I wanted to have a small vacation with my kids and grand kids hoping to make some memories they can…read moreall remember and look back on some day. My wife and I explored a few options for this vacation and landed on renting a luxury house boat from Cove Palisades. Everything from the first phone call right down to check out time was great. All the folks there were helpful and made sure we had a great time. We had a great boat with plenty of amenities and it ran great, along with the generator we didn't need for anything. I especially like the boat because it had everything we needed and it all worked. There were 11 of us and we had plenty of room to spread out and really have a good. We cruised, we swam, we ate and ate and ate. I think everyone enjoyed this trip and I believe we will do it again. Jim P.

Our friends and I rented at the same time - same boats - and had the same experience - both good…read moreand bad (the 14 & 10 passenger type with corrugated siding/blue & white). The Bad: 1. Mechanically, these boats are old. They run - but look like hell under the hood (rust,oily bilge,questionable wiring). 2. The old battery and charging system they use requires you to run the loud, smelly generator most of the trip. Which not only is hazardous - due to carbon monoxide pumping toward the back deck - but also destroys the peace of your experience. 3. Due to running the generator AND engine (required as directed) almost the whole time while on the boat - our gasoline bill was about $150 (in addition to propane) even though we literally only drove the boat one hour round trip. 4. The "house" batteries, even when fully charged at dinner, would not last through the night. This resulted in us having to throw out food because the refrigerator would fail. So we ended up using our coolers and buying ice. Same story- both boats. I brought a voltmeter on the trip - so I verified it. The batteries were just worn out and should have been able to handle a couple of refrigerators - that use very little amperage (they're propane). 5. Our propane grill didn't even work. It leaked propane (if the tank was on I could smell it) and would not stay lit - even with no wind. Yet they charged me $55 for propane- even after I told them (another hazard). My friends boats grill worked though. But if you're solo - watch out!! No way to cook! 6. Inside - propane oven/stove top was so weak it was on low - even when selected to high. It would heat water but not boil. 7. One of the toilets stunk the entire time because the seal leaked - allowing gases to come up. 8. The generator could not handle a coffee maker AND an electric griddle (or a microwave) at the same time and popped a breaker. We didn't even try the air conditioning because of this!! 9. The rear upper deck roof was sagging and floppy & had rotten wood splinters that would drop out when people walked up there. It was unnerving- so I wouldn't let the kids near the center for fear it would collapse. 10. The cost. Granted, they are the ONLY company on the Lake (B.T.W...Cove and LBC rentals are same company). $1800 for three nights (plus the extra $230 they charged us at the end for gas and propane). We've been on Houseboats before that we're at least twice better maintained - and paid about the same. BUT- they have a lot of them. So you pay for convenience of scheduling. The "Cove Marina" rentals on the other side have BETTER boats available (bigger/newer). 11. No anchor - so your stuck with the boat facing and tied on the shoreline. This means that you'll be breathing carbon monoxide any time the generator and engine are "charging" the batteries- that is if you want to enjoy sitting on the back deck - toward the lake. 12. Spotty cell coverage. They tell you to text them if there's a problem- but you'll likely not have any coverage. So, have a boat with your boat so you can easily go where you do. 13. No offer of incentive - nor apology for our experience. Mostly indifferent was what I got after I gave them my card. The Good: 1. The interiors - although old, were acceptable for "camping".. 2. The boat got us to the shore so we could park (didn't break down). 3. The staff was nice - even though at the end - they questioned us for everything that went wrong and didn't care to hear about what needed fixing. 4. The boats are pretty beat up in the first place - so you don't worry about dings or scratches. Is that good?? Sure - if you've got a bunch of teens with you. 5. The actual layout of the boats were spacious and well equipped (if anything was actually functional). 6. The hot water worked fine. 7. Kitchen utensils provided - bring your own can opener - ours was broken. 8. They provide toilet paper. 9. They provide garbage bags. Overall, my impression was that the overall frustration and stress of worrying about things working made my vacation just like work. Kids enjoyed themselves- but the adults not so much. My wife actually got sick one morning due to the generator exhaust blowing toward the back deck near where she was sitting. After all was done and we were leaving, I mentioned all of these things to them. Mostly blank stares is what I got and happy to take my credit card to charge me another $250 for gas and propane that I shouldn't have had to use. As others have indicated- be careful to flush with lots of water - or you may plug the toilets - giving them another reason to charge you "extra". All of this ruined it for my wife. I doubt she will go again. They're the only company on Lake Billy - which is sad. My intention is NOT to bash them. I liked all of them as people. Perhaps if you decide to rent one - go with one of the bigger, nicer boats (FROM the COVE-$3500) as opposed to the blue/white 10-14 person boats.

I've used Culver Marine for boat storage and service. Jeffrey and his crew are truly wonderful…read morepeople - kind, honest, highly knowledgeable, and dedicated to high quality service. I did an exhaustive search 4 years ago for storage and service (from La Pine to Madras) - there is no shop that even comes close to Culver Marine.

Was told my motor, a G1 E-Tec, was not repairable and past its lifespan (300 hours). My only…read moreoption was a $10,000+ re-power. $200 paid for this "service". Finally got a minute to change my spark plugs this weekend and the motor fired up immediately. Don't trust these guys!

