The Park offers visitors hiking, camping, picnicking, cabin stays, fishing, boating, hiking, wildlife watching and more. Kayak tours are led weekly during the summer, and on select weekends at other times of the year

The park features myriad water recreational opportunities, a full-service campground, store, restaurant, marina and rental services. Not interested in camping? Rustic lakeshore log cabins are available. Nature lovers will find nearly 10 miles of hiking trails that give access to areas rich in wildlife and splendid scenery.

The park is home to two popular special events: the Lake Billy Chinook Day in September (a cleanup and festival) and the annual Eagle Watch in February.

: Climate in central and eastern Oregon varies greatly depending on elevation. The high elevations receive much more precipitation and colder temperatures. These regions are much more arid and see greater temperature extremes than western Oregon. Much of the precipitation comes from October to April, mostly in the form of snow in the higher elevations. Winter temperatures can drop well below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Snow remains in the high mountains into early summer. Late spring, summer and early autumn tend to bring clear, sunny days, with warm to hot temperatures at the low elevations and moderate temperatures at the higher elevations. Summer afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon.

Location: The Cove Palisades State Park is located off US 97, 15 miles southwest of Madras in Central Oregon.

Contact Info: Oregon Parks & Recreation Department1115 Commercial Street NESalemOR97301-1002800-551-6949