I would not recommend going her for he ATV trails. We went and was lost for 4 hours trying to find our way back to the parking area. Trails are not properly marked. 3/4 of the markers were laying on ground or completely missing. The map doesn't help a bit. We ended up coming onto the gun range accidentally. And, the road up to the atv parking area requires and offroad capable vehicles and offroad trailer. Its rocky and very poorly maintained. As are the trails. They have all these rules, but there no enforcement. There was a group of about 10 people and they were riding double and most without helmets. And, lets talk about the junkyard heavy equipment, trucks and other junk, you drive by to get to the atv parking lot. Definitely wont be returning cor another ATV trip. Campgrounds and lakes looked nice and they have a beach set up. read more

Attended a camp weekend with some good friends here and it's exactly what we all needed. If you're looking to really camp out, it's precisely what you're looking for. Easy to get to, easy check in, the grounds are easily navigated. Super spacious camp sites that can fit anywhere between 1-5 vehicles with some maneuvering. For a resupply trip you're less than 25-30 minutes from Winchester. What to expect: - Dirt and gravel roads with a few potholes, but most vehicles should have no trouble getting around - Firewood is an extra charge; provided by the hosts - If you're looking to use the range, it would probably be best to have an SUV or truck with a bit more clearance and AWD - The range has a decent amount of stationary targets at varying ranges, including steel targets Bonus: We were treated by Katie the German Short-haired Pointer a couple times. She's the sweetest as long as you treat her with respect and be aware of her boundaries. read more

Best campground in Virginia! Whether you're looking to swim, hike, fish, target shoot, or hang by the fire with friends; The Cove is the place to be. read more

We drove out to have a look to see if this is a place we would camp and spend the day- to get it to just look you have to pay! Really.....!!!! We did but what a waste of money. This place is pathetic.... Looks like no care has been taken at this place. I would not camp here, I would not do a day visit here, heck the road was lacking so much care I couldn't even get to the shooting range. 2 stars because they were nice. But nothing else. read more

This place sucks, I don't understand why they make people pay a lot per person. The staff are not responsible and record people for no reason. Last time I came here with my family and my friends. My friends were gone riding their dirt bikes while me and the others were eating and just relaxing. The place has a river and it closes at 5:00 but all the people were still in the river like at 6:00 and none of the staff were doing anything but make my friends pay "by getting in the water past 5:00". When my friends came back one of them left early but I didn't realize, the staff made ALL my friends that were on their dirt bikes pay 25 dollars per person because "they were in the water". Their bathroom has no sink and the toilets doesn't work a lot. One person pulled out a gun at my friend. They should close the place, they are not fair and not responsible. There is a staff that are twins and they always have to make a bigger deal than it is. They are making lies up and are disrespectful taking photos and making people pay a lot of money. Me and My other friend were looking for logs to cook food but of course we were going to pay and a one of staff were watching us. I would definitely not recommend here. read more

We were excited to find a campground that provided all of our favorite activities in one place. Beautiful views with ATV trails and a shooting range. However, the campsite itself was so uneven. The ATV trails were downright impassable for a side by side (maybe doable for jeeping but not side by sides) the trails were VERY poorly marked (maybe one arrow on a tree every 1/2 mile if you're lucky! We never went faster than 7 MPH and that is not a joke. We went a total of 4 miles on the trails and it took us 6 hours. Most of which the passengers got out and walked while the driver maneuvered the ATV. The shooting range was okay at best. You had to cease fire for everyone there and build your own target as quickly as possible (because there weren't any there) and get back out of the way. The road to get there is only wide enough for one car so good luck if anyone is coming. And don't take a car up , it's made for trucks only. So a beautiful campground that could be amazing with very little effort, yet a terrible experience we will never go back to. read more

