| Description: Facilities include 87 RV sites with full utility hookup, 91 RV sites with electric hookup, 94 tent sites, three group tent areas, & rustic lakeshore log cabins. Lake Billy Chinook holds largemouth, & smallmouth bass, rainbow, brown & bull trout, kokanee salmon, whitefish, & a handful of suckers, minnows & dace. But the lake is best known for the trophy bull trout pulled from these waters, including the top three state records.
Lake Billy Chinook, created by Round Butte Dam, fills the canyons of the Crooked, Metolius & Deschutes Rivers. Within these three large arms is 72 miles of shoreline surrounding 3916 acres. Here in Oregon`s high desert region, the weather is sunny & warm in the summer months & cooler but mild in the winter. Lake Billy Chinook is surrounded by towering cliffs typical of the geologic attractions of central Oregon. Besides all the myriad water-based recreation opportunities, nearly ten miles of hiking trails access areas rich in wildlife & scenery. The park is home to two popular special events: the Lake Billy Chinook Day in September (a clean-up & festival) & the annual Eagle Watch in February.
Additional facilities include a full-service campground, store, restaurant, marina & rental services. The name honors Billy Chinook, a Wasco Indian who joined the John C. Fremont expedition in 1843.
Location: From Madras, go 15 miles southwest on US 97.
Season: year round. |
Campground: The Cove Palisades State Park in Salem Oregon *