Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or)

Willamette National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Sisters, OR, OR

Price: From $25 per night

Price range: $25–$50 per night

Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (150 reviews)

Season: May through October

This campground provides 34 campsites, 31 singles and 3 double, that accommodate vehicles 18 to 50 feet in length depending on site. No sites are directly on the shoreline of the lake, but several offer views of the lake. Drinking water is available at two handpumps, one in the campground and one in the boat launch area.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Electric Hookups, Fishing, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/cold-water-cove-willamette-nf-or to be notified when sites open up.

Cold Water Cove offers 34 campsites with lake views and a non-motorized boat launch for kayaks and canoes. Google reviewers praised the easy kayak access and scenic views, with an overall rating of 4.6/5 stars from 92 reviews.

Wildlife alert: American Pika, Osprey, Barrow's Goldeneye, American Dipper, Hermit Warbler, Valley Garter Snake, and Northwestern Garter Snake documented in the area.

Insider tips for Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or): Book early — this is a popular federal campground with limited availability. Sites 17 and nearby offer the best lake views according to verified camper reports. Non-motorized boats and kayaks only; boat launch available at campground.

Skip Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) if: You need RV hookups — no hookups at most sites; bring a self-contained unit.. You prefer full facilities — vault toilets only (4 double vault toilets shared by all sites).. You need year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only..

Best time to visit Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or): May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.. September-October — Verified camper reports positive experiences in late summer/early fall without peak season crowds..

Nearby campgrounds: Ice Cap Campground (Sisters, OR), Fish Lake Remount Depot Cabins (MCKENZIE BRIDGE, OR), Trout Creek Campground - Willamette (Or) (Blue River, OR), Big Lake West Campground (Sisters, OR).

Cell Phone Coverage at Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or)

Cell signal at Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) (Sisters, OR): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
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Willamette National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or)

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Sisters, OR, OR★ 4.2 (150 reviews)From $25/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

This campground provides 34 campsites, 31 singles and 3 double, that accommodate vehicles 18 to 50 feet in length depending on site. No sites are directly on the shoreline of the lake, but several offer views of the lake. Drinking water is available at two handpumps, one in the campground and one in the boat launch area.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV99 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
ADA sites1 sites
Pull-throughsAvailable
ToiletsVault toilets
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking WaterBoat Launch
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric Hookups
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFishing

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups — no hookups at most sites; bring a self-contained unit.✕ You prefer full facilities — vault toilets only (4 double vault toilets shared by all sites).✕ You need year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground with limited availability.

Sites 17 and nearby offer the best lake views according to verified camper reports.

Non-motorized boats and kayaks only; boat launch available at campground.

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Best: September-October

Verified camper reports positive experiences in late summer/early fall without peak season crowds.

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: American Pika, Osprey, Barrow's Goldeneye, American Dipper, Hermit Warbler, Valley Garter Snake, and Northwestern Garter Snake documented in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
801-226-3564· Willamette National Forest
Getting there →

From Eugene, Oregon, take I-105 east to McKenzie Highway 126. Travel east on 126 for 55 miles to McKenzie Bridge. From McKenzie Bridge,OR, travel east on Highway 126 for 18 miles to the Clear Lake Area. Before reaching Clear Lake, turn right on Forest Road 770, heading northeast 1 mile to Coldwater Cove Campground at the end of the road.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Willamette National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Willamette National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) cost per night?+
Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) costs $25–$50 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
What season is Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) open?+
Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) have hookups?+
No hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
What is the maximum RV length at Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or)?+
Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) can accommodate RVs up to 99 feet.
How do I make reservations at Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or)?+
Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or)?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) open, and what are check-in times?+
Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Cold Water Cove Campground Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$25 /night★ 4.2 (150)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) cost per night?+
What season is Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) open?+
Does Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Ice Cap Campground

Sisters, OR

From $25/night

Fish Lake Remount Depot Cabins

MCKENZIE BRIDGE, OR

From $85/night

Trout Creek Campground - Willamette (Or)

Blue River, OR

From $25/night

Big Lake West Campground

Sisters, OR

From $55/night

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Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or) — Willamette | CamperWatch