See all

First- the staff do not wear masks, and do not social distance. They come right up to your car or walk right up to you without a mask in complete disregard for anyone else's safety. So just a heads up. Our experience at this campground was okay generally until the check out experience. I will highlight that unfortunate turn of events, and then touch in what went well. The camp rate at this location is per 24 hours. If you exceed that time (as we did, staying 26 hrs), you are required to pay an entire 24 hour fee of $40. This is outrageous to say the least in my opinion. However, I expected a fee for staying over, but I did not expect a full 24 hour fee. When I checked in, the girl that signed us in and provided the run down said there would be a fee, but said nothing about it being a full 24 hour fee. Regardless, it is only $40 so it didn't seem like a big deal. When I checked out (which you do by walking your camp card up to the shack where you checked in), I was greeted appropriately by a woman who promptly handed my card to a man inside behind the register. He initially said "ok you're all set..." but then his voice quickly changed tone as he incredulously exclaimed "you're over your time by 2 hours!" Mind you, he said this in a very exasperated tone as if I did something wrong. I responded, "yeah I know we went over a little bit, we'll pay whatever the fee is, that's fine." Then he said "that'll be $20, no $40." At this point he sounded like he was making things up, so I responded "that's obscene, for $40 for 2 hours?" Then, this is where it gets good, he circled the fine print on my card, held it out the door from behind the counter and demanded that I read the card. I said I needn't read it, that the rate was high but that I'd pay it - whatever. Asked him cash or card, then handed him my card. He then kept insisting that I read the fine print and said "you're going to call my business obscene then you're going to read what you agreed to before I run your card." I was dumbfounded. I couldn't believe that someone claiming to be running a business had the audacity to treat a paying customer this way. He definitely could use some customer service training. Clearly there was a misunderstanding, and even then I was willing and compliant in paying the fee, merely voicing my exasperation that they charged $40 for a 2 hour overstay. All this while the camp was virtually empty. I didn't even bother asking if they had a military discount. This guy didn't have the decency to treat me with respect as a fellow citizen and was clearly too touch to accept criticism of their business practice. It would have been all too easy to allow us to go given the misinformation we were given. Everyone knows that fine print boilerplate only applies if it is what the reasonable person would expect. The grounds were not well kept. There are huge crevices in the roadway, the beach is under construction?, and the bridges are literally falling apart without any warning signs. One of our party almost fell because of a board that broke under their foot. After a quick scan of previous reviews, it looks like these "managers" haven't been able to learn anything. Customers still receive patronizing, scathing, deplorable "service." I was also accused of lying when I said the person who checked us in didn't tell me that we'd be charged a whole 24 hr fee. DO NOT COME THIS PLACE. Take your money and tent elsewhere, sparing yourself the unfortunate experience of dealing with the self proclaimed "manager". read more

So we barely made it here 24 hours and already left. Not necessarily the coast for just not our cup of tea. Rented shelter number one thinking it would be better than camping on the ground since it had rain the past couple days... Shelter number one was as they advertised for walls and a roof it did have a small picnic table inside and a little check if you can even call the deck so that we could put a chair and look at the lake. Secluded from the rest of the campground it's on the opposite side of the lake with only one shelter next to it. Within the first five minutes there was a copperhead snake on our fire pit let's just say it didn't make it through the night. We opted to sleep in our car as the bugs and critters and spiderwebs were just too much. I agree with other reviews... you need a trick or SUV as roads are unlaced , potholes and boulders. Beach is SMALL!!!! read more