Well, this is a great place to come if you've got a boat. Huge lake with stunning scenery unlike…read morewhat you normally see at lakes. The ramps to launch your boat are reasonably spacious and they even have a kayak launch which I was excited to see. I have friends that catch fish here regularly, so I know it has some decent fishing too. We came to spin the kids around on a hot day. They had so much fun and getting in when the heat got out of hand was refreshing. I did t explore too much, but it didn't look like the campground had too much shade, on a hot day you may get not want to be there. Down by the docks they had a nice beach for swimmers and they had restrooms, which were just put toilets, not a fan. Other than that, I will definitely be back here.

Wowza! The locals may be used to this stunning state park, but it was shockingly strange for us to…read morearrive after a long drive from Idaho. If coming from the Bend area, It quite literally is located over a cliff. There is a very, very narrow, and steep decent on a 2 Lane road that takes you down into the middle of a ravine. You drive along the perimeter of the ravine across a bridge and up and over the other side of the ravine until you follow the road to the campsite. Our GPS did not direct us properly to the campsite and the road was so narrow with no signs pointing us in the right direction. There was a moment of dread thinking we were going the wrong way when our GPS said we had arrived but we were in the middle of the road with no turn off. It was an act of faith to keep on going until the road finally delivered us at the campsite on the other side of the ravine. The campsite was well-maintained and had a lot of staff in the form of Park rangers to assist with check-in, selling firewood and ice, and maintenance. Each site had a paved driveway to park on. They have fire rings and picnic tables, with a decent amount of space between sites.

Not sure why not a 5 star location. The staff is friendly and nice to everyone. Boat rentals are…read morefair prices. We have always had a good to wonderful experiences with this establishment! A++ customer service! A++ prices A++ wonderful location for visitors and locals alike!

Terrible!!! Rented a…read moreboat. It ran just long enough to get to our camp site then stopped. Had to jerry rig the starter wiring to return to marina. Was charged for not only the time we had the boat but the fuel cost to get the boat back to the marina. Was promised a comp for the time lost on our vacation but that didn't happen because "it would come out of the employees paycheck". These owners are the worst kind of small business folk. They blame customers for their short comings and really could give a shit less about safety. I'm sure Karen will have some retort about how our experience was due to our entitlement but I look at it simply as a lack of ethical business practice.

Just wanted to verify for everyone who was wondering if the boat launch and store and boat rentals…read moreare open and the answer is YES. YES I DROVE THERE MYSELF TODAY 8/15/22 I wish they would answer the phone‍

I'm posting this because before we went I tried to find on the internet if they had food (again,…read moresince covid) but couldn't find out anything. So I called ahead and asked. The young man said yes, they have food. So I asked what they offered and he replied that they have a deli. Great! So we head on up there planning on having a picnic. It was not a deli. It was deep fried stuff like you find in a gas station. I guess that's what kids call delis' now.

We were a group of 15 floating the upper deschutes near maupin. That is a long day, and our guides…read morestayed by us through and through. Incredibly professional and kind group. We had ages as young as 10 through 65 and all were well looked after. Even the teens had an outlet with some of the great games they did off the boat and the little stops we made along the river. Would do again, one of the highlights of our stay in Bend.

We were considering cancelling because it was unseasonably cold (early June) and the drive was…read morepretty far but we're all really glad we didn't. We met Rylan at a park next to the river in the town where we would start from and he led us to the boat launch point. He was equipped with jackets and pants for those of us who wanted to stay a little drier and life jackets and helmets (optional). He gave us a very detailed explanation of what we were going to be doing, how to do it as well as emergency instructions. On the river he not only made it exciting navigating us to the parts of the river we would enjoy but had good knowledge of the wildlife, geography and the locations we were in. At the mid-point we got out of the river for lunch and Ouzel set us up with a cooked meal from a local hotel in Maupin. Rylan had some fleeces for us to warm up and put us by a fire. We stopped at a few places along the river and at the last point got in the water. After getting the boat out of the water Rylan had some drinks for us and Ouzel had our car waiting for us after they shuttled it down. Definitely a first class operation that thought of everything we would need and made it as fun as I think it could possibly be. My 8 and 9 year olds loved it and thought it was the best part of the trip (except for being cold). When we got home there was a postcard from Rylan waiting for us thanking us for joining him on the river. What a nice touch. Next time we're in OR maybe we'll do a multi-day trip.

If you arrive at the crack of dawn and get a good spot, this can be a great fishing spot. The…read morereally good spots for catching trout here is limited, so if you don't get one of those spots, I suggest trying somewhere else nearby. The North Fork boat launch/park and Promontory Park have port-a-potty restrooms that are well maintained and don't smell too bad, even on a hot day. On the weekends, the boat launch areas are overrun with teenagers, jets skiers, loud music, definitely not a quiet peaceful spot to fish or relax, but perfect for partying or working on your tan. Occasionally, there are people in canoes and kayaks. The water is pretty clean and the surrounding trees and mountains are beautiful. We've seen bald eagles, deer, coyotes, and other wildlife.

Do not trust them or their 'reservations'. Beautiful place, but never wasting our time driving…read morethere again. We reserved a pontoon for the day, & on the way there we called again to double check our reservation & make sure all was in check & they reassured us our rental will be waiting for us when we arrived. So we drove TWO hours to get there with all our children, friends & their children, just to have them say 'sorry' because they have rented out the pontoon to someone else. So we had to drive around for sometime looking for some other way to enjoy our holiday.