Central Oregon is known for its high desert—sage, juniper, red rocks, dry climate. So it may seem odd that a giant lake—Lake Billy Chinook—is one of our favorite places to camp near Bend, OR. That’s only one remarkable thing about this family friendly spot!
Since the pandemic began, a lot of parents—including me—really want to make special events, well, special. It’s our way of “making up” for disappointments that came along with the pandemic.
When Edie turned 7 last summer, we couldn’t throw a birthday party or go to the Oregon Coast Aquarium sleepover, as we’d planned. So we went on a camping trip to the Cove Palisades State Park on Lake Billy Chinook, instead.
Edie declared it her favorite birthday ever.
It was pretty epic! We camped with another family, paddled kayaks around Lake Billy Chinook, rented a pontoon boat for the day and anchored near a waterfall when it was time to open presents.
Whether you’re planning an epic camping getaway, or you’re just looking for a great campground and fun lake to spend the weekend outdoors, let me tell you all about Lake Billy Chinook. In this post I’ll cover:
- Lake Billy Chinook camping
- Cove Palisades State Park
- Boat rentals in the Cove Palisades marina
- Other lodging, including cabins, rentals and the Cove Palisades Resort
This Central Oregon lake is like a fun hotspot. Read on to see why!
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What makes Lake Billy Chinook special?
Lake Billy Chinook in Central Oregon is actually a reservoir, created by a dam in the 1960s. This lake is surrounded by epic cliffs within canyons: It brings the drama!
The Deschutes, Metolius and Crooked Rivers wore down these canyons over the centuries and now converge in the lake. (You might recognize the name of the Crooked River, as it runs through Smith Rock State Park.)
The reservoir is named after Billy Chinook, the chief and member of the Wasco tribe. Chinook served as a guide for multiple expeditions around Central Oregon and into Nevada and California. He also traveled to and studied English in Washington, D.C.
Later, Chinook advocated for Indian rights. He wrote to government officials to defend Native land, represented the Wasco tribe in negotiations with the U.S. government, and was a signatory to the treaty that established the Warm Springs Reservation.
Cove Palisades State Park is on Indigenous land. The land, lakes and rivers are the traditional territories of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Tenino and Numu (Northern Paiute) peoples.
Lake Billy Chinook Camping
If you’re looking for Lake Billy Chinook camping, direct your attention to the Cove Palisades State Park.
Cove Palisades campgrounds are full of amenities, from flush toiled restrooms and showers to potable water and playgrounds. The Deschutes Campground even had sprinklers in a few places, so Max and Edie sprinted through the spray in the hot afternoons!
I found the campsites at Cove Palisades to be larger than the average state park site. Ours backed into the canyon walls, so we had a ton of room. The kids played, Hubs set up his disc golf basket and we all found shade in the hot afternoons.
These Lake Billy Chinook campgrounds are not, however, on the lake. They are above the lake on the canyon plateaus. You’ll need to drive or bike from the campgrounds to lake access points. And remember there’s a lot of elevation, since Lake Billy Chinook is at the bottom of steep canyons!
Cove Palisades State Park campgrounds include nearly 300 reservable sites, including many that are suitable for RVs needing hookups. In normal times, three group sites have enough room for you and a whole family reunion, but those are currently closed due to COVID-19.
Cove Palisades campground reservations can be made at Reserve America.
(For all my advice, check out one of my most popular posts: The Best Tips for Family Camping.)
Lake Billy Chinook cabins
Cove Palisades State Park has several reservable cabins, too! These cabins are not within the campgrounds but are located lakeside near the Cove Palisades Marina.
The Lake Billy Chinook cabins are in high demand, since there are only three. (Just one is pet-friendly.) Deluxe cabins cost $92 per night.
These cabins are a step up from state park yurts you may be more familiar with. These are log cabin-style lodging. The cabins have a sweet little porch (perfect for watching the stars, since there’s close to no light pollution here!).
These deluxe cabins also include an outdoor picnic table, a grill, electricity, heating, air conditioning and hot water. The cabins do not provide necessities such as bedding, silverware, pots and pans or towels.
Know that the rental costs for the Lake Billy Chinook cabins do not include boat and trailer moorage. You need to pay for those separately via the Cove Palisades Marina (which starts at $25 per day).
Cabins are closed December through February.
Cove Palisades Marina
The Cove Palisades Marina is the central spot within the state park for everything you need. Instead of driving back to Madras, you can buy ice, groceries and drinks here. I was impressed that they didn’t have a huge mark-up.
