Cove Palisades State Park (Part Two)

Central Oregon Road Trip

Saturday, May 21, 2022 

The Cove Palisades State Park (Crooked River Campground) 

Sunny and 66 degrees

After being on the road for a week, this was a good day for some housekeeping. We washed windows, cleaned the grill, and vacuumed (yes, I travel with a cordless Dyson vacuum). It doesn't take long for the RV to get dirty, but it doesn't take very long to clean it, either. Once we were finished with our chores, we relaxed in the sun and had some lunch. Later that afternoon, I decided to check out the Wetlands loop, which is a short 1/4 mile "hike" and very easy. From there, I walked along the main road, which looks out over the river. 

Pretty dry for mid-May!

Looking down on the wetlands

Crooked River

From the Oregon State Parks Organization:

Violent volcanic eruptions, oozing lava and raging river torrents battered this region for millions of years, carving dramatic cliffs of volcanic basalt that tower some 500 feet above the water. What is now a lake was once a rocky, plunging canyon, dry and desolate but for the narrow, life-giving Crooked River. Native Americans battled the harsh terrain in order to fish, hunt and trade here. Pioneers attempted to homestead and farm in this inhospitable region--not many succeeded.

With progress came the need for the Round Butte Dam, built by Portland General Electric in 1964. The hydroelectric facility, co-managed by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, generates approximately 800,000 megawatts of electricity per year for the Portland metropolitan area.

I watched over a dozen turkey vultures soar around this part of the canyon, but couldn't get a good shot, even with my telephoto lens. They were too fast for me!