See all

I would like to start off that I have visited The Cove Campground several times and found the trails to be enjoyable as well as challenging. I also want to state that I understand that they have the right to admit or deny admittance as it privately owned. Although I may have been disappointed in the manner in which this event occurred, this is an attempt to outline some inconsistencies with how park entrance was handled as well as the manner in which I was spoken too. This is especially a big point if the gentleman that was handling the entrance was one of the owners. He was very rude and didn't seem to care if the guest stayed or not. This is poor customer service which seems to be a prevalent as I reviewed other posts. That said, my friends, their family members, and I had planned on camping and trail riding during the Big Dog Ice Breaker event. We had driven an hour and a half to the park, only to be turned away at the gate because I was told that the park did not allow ATVs to camp overnight. Currently, I drive a Kawasaki KRX 100 which is classified as a UTV by the state of WV which is where it is a registered street legal vehicle. I would also like to state that nowhere on their site does it outline any rules or restrictions for UTV's or Side by Sides (SXS). I would like to state that I did call the Main Office, number was located on the Web Site, the week prior to the event. This was to verify that I could bring up my SXS and camp during the Big Dog Icebreaker Weekend. The young woman on the phone, Heather, stated that "Yes, I could bring my SXS and that I could camp during that weekend". I asked about reserving a spot, and she also mentioned that she did not think it was necessary since they had never booked all of the camp sites. I would also like to state that Heather was very helpful and her customer service skills were very good. The gentlemen that I spoke to at the gate (I assume is the manager/owner based on his comments) commented that side x sides were not allowed to camp overnight due to having issues with some of the ATV owners being irresponsible. He also stated that the Big Dog Icebreaker was a blackout date which was outlined on the website. This comment was made in a very rude manner as to insinuate that ALL people who drove ATV's or SXS are irresponsible. So, when I got home, I checked the site and found that below are the only blackout dates and rules regarding ATV. Nowhere on the site does it mention UTV's or SXS. ATVs are four wheeled vehicles that are ridden like a motorcycle, you straddle a seat, and use handlebars to control the vehicle. UTV's and SXS are driven like cars, you sit in a seats side by side, use seat belts, and are controlled through foot pedals and a steering wheel. Here is what I found for rules that were outlined by The Cove Campground Web Site Blackout weekends - While we welcome campers with ATVs, due to high volumes of people, we no longer allow camping with ATVs during holiday weekends (including Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day weekends). Events - Big Dog Ice Breaker Open to the Public ATV Restrictions - ATVs and motorcycles are not permitted on campground roads or inside the campground. They cannot be used for general transportation inside the campground i.e., going to the beach, picking up ice or firewood etc. The only time ATVs are allowed on campground roads is if you are driving from your campsite to the trailhead. FAQ - Q: Can I ride my ATV from my campsite to the trails? A: No, we do not allow the use of ATVs, Off-road motorcycles, or golf carts on our camp roads. (This is a contradiction of ATV Restrictions above) I would like to point out that none of these rules or anywhere on their web site does it address SXS or UTV's or depict any other vehicles. The only vehicles that are specifically pointed out are ATVs, Off Road Motorcycles, and Golf Carts. As we all know, content on a web site must be constantly monitored for accuracy and to ensure that there are no contradictions. If the rules that were sited at the front gate are current, I would suggest that the owners update the web site with the current rules. I would also suggest to ensure compliance from all participants, that they print out the rules and regulations and hand them out to people as they enter the facility. At no time was I offered any documentation on facility rules other than "Its outlined on our Web Site". If you are going to quote your rules and reference the web site, I would recommend that you know what is actually written there. The staff at the entrance was rude and offered no documentation to back up their comments. I am an avid off roader, If I haul it in, I haul it out. I take care to follow any rules outlined by the campground or off-road trail. Like I pointed out in the opening of this review, the trails are awesome, challenging, and I always have fun when I go. read more

Well this place is either terrible or fantastic, depending on what you are looking for. It seems that most people are camping here so that they can use the hundreds of miles of off-road trails. If you're here for that, then this is MECCA. The facilities are great- showers, bathrooms were pretty clean and well-stocked. The camping spots were spacious and well-groomed. If you are here just for camping, it might not be ideal. It's pretty loud and isn't organized for camping- it's an off-road facility that allows camping. read more

Place is awesome! Trail going into the campground is fun, of course there are two roads that you can take, one for more of the adventurous type or one that is ehhh flat and boring. I picked the Adventurous route :-) Campgrounds is awesome and surrounded by different ponds and lakes. very nice place, and cheap only $15 to get in. I usually go here for the range, its not your typical lane divide range, its a set your own target open range. where you are the RSO. you can bring anything out here to shoot up as long as you clean it up afterwards. no restrictions on what type of firearms either. definitely bring out your 4x4 or high clearance vehicle to get up the hill , if not you will get stuck or your undercarriage will be messed up. read more

