The Cove Palisades State Park — Attraction in Madras

Gorgeous High Desert with Jaw-Dropping Views, Lake and Hiking! 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...

This state park is absolutely amazing! We camped here on a birthday weekend getaway. The place is so big that we weren’t exactly sure where the campground of the official state park was. The gps took us here and let us know we were at the right place when we got to the entrance. There are two campgrounds at the State Park- Crooked River Campground and Deschutes Campground. To get to the campgrounds- there’s one when you first enter and another one you must drive down the road, around the lake, over the bridge and up another road. We wanted to camp at the campground closest to the lake. We lucked out and got a spot because we arrived just around check in time on a summer Saturday. Driving around Lake Billy Chinook, I was amazed by the beauty of the towering rock formations and cliffs. We enjoyed a hot summer day dipping into the lake, paddling around in the kayak in the designated swim area, watching others barbecue at the day use picnic area, observing boaters and watching the kids pester the birds and play in the sand. This is the perfect place to camp with your family if you want to explore Smith Rock State Park, Bend and Sunriver areas, which is what we did and had an amazing family getaway. Those destinations aren’t too far from...

We drove south on the Oregon Scenic ByWay Hwy 97 through Central Oregon to The Cove Palisades State Park. The small towns, farmers fields and mountain peaks make this a truly scenic drive. The Cove Palisades State Park is a short drive off the hwy 97 with goods signs at every turn. The signs provide a better route then Google maps. The state park is magnificent, but the campground is rather disappointing. It is not located on the water or within easy walking distance. Some beaches are only accessible via steep trails from the parking lots. Too steep for us. It is a 5-mile drive from the campground back to the picnic area with parking level to the beach. There is a resort in the park that is on the water which we wish we had booked instead of the state park campground. There are hiking trails with great views that we enjoyed and one playground at the far end of the campground. Free showers, lots of camp hosts on duty, ice for sale, clean, well managed campground. Lots of sites with power and water plus a dump station nearby. Campsites are narrow with lots of large rocks. Paved pads are pretty level. Road above the canyon has lookouts that are worth a small side trip. Town nearby...