By:
Submission
Cove Creek Campground rests on the shores of Detroit Lake at an elevation of 1,600 feet. Campsites are surrounded by towering trees, which create a secluded atmosphere. Visitors enjoy exploring the area and discovering osprey hovering above or nesting in many trees. The campground lies in the Willamette National Forest, which stretches 110 miles along the western slopes of the Cascade Range. Recreation Detroit Lake is a popular destination for boating, jet skiing, swimming and fishing. Rainbow trout, Kokanee salmon and catfish are found in the lake. A boat ramp and dock are located next to the campground. The Stahlman Point Trail is a quarter-mile from the campground entrance road. The trail meanders through younger Douglas fir forests and offers some memorable views of Detroit Lake. Facilities The campground offers single and double-family campsites, as well as an accessible group site for up to 70 people. Accessible flush toilets, drinking water and coin-operated showers are available at Cove Creek. The group campground comes with a sheltered eating area. In the day use area, there is about 1,000 ft. of shoreline. There is a dock for launching, loading and unloading only. There is no mooring allowed. Natural Features A mix of wooded and open sites are provided at the campground. Its location is near enough to the Detroit Reservoir to hear passing boats, but a little too far for unobstructed views of the lake. The reservoir covers 3,500 acres and is surrounded by groves of Douglas fir. Nearby Attractions Additional hiking trails can be found across the lake, including those that lead to Dome Rock and Needle Rock. ADA Access: N
From Detroit, Oregon, travel east on State Highway 22 for 2.7 miles to Blowout Road/Forest Service Road 10. From Idanha, Oregon, travel west on State Highway 22 for 0.7 miles to Blowout Road/Forest Service Road 10. Proceed on Blowout Road 3.6 miles to Cove Creek Campground on the right.
A great campground to stage out your boat to explore Detroit Lake fully. Just make sure your dogs are always on a leash as there are always a few who leave theirs off and cause fights.
JULY 4TH REVIEW:
I can’t give this place any lower than 4 stars because of how beautiful it is. My complaints are with the bathrooms being a bit gross, and clearly the system is not functioning well as far as site reservations: there were a number of sites that the host allowed to be unoccupied (by people who “claimed” their sites by leaving a few things there days beforehand), which is technically against the rules but was obviously not enforced. As a result you had people coming in looking for sites closer to the weekend who had to move on because these sites were claimed by people who weren’t yet sleeping there. Very unfair and mismanaged. Otherwise, if you’re smart about it and plan ahead, or can work your schedule around, you should get in fine. The bathrooms are passable, but really: you’re camping. And expect a hell of a party for July 4th! Actually it wasn’t as noisy as I expected even then. Just know for a weekend like that, either book your site many months in advance, or be in your first-come-first-serve days before the weekend! We were there by Wednesday afternoon. We had lakefront seats for the fireworks and it was wonderful.
It's well kept and the spots are large. There are lots of paths to get down to the water and that water is beautiful. I do think that the "beach" which is dirt so you know. Is very dangerous there are tons of bare sharp sticks poking out of the ground it's hard to navigate through and kind of ridiculous. I have little people and I kept imagining them falling on them they would go right through you. The ought to move some of the rocks too. You can see in the pics. Beautiful view and swimming water. Scary land! 🤣
Camp hosts were very kind and helpful, all the guests were very nice and respectful of others. The sites were clean with concrete to park on, a nice fire put and a very large wooden picnic table. The bathrooms were VERY clean, there r showers available, but I didn't look at them. Our site (61) was right against the forest line and it was very quiet.
Great place to launch a boat or kayak and fish. Lake has many species of fish including good size kokanee and stocked rainbows. Pay to park boat launch that is 8$ for the day. I didn't explore the campground but it seemed like a good place to camp. The bathroom at the boat launch was fairly clean and in good condition. This lake is very large and very deep (150'+). It gets pretty busy with recreational boaters so if you go to fish, start early. Will return.