Although there were mixed reviews for the Cove online we went ahead and booked for this past weekend, July 6-8, 2018. There is no running water at the sites, at least the sites we had, which were Camp 7, sites 6 & 7. There is a very close permanent structure porta-potti which was kept very clean. There is water available and showers at the main office and the other camps which are a few minutes by car. Keeping that in mind and preparing your weekend for that will prevent any issues. From the moment we arrived, the employees were welcoming and very helpful. The main office is staffed through midnight and they have wood and ice for sale and helped with any questions. The people that commented on bad customer service must have been mistaken because everyone we dealt with was fantastic. From a camping standpoint, our site was almost perfect. There was some broken glass from prior campers which we tried to clean as good as we could, but besides that minor issue, the sites were perfect. Heavily wooded, next to one of the smaller lakes, and beautiful. In addition to camping, the grounds have a very nice kept beach front on the bigger lake, tons of picnic tables, a beach volleyball area, and a dock. They have a shooting range on the property, but be mindful that you absolutely need an SUV or 4 x 4 to get to the range. They also rent canoes and flat bottom row boats which is great. We had a great time fishing from the shores and the boats. The main lake area is a perfect place to hang out on the grass, go for a swim, or fish during the day. It was an amazing weekend and we couldn't have asked for more from the campground. Because they have so much property, our campsite was extremely private and when we didn't have the radio playing, it was nothing but wilderness noises all night long. We will absolutely be going back this season. read more

I cannot describe to you in a meaningful way how amazing this place is and how amazing the entire staff is. We dealt with almost all staff members at one point or another and there isn't one among them that will not greet you warmly and make you feel like you belong. The grounds are great. The place is huge and has something for everyone. Lakes, ponds, shooting range, 4x4 trails, campsites for large groups or small, etc. and at amazing prices! The site was very clean as well. My girls have never been camping and they both had a blast there! I will be back often. I took site 8 as I wanted the most remote campsite I could find. You need 4wd to get there and it is fun. There was only room for my tent, the rest of site 8 is a wide open field of jagged rocks (as you'd expect from a mountain top). If you don't plan on pitching a tent then 8 is great! read more

The Cove Campgrounds - So many pix, too hard to choose! How about the aftermath of a 5yo having too much fun for 3 days?! lol - Campgrounds Near Me - Gore, Virginia

this place is awesome. On top of all the beautiful camping sites; they also have two mountain Top shooting ranges that I consider to be the nicest ranges in Virginia. Plus the range master is awesome to boot! read more

This is a over priced campground. It is dirty there is glass everywhere. The goats are cute until you realize that you are walking all over their poops. Showers leave alot to be desired. That said. Great swimming lake. nice water. Owners are rude and do not care about the people supporting them. They only want your money. If you are cool with that then this spot is not bad. Paying over $100 dollars for 2 people to tent camp is ridiculous. read more

Campers Beware!! Their pricing structure is based on per person / per day. Not by campsite. The $ is outrageous for what you get - Horrible roads, signage sucks, bath houses not maintained, lousy customer service - either from kids who don't know anything or from the "owner" who is condescending, arrogant and rude. They charge $25 per person, per day - minimum 3 days for holiday weekends -. my son and nephews was coming down to stay one night with us in our RV (which we were staying 3 days) and had to pay $75 each! Shooting range was cool - even though you had to pay extra for that. Didn't do the ATV trails but hear they are good - but costs extra too! Maybe the owners need to visit other campgrounds to see how they are managed - might learn something! Last time unfortunately for us - this really could be a cool place. We've been RV campers for over 15 years - so we've done this more than once or twice. read more

Going home to Maryland from an amazing weekend here! We found this place last year and we have been trying to make this a yearly thing! The drive is worth it! We brought our neighbors with us too and they definitely enjoyed themselves. This place is truly amazing! Great place for children to get together without being on there phone because there is no cell service! My favorite part was the range! It's a ride up there so make sure you have a 4x4. See you next year Camp Cove! read more

See all

One of the owners was really helpful in getting me unstuck from the ice that my truck was stuck in and Accommodated my stay by offing a place near the Picnic area it was Considerate and Excellent customer service on his part. read more

