Although having the Marina Store is convenient most weekends, the staff is clearly understaffed and…read moreover worked. They are rarely friendly & continually get your order wrong. I truly think selling pizza by the Alice and a small menu would be VERY helpful in their situation. When staff is overworked, they tend to forgot that being polite & welcoming is very important, especially with a small town like ours. We are avid boaters and have visited the restaurant almost every weekend in the summer since 2017, always the same issues.

I rented a pontoon here for half a day and it was a great experience. The man who booked the boat…read morefor us was super friendly and hooked me up with an amazing deal. They guided me through the process and my kids and I had the most amazing time exploring the Billy Chinook Lake. I rented the boat for four hours and that was not nearly enough time to see the entire lake. I don't think I was expecting the thing to be that huge. I am determined to rent a house about next time I come to Oregon or rent a boat for a full day.I would hands-down recommend this place. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

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!

I purchased a boat from them recently. horrible customer service. all they want to do is sell…read moresomething with no customer service. and very dishonest . buyer beware.

Always skeptical finding new mechanics for my stuff. We live 2 hours away. Will always return here…read morefor servicing of our boat. Awesome knowledgeable techs and staff. They took the time to educate me on the problem solving steps and presented a clear scope of work. Fixed and running perfectly the first time. Thanks all!!

While roaming through the area we spotted the State Park on a map and decided to check it out. It…read morefeels like it's in the middle of nowhere as you drive in, and as a result when the lake and grounds come into view it has the feel of a real oasis. It's a beautiful drive in and gorgeous setting. The lakes are awesome, and clearly a lot of fun as the place was pretty packed last weekend. Lots of room to boat, paddle, hike, camp, and picnic. As we were just passing through we really only covered the park and surrounding areas via van, but we did stop in some shade to enjoy a picnic lunch. You definitely need to plan ahead and come prepared, as we didn't see any stores or gas in the immediate area. But it does look like a very serene place to spend a few days....especially if you like sun, as there wasn't a big supply of shade to be found. Lots of soaring birds and spectacular mountain views abound from the cliffs above the lakes. Beautiful high dessert oasis. :)

Nice campground well taken care of. Clean restrooms and showers. Tons of deer walking through the…read moresites at all hours. So cool to see these majestic creatures with no fear. No reception or cell service so you really are able to disconnect and relax. Beautiful golden hour sunsets and gorgeous sunrises.

Awesome campground on Lake Simtustus. Beautiful and quiet setting. We stayed in A3 and it fit our…read more37' fifth wheel and Ram longed but a bit tight. We were right on the water with stunning views. The internet was flawless and the accommodations clean.

Cannot rave enough about Dockside Grill. Every time we go there it feels like we're on vacation and…read morewe actually live nearby. Gorgeous scenery surrounds you mixed with boaters and fun music. The food is always fresh and good quality. The bar is just fun. The staff work well together and apparently care for each other. We feel very lucky to have this gem of a spot on Lake Sintustus.

Kyle and I love to come to this lake in the summer. It's nice small lunch is always good at the…read morerestaurant.. Great little atmosphere!

It was a little smokey due to all the fires. The lake was nice and the scenery was peaceful &…read morebeautiful. Our family had a nice picnic & day. The kids loved seeing all the butterflies, dragonflies & frogs. We'll be back again.

Terry is always a great resource for all of my parts and need for knowledge on my 1985 Evinrude…read moremotor. Jerime is a great tech has brought my old boat back to life and it runs as good as new. It is always refreshing coming into a shop that respects the customer and Terry is very good at talking to everyone at different technical levels. It is a very honest shop that charges a fair price for high end work. I would recommend them to anyone who has an older Evinrude or Johnson motor that needs help.

Highly recommend Central Lakes Marine for boat repair. They were very knowledgable, highly…read moreprofessional and trustworthy. The service received was very accommodating and reasonably priced.

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.

Beware. If you book a moorage slip it's non refundable and they don't tell you when you book. Zero…read moreexceptions. Also it's 24 bucks a day! They have the market because there is no other option. Profit over customer service.

DOCKSIDE BAR and GRILL. We were camping in the area, and decided to drop in for a cold beer on a…read moresunny day. Staff (MacKayla) was super welcoming and got me seated on the sunny deck overlooking the Marina (Hence Dockside) I was the only one here at the time, it was very nice. I returned the next day with my wife for lunch. Today it was much busier, but we got a table at the rail overlooking the lake. Expecting "tourist grade food" we ordered the nachos and margarita's (In memory of Jimmy Buffet who had just passed away that day) We are margarita snobs and these were excellent. Perfect mix of tequila, fresh lime juice and simple syrup. The right kind of tart. Nacho's were a delightful surprise too, each chip caked with chicken, beans and nacho cheese. Super tasty pickled jalapeno's on the side added some kick. Again, staff were super personable, bartender (Ashley) was great. A very un-touristy experience, more like a local bar. Definitely will be back.