Shady Cove

Its 1 site is reservable through Recreation.gov, camping costs Single Site: $12 per night, and it is open year-round. Shady Cove is a National Forest campground near Gates, Oregon.

Reservable: Recreation.gov

National Forest · Gates, Oregon

The lower pool at Three Pools, about 1 km from Shady Cove

A small cascade at Three Pools on the Little North Santiam River

The stream at Three Pools near the Opal Creek Wilderness

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The lower pool at Three Pools, about 1 km from Shady Cove. Photo: U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (US federal government work, 17 U.S.C. 105)

Managed by: National Forest

Shady Cove sits inside Willamette National Forest. Its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com. It sits 0.2 miles outside the boundary of Opal Creek Wilderness; its permit and camping rules and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.

Getting a site

Managed by: National Forest
Reservations: Recreation.gov Book a site
Fee: Single Site: $12 per night

Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29

Sites and hookups

Total sites: 1

✓ Toilets
✕ Potable water

On site: Toilets. No potable water.

Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29

Campsites

1 site. Every site below links to its own page on Recreation.gov, where it is booked. Official site list and booking on recreation.gov.

								Book
Standard	Scan and Pay	Standard nonelectric	Not on record	Not on record	Not on record	No	Not on record	Book site Standard

Data source: Recreation.gov , accessed 2026-09-29. Site details are Recreation.gov's own per-site listing and can differ from the campground-wide facts above.

Access and cell service

Elevation: 1,480 ft

Cell coverage by carrier (FCC map)

AT&T: No coverage at the campground; 4G LTE and 5G mapped about 0.4 mi away
T-Mobile: No coverage at the campground; 4G LTE and 5G mapped about 0.4 mi away
Verizon: No coverage mapped

Source: FCC Broadband Data Collection, data as of December 31, 2025

Outdoor coverage each carrier reports to the FCC at this campground's map point, and the nearest mapped coverage within about half a mile. The FCC map only includes 4G LTE at 5/1 Mbps or better and 5G; a weaker signal, a text, or an emergency call may still get through, but don't count on it. These are carrier predictions, not measurements, and can be wrong either way: real service in canyons, under trees, and inside a tent or vehicle is often weaker. 5G speeds are the FCC's 7/1 and 35/3 Mbps tiers. This product uses the FCC Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the FCC.

44.8449, -122.3004 in Marion. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Open in Google Maps Directions

Season and winter services

Shady Cove is open year-round .

Source: apps.fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-28

Common questions

Do you need a reservation at Shady Cove?

Sites at Shady Cove are reserved through Recreation.gov (https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10165626).

How much does it cost to camp at Shady Cove?

Camping at Shady Cove costs Single Site: $12 per night.

How many campsites does Shady Cove have?

Shady Cove has 1 campsite.

Is there drinking water at Shady Cove?

No. Shady Cove has no potable water, so bring all the water you need.

When is Shady Cove open?

Shady Cove is open year-round.

Is there cell service at Shady Cove?

Not at the campground on the FCC map, but AT&T shows 4G LTE and 5G about 0.4 mi away and T-Mobile shows 4G LTE and 5G about 0.4 mi away. The FCC's National Broadband Map (data as of December 31, 2025) shows no 4G LTE or 5G from AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon at Shady Cove itself, and nothing from Verizon within about half a mile. The FCC map only includes 4G LTE at 5/1 Mbps or better and 5G; a weaker signal, a text, or an emergency call may still get through, but don't count on it.

Who manages Shady Cove?

Shady Cove is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

Around Shady Cove

Public land · within 15 miles

Public land within 15 miles: Table Rock Wilderness (8.6 miles to its center) , and Bull of the Woods Wilderness (10 miles to its center) ; publiclandsdb.com has each unit's camping rules and boundary.

Hot springs and swimming nearby

swimholesmap.com · within 30 miles

Nearest to Shady Cove, in straight-line miles: Opal Creek / Little North Santiam (swimming hole, 1.9 miles), Bagby Hot Springs (hot spring, 8.8 miles), Butte Creek Falls (swimming hole, 12 miles), and Breitenbush Hot Springs (hot spring, 17 miles). Each has its own page on swimholesmap.com.

Reservable Elkhorn Valley Recreation Site Lyons · BLM First-come Elk Lake Detroit · National Forest Reservable Santiam Horse Camp Gates · State Forest

First-come Bagby Campground Detroit · National Forest

More campgrounds: camping near Gates and campgrounds in Marion.

Sources

apps.fs.usda.gov (all fields), accessed 2026-09-28
recreation.gov (reservationSystem, reservationSystemName, reservationUrl, sites, campsites), accessed 2026-09-29
broadbandmap.fcc.gov (cellCoverage), accessed 2026-09-27

Photo credits

Photo 1: U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (US federal government work, 17 U.S.C. 105)
Photo 2: U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (US federal government work, 17 U.S.C. 105)
Photo 3: U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (US federal government work, 17 U.S.C. 105)

Reservable: Recreation.gov Single Site: $12 per night

Book a site