework is awesome there. Another minus is that its pretty crowded, but the site is reasonably distant enough from your neighbor that you do have some privacy.
Recommend:
* Deschute Campsites
* Bring your own wood, its way cheaper
* Sunblock, its pretty hot there
* Fish in the Day Use Area near Crooked River, less rocks there
* Buy a Mr. Heater, its a miracle saver at night
Check in is 4pm & Check out is 1pm