Cove is a little slice of heaven located on the eastern edge of the Grande Ronde Valley in Union County, Oregon. We invite you to sit back a spell, and poke around the pages on this site to get familiar with our little community, its history, and local attractions.
Originally called Forest Cove, the City of Cove is on the valley’s eastern slope, nestled between the Wallowa Mountains and adjacent ridges. Cove’s name comes from the niche created by the base of Mt. Fanny, Mill Creek, and the ridges to the south. Our views are stunning, our sunsets beautiful, and our soil rich.
Mt. Fanny, a 7,150-foot peak in the Wallowa range, dominates the eastward view. The Blue Mountains and City of La Grande lie about 16 miles to the west of Cove, across a fertile agricultural valley, and the meandering Grande Ronde River.
Cove is a small community with approximately 680 people within city limits. Another 1,200 people live in the greater Cove area, or as locals specify, “…in the school district.” In-town businesses fill basic needs with a few extras. We have a public library, K-12 charter school, corner market and fueling station, volunteer fire department, styling salon, steakhouse, and, of course, the Cove Drive-in. A wide array of home-based businesses are a testament to Cove’s robust entrepreneurial spirit.
Our Warm Spring Pool, Cove Christian Camp, Ascension School Camp & Conference Center, and the Historic Hendershott Home afford local historic and cultural interest. The charming Episcopal Chapel and bishop’s residence adjoining the Ascension grounds are in the national registry of historic buildings.
Freshly harvested cherries ready for market
Cove has been a fruit production center for over 100 years. Today, approximately 500 acres of commercial orchards, planted mostly to sweet cherries and peaches, grace the hillsides above town. Livestock production and processing, field crops, and small-scale produce growers make up the remaining farm operations.
Close proximity to the Moss Springs Trail head, located 7 miles east of town, makes Cove a convenient recreational gateway to the Eagle Cap Wilderness and Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
The Cove Community Association welcomes you to stop in and stay a while.