The campsite was overly expensive for uneven landscape and charged per person per night. Then charged per person per day for both the gun range and to drive the ATV trails. The trails were unmanageable to say the least. We had a side by side machine and got no warning from the campground at how bad the trails would be for our off-road vehicle. They were poorly marked and almost impossible to drive unless you have jeep. Our camper has extensive damage to it due to the unmaintained trail leading up to it. It was very rocky and steep. It was narrow and hard to navigate with trees and branches that haven't been cleared for ease of the camper. This campground has potential to be great with some attention but unfortunately our two families will not be back to give it another try. Be warned! read more

Great place to camp with family and the beach beautiful and the staff was excellent highly recommended

Tim L. Clearly hasn't been out in the country before. There is no way on this green earth that those fine Americans will be muzzled lol. Stop complaining about an extra fee or them not wearing masks and social distancing. You're surrounded by rednecks and on a private property. That is a private campground and they can make whatever rules they want. Try again bud. read more

We've been going to the Cove for five or six years now, doing both car camping at their sites as well as staying in the Lakeside Cabin. It's an awesome place that is very rustic and spartan but well-kept and a TON of fun. The rifle range is amazingly fun, and the trails and lakes are gorgeous. If you are looking for "amenities" and are a princess, this may not be what you are looking for. If you want to let loose, enjoy beautiful nature, and the outdoors this is a great option. Highly recommended! read more

This is our favorite place to camp and we have been around. My husband and I got engaged at this wonderful campground almost 7 years ago and we come back AT LEAST once a year and sometimes we go 5 times a year. Every year. Wonderful staff and the best camp sites ever! Our kids look forward to going each and every year. There's so much land to explore and most neighbors when camping are at least polite and are sometimes just straight up awesome neighbors. Not one complaint from us. Love this place! If we ever happen to camp anywhere else we always wish out loud at least once that we had just gone to the Cove. It's the best there is hands down. read more

Yes, yes, yes. Great camping, great gun range, great guys running this place. If you're looking for car camping that doesn't require you to set up your tent 2 inches from the next guy, this is the place for you. Large camp sites, a couple of cabins and shelters. The guys running this place are very relaxed and the price is certainly right. Do yourself a favor and check this place out. Careful, it can be a bit tricky to find the first time you go here. I would also highly recommend a vehicle with (at least) some ground clearance and ideally 4x4 or AWD. read more

We spent our Labor Day weekend there with our small kids and loved the site. The staff were friendly and helpful. We were surprised with how clean the bath houses were and stopped and chatted with the cleaning crew on our second day - they were super friendly and patient with our kids and told us about a local music festival we might be interested in. The beach is perfect for a family. It's small enough to see the whole place from your spot, but large enough for the kids to run around and swim. I felt much more relaxed than I would have been at a regular ocean beach. The sand was clean and white and the water clear. I heard a few of the twenty-somethings complain after the lifeguard asked them not to do flips off of the pontoon. The lifeguard was really nice to us and the kids and even swam a little with our oldest (we were the only ones on the beach in the early morning). The camp sites are really large and you could easily fit a few tents on them plus a canopy and chairs. Each site had a fire pit and picnic table/bench. the roads could be better marked and we wound up on an ATV trail when trying to get to our camp site the first night, but we figured we'd have trouble arriving at dark. It was much easier to find things in the daylight. We really loved this place and definitely plan to come back with more people. Read more and check out pics here: http://merkelmaking.blogspot.com/2013/09/camping-with-kids.html read more

This is sprawled in 3000 acres of natural beauty. We went here to use their Outdoor Firing range and was impressed with the route to the range. DON'T TRY IF YOU DON'T HAVE 4X4 TRUCK!!. Our Dodge Ram 1500 was a breeze going through Jungle and Hard Terrain (Quite a Fun). We tried M4/9mm/22 in open air. Usage of the range is cheap too, $10 for party of two. It has hiking trails and mountain climibing, lakes and man-made sand beach but we did not try that. read more

What a great place to camp! Although don't follow your GPS...it will take you the wrong way and if you stop and ask for directions you'll prolly get three different wrong set of directions and end up in West Virginia like we did when we first went there (first mistake was leaving so late and not getting there til well after dark.) It is the same entrance as the Boy Scout camp so be on the look out! Anyways there is so much to do at the cove!! The shooting rang is a blast and there are tons of trails to go off-roading and hiking. Plus there's a lake to fish on :) read more