The main draw, unsurprisingly, is the marina itself. Docks provide space for moorage if you BYOB (bring your own boat). You can also rent one for a half-day or full day. (More on that below!)
Grab a bite to eat at the Cove Palisades Marina cafe or treat yourself to one of their homemade ice cream sandwiches. Then use the very clean restrooms before jetting (or putt-putting) onto the lake.
*Note: Several floating restrooms are available on the lake. Find their location on the map you’ll get at the marina.*
Three Rivers Marina
On the northwest side of Lake Billy Chinook, Three Rivers Marina offers docks and a small market. I found the people working at the market to be so friendly!
We used the marina as a turn-around point for our boat excursion. We also bought ice cream treats for Edie’s birthday.
Lake Billy Chinook boat rentals
There are four boat launches on Lake Billy Chinook. The most developed, the Cove Palisades Marina, also rents boats.
Cove Palisades boat rentals include pontoons, skidoos, party barges, houseboats, fishing boats and more. We rented a pontoon boat, and it comfortably fit two families totaling four adults, five kids and a dog!
Dogs are allowed on some rented boats (double-check if the craft you want is pet friendly). The marina also provides life jackets for every passenger.
The Cove Palisades Marina website provides details and photos of each boat so you can find the one that’s just-right for your adventure. We spotted several houseboats with waterslides running from the roof into the water—Max and Edie were slightly jealous.
Exploring Chinook Island
Within Lake Billy Chinook, a small island offers a chance to stretch your legs, swim, fish and explore. You can also do what we did and dock your boat at Chinook Island for a picnic!
Concrete steps lead into the water—and make a great jumping off point for swimmers. I recommend wearing water shoes, just in case your littles’ feet “find” a lost fish hook. (We’ve bought these budget-friendly water shoes repeatedly for Max and Edie!)
The kiddos loved exploring Chinook Island, pretending they were the first to set foot on the land. They also tried fishing, though they didn’t catch anything!
Lake Billy Chinook day use areas + swimming
Lake Billy Chinook has several day use areas, which are great for swimming, paddling and launching your boat.
The Upper Deschutes Day Use Area, Lower Deschutes Day Use Area and Crooked River Day Use Area all have roped-off areas safe for swimmers and kiddos. Each also has picnic areas and restrooms.
One note: Make sure your day use pass, annual state park pass or camping pass is clearly displayed in your car if you park at these day use areas. We saw law enforcement constantly patrolling these areas and writing tickets!
We were easily able to set up a little spot on the beach socially distanced from other swimmers. We also paddled around in our kayak. The water is chilly but definitely swimmable!
Lake Billy Chinook Bridge
As you drive to the Deschutes Campgrounds within Cove Palisades State Park, you’ll cross a striking bridge spanning the Crooked River portion of the lake. This is a very narrow bridge: You’ll need to drive carefully!
People also jump from this bridge. Most adventurous jumpers leap from the bridge itself. Most of Lake Billy Chinook is hundreds of feet deep.
There have been deaths at the bridge, though. A few years ago a local teenager died after jumping from higher up on the bridge.
Jumping off bridges isn’t my thing. If you are more into adrenaline, please be very, very careful. Make sure you are jumping into a deep part of the lake and that no boats are coming.
Crooked River Petroglyph
Before Lake Billy Chinook was formed by the damming of these rivers, an archaeologist found this petroglyph along the Crooked River.
The carving, made by original inhabitants of this area, would have been flooded with the creation of the dam upriver. Surveyors moved the boulder to preserve the petroglyph.
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs worked with the Oregon Parks department to adjust the petroglyph’s placement. They oriented it toward the south, the original direction it faced. The elements will also affect the petroglyph less in this position.
No one knows what this ancient carving represents or what purpose it served. Find the Crooked River Petroglyph on a short trail between Loop A and the group site of the Deschutes Campground.
Make sure you do not touch or otherwise disturb the petroglyph.
We all are hoping to return to Lake Billy Chinook and Cove Palisades State Park soon. As Maxine says, dragons really like it. If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is!
If you’re looking for even more things to do nearby, click over to my Guide to Central Oregon!
Your articles etc are fabulous. Lake Billy Chinook and Smith rock are wonderful and are now on my ‘must go’ list. I love rock hounding and am wondering if you know of any rock hunting possibilities near either one.
Thank you.
Katherine
Thank you so much, Katherine! I absolutely do have a recommendation for fossil hunting, though it’s not terribly close. There’s a public fossil dig site in Fossil, OR behind the high school. We recently went and it was incredible!