The Cove Campgrounds - Skeet shooting :) - Campgrounds Near Me - Gore, Virginia

See all

Absolutely. Bring your own targets and target holders for the range and you'll be set. read more

I have camped at the Cove twice, both times were a lot of fun. The staff are considerate when assigning campgrounds. They strategically kept my boisterous beer-chugging group away from the quieter families, win-win. Be very careful if you are driving anything smaller than an SUV, some paths are off-road material and we did some serious scraping to the undercarriage of our Altima. Give your campground a thorough screening before you unload your crap, you might find that the park is crowded and your neighbors took your fire pit. If this is the case, go back to the office, they will work with you to find a good spot. We couldn't hear our neighbors at all. My group was loud (laughing/music), but I walked to my neighbors campground to assess sound and couldn't hear my group at all. So at least in our area sound was well insulated. You can buy firewood at the office but it's a lot more fun to chop it down yourself! read more

Great place to go camping! I've been coming here since I was a little kid. Perfect place to visit to forget all your troubles since you are surrounded by scenic beauty with plenty to do! Expect to really be "roughing it" when you come to The Cove, this place offers the full on camping experience. Offers great amenities like rifle range, showers, cabins, lakes, fishing, and hiking. read more

The Cove Campgrounds - Fishing lake - Campgrounds Near Me - Gore, Virginia

BEWARE of this place! We drove up to the cove with a nice car (you won't get far without a truck/jeep here fyi) for a shooting day. As we get to the office house where you pay for the range for day they made sure to inform us of any rules they could possibly have but did NOT mention that the single road leading up to the shooting range is absolutely impossible to drive with a regular car without it being damaged. It is narrow enough that you also can't turn around. So have fun on your 1 mile of pure horror, rocks scraping down the bottom of your car. We asked them if we should leave our car at the office and drive up with our friends who had a truck and they said no need. Long story short the over 1 mile long dirt road that is covered in huge ROCKS and ditches - you have to drive up is so impassable with a regular car you won't get out of this without damages to your vehicle. We had major damages to our car due to this with repair costs of over 500$ thanks to these incompetent people not saying a word. But they certainly make sure that you return that flimsy pink slip you have to carry around all day at the exit. Must be quite important or maybe they are short on pink paper, who knows. I understand you should generally not come to a place like this with a nice car, but living in the city not everyone can have a truck or jeep. To the owners, it would be great if your staff could warn people about this impassable road so others won't have hundreds of dollars worth of damages on their cars after a range day. read more

Went and shot at their 500 yard range. I had told The range master I had never gone past 100 yards and he had me pinging steel and 500 yards in no time. The facility is immaculate and hands down the nicest, cleanest range I have ever been to. For the service we had today 50 dollars felt like I robbed them! Honestly this is my new range. read more

Amazing. Literally so amazing. There is a beautiful range, fishing opportunities, nicely kept grounds, laid back staff, and a clean lake with a swimming area and sand beach. I saw two shooting stars my first night. read more

Great place to camp, or hit the gun range. The owners - Willis and Daniel are great guys, and are always happy to help. The gun range - well what can I say - you just can't beat the price, and the guys at The Cove strive to improve it. Pluses are: 1. $17.00 for all day of shooting (best deal in the area) 2. No limits on caliber 3. As long as you follow the rules you can train to shoot in 'real-world' type situations. I can't wait to get back there, and visit the range again soon. Oh yeah - The Cove is a fun place to camp! read more

The cove was beautiful. The staff was not. The two brothers who run the campground obviously do not enjoy their job. We felt very uncomfortable. We were even scolded for asking questions about the ATVS. We were told if we used the ATV Trails and came back even just for a drink of water we would have to pay another 25 dollars. Also, the bathhouse was over a mile away and no ATVs or golf carts can be used to get to the bathhouse It was very dirty. We kept calling this place the concentration camp. Go somewhere else! read more

Wow, my brother and I started a traditional memorial camp at the campground 16 years ago. It once was a very nice place to go and enjoy the weekend with son , family and friends, typically 8-10 of us.After our pass two years of arrogance and ignorance from the SONS that now run the place we have chosen another campground !! Pops open up your eyes your sons are driving and ruining your ONCE ENJOYABLE campgorund !!!! What a customer has to say about an experience ,good or bad is advertising ! A customer or customers are a valuable thing to LOOSE !! read more

I appreciate them charging me and my family $15 per person just to visit a friend at a campsite for 2 hours when most campsites just charge per campsite and allow visitors to visit for free. It's good to know all that money is going towards dirty port-a-potties, a muddy lake with water that smells, and an entitled attitude towards the customers. It's also good to know that the $15 per person also goes to a campsite that is pretty much someones open field. Also they have ATV trails which is pretty cool but guess what you gotta pay extra for that also. As we departed showing that we only visited for 2 hours to get some sort of refund, they were nice enough to tell us they would write us a check for $2.00 as a refund. It's safe to say I will never ever go back to this campsite that is pretty much set up to try to rip off people from the DC area. Way better State and Federal campgrounds around with better campsites, bathrooms with hot showers, and lakes. read more

Pros: Many good fishing holes, scenic views, spacious camp sites Cons: Way over priced, all advertised amenities are not included in the nightly rate My wife and I went out to The Cove for a Labor Day weekend get away. It was easy to find, and the directions on the website were spot on (more on the website down below). First of all, I think the campground is way over priced for what you get because they charge by the person. For example, a couple could stay for $30/night but a family of 4 will pay $60 for the exact same camp site. Additionally, all camp sites are not created equal. We were fortunate enough to stay in Camp 2 where the sites were very spacious, but the sites in camp 7 were tiny and muddy yet cost the same as Camp 2. Camp 2 was great, it's close to the office, and the showers and 3 of the lakes on the property. We had nice shade from the hot sun and plenty of room to set up our tents. Secondly, all the amenities on the web site are not included with the price. If you want to use the shooting range, that will cost you $10. I'm not sure if that's a flat fee or a daily rate but make sure you ask. There is no mention of this on their website and they failed to mention it when we checked in. We made the off road trek (it is off road, don't bring your Honda up there) only to be turned away by the Range Control Officer because we didn't have our yellow wrist bands. What's even more frustrating is that they don't enforce the wristband rules all the time, so you're never sure when he will be up there. Electricity is also an add on fee. Not sure of the price, but as you can see if you want to use the shooting range and the camp sites with electricity it will cost you a lot more than $15 per day/per person. Third, the shower houses were nice. I was able to get a hot shower and they were relatively clean. There were also port-a-potties by our campsite but they were atrocious. The toilets by the bath houses were also pretty bad. You're better off going in the woods which is maybe the type of camping experience you're looking for unless you expect some amenities to go along with that steep admission fee. Bottom line: We had fun, it was a beautiful place but we expected way more for what we paid. I won't be going back any time soon. Instead we will check out a few other places first. read more

First time visiting the cove this weekend and really didn't know what to expect. This place is great. The campsites were clean, not all of the sites had plumbing but the ones with outhouses weren't so bad (no flies or overpowering stink and usually had a roll of toilet paper). We had 5 groups in our party and we pretty much had campsite loop 4 all to ourselves which was nice. There's lots to do here which include a tiny beach for the kids, fishing, canoeing, volleyball, offroading and of course popping off rounds at the shooting range. Note, the gun range can get crowded in a hurry so it's best to go early in the morning. We got there a little late at 9:30am and decided to leave after 15 mins when it started to get crowded and guys started shooting rounds at nearby rocks. My suggestion to the cove would be to maybe make another shooting range in a wider clearing for easier parking and more access. Other things to note, when you're ready to dump your trash, the dumping station is just a group of toilets with plumbing. As indicated in the other review you can take your trash to a trailer next to the office. Also, if you see the owner (older gentleman, wears red suspenders, and drives around in a red Toyota pickup) take the time to chat with him. He has some fun stories about building and running the campsite. read more

I have sent numerous emails requesting information about their facilities including a request for photographs of their cabins. They don't have the common decency to reply to any requests. read more