#45 – Pine Nursery Park

Pine Nursery Park opened in the last few years (I think.) I only discovered in last year. We put off doing this park in the tour last year because it did not have any play structures. Gleefully, we discovered earlier this summer that they were finally completing that section of the park. We have been anxiously waiting for the playground to open. I believe the play area just opened in the last couple days.

The play area is spacious, and unique. There are swings, including a special needs swing. The slides are not typical, but the use of different climbing methods to get up to them make them fun! There is a large cargo net play structure, which I don’t remember seeing in any other park. There are also some spinning structures. (Fair warning, we went to this park right after dinner and did not even think about the effect of excessive spinning right after food. I don’t hold it against the park. I just hope some other family can learn from our silly, and frankly smelly, mistake.)

 

On the right side of the play area are a couple structures for smaller kids. These are also  rather unique. There is a piano and drum panel, which make music when used. The piano panel also gives you some sheet music to play a delightful children’s tune (I won’t ruin it for you.) We did not fully explore this structure, but I believe there are panels representing many different musical instruments. There is also a little kid bridge next to the music structures.

 

 

I think my favorite feature of this park is the large map of the world, with the hoop in the center. I can see plenty of inventive ways to use this for fun and learning. In general, this park would be perfect for a learning adventure. With the fishing pond, nature trails, and the inventive park there are multitudes of learning opportunities. (Maybe this is nit-picky, especially since it would have required a lot of detailed work, but I wish the Eastern European countries were more defined. It’s probably just me, though.)

Pine Nursery park is a busy park during the sports seasons, since it boasts a sports complex of 4 softball fields, 4 soccer fields, 8 pickleball courts, and a disc golf course. During the particular sports seasons, keep in mind that the parking lot (and play area) may be busy. We had a tough time finding a parking spot near the play area.

This park is also great for exercise with 14 acres of off-leash area for dogs (including a splash pad), and a 1.9 mile paved bike/pedestrian loop. This is one of my favorite parks to walk with friends.

As usual, you will also find a full bathroom, large picnic structure, dog stations, and trash receptacles. This park really has something for everyone! It’s certainly worth checking out. The Bend Parks and Rec team with the Oregon State Parks to manage and maintain this facility. You can really see the time and care both organizations put it. In general, well done!

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 5
Condition: 5 
Amenities: 5
Safety: 4.9
Fun: 5

Overall Score: 4.9999

Pine Nursery Park has something for everyone. Listing every amenity would take forever. There are multiple types of sports fields, and off leash dog park, restrooms, picnic shelters, and a great walking/biking path. The play area is brand new (as of 2015) and is inventive and unique. The only really nit-picky thing I have to say is there is no fencing around the play area. Although the play is not right next to an access road, if a child were to take off they could run fast and far. I was to especially say that I appreciate the special needs swing in this park. I highly recommend this park for homeschooling families, and for school field trips. There are many different learning opportunities!

 

#43 Shevlin Park – Shevlin Park Road

It is hard to experience Shevlin Park in one day. When my little family of three went on a sunny afternoon in early March, we barely skimmed the surface. I’m going to try my best to include pictures and experiences from other visits to this gem in the crown of Bend Parks and Rec.

The parking for Shevlin park is extensive, but still does not do the traffic justice on an really busy day in the summer. Very quickly you come across the main restrooms and the picnic pavilion (which can be reserved through BPRD.) From there you have a few different path options. I would suggest picking up, or downloading, a Shevlin Park Trails Map before venturing about. I don’t think you can really get lost, the trails are well groomed, but it never hurts to know where your going.

Tumalo Creek rambled through this park, making you feel way farther from civilization than you are. Most of the trails stay close to this river and you ramble through this 44 acre oasis. This creek is the only real safety concern I have about this park. If your child cannot resist themselves around water, you may need to be extra vigilant, because water is everywhere. Some part of this creek are very swift as well, but I would certainly be careful if you are going to swim.

One of my favorite sites in Shevlin Park is the covered bridge. Inside there are plenty of carving left behinds my couples in love.

You can find different little sites along the trail with picnic tables. The one we found came with a very calm spot in the water. On a busy day, it may be hard to find a secluded spot. On a “off season” kind of day it can feel like wilderness.

On the other side of the road you can find Aspen Hall, a popular wedding. (I might be biased, it was our wedding venue.) Next to Aspen Hall you find the small pond which is open for under age fishing enthusiasts so they can learn their trade.

If you follow the trails past Aspen Hall you can come across a gravel river bank that seems like it was build for picnicking and swimming on a summer day. I’m not sure if it gets busy here or not, but I would be prepared to pack in everything you would need for a great afternoon.

In general, it is hard to do Shevlin Park justice. I imagine for some children, this park is incredibly boring. If your family enjoys walking/hiking and fishing than this gem will blow you away. If it’s not your families thing, then it will seem somewhat boring.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 5+
Condition: 5
Amenities: 4
Safety: 4.5
Fun: 3

Overall Score: 4.5

Shevlin Park is what I could call a “specialty park.” For walking/hiking and natural exploring, it does not get any better than Shevlin Park in the BPRD portfolio. The trails are well groomed, the views are amazing, and the park has everything you need. If your family needs more stimulus, and cannot entertain itself on nature alone, this park is an absolute dud. Shevlin Park is something you will either absolutely love or absolutely hate. It’s hard to rate that on a scale. Watch your children around the creek.

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#40 Pine Ridge Park – Linfield Court

Pine Ridge Park off of Brookswood Blvd, not too far from the Power’s exit off of the Parkway. The parking at this park is street parking, and limited. It is located next to Pine Ridge Elementary School. The park does sit close to the road, but there is a fence between the structures and moving vehicles, which is very reassuring for parents of kids who tend to run.

The play ground itself seems to be gears to mostly the under 7 crowd, with very few options for bigger kids. There is one structure, a spinning contraption, that entertained my husband and I for quite awhile. This park only had two infant swings, and no regular swings. I suppose older kids could just run to the school’s playground for more challenging activities, if necessary.

Pine Ridge Park does boast a picnic structure, with two tables underneath and one picnic table off to the side, seating approximately 20-30 (depending, right?). The structure is somewhat far from the play structure, making it a tough setting for a birthday party. The structure is in a more shaded area, and somewhat secluded, making it good for some other big gatherings.

I will admit we did not venture far from the play area. We were having so much fun as a family that I forgot to check out the rest of the property. The Bend Parks and Rec website for this park says that there is a play “garden” for this park. I’m not sure what a play garden is, but I did not see one. The website also says there are multi-use trails and neighborhood connections. I’m not sure what that means, but we did see families walk to the park from all directions. For a Wednesday Evening, this park was actually somewhat busy. I think this park is very popular with it’s residents and probably is pretty full during peak park times.

I did not see any picnic tables around the property, nor was there much seating near the playground structure. If you plan to be at this play ground for long periods of time, and not at the picnic structure itself, I would plan on bringing a chair with you if needed.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 5
Condition: 5
Amenities: 4
Safety: 5
Fun: 4

Overall Score: 4

Pine Ridge Park is a newer park. The play ground itself seems to be geared to younger children, leaving older kids with little to do other than to go to the neighboring Pine Ridge Elementary school playground. There is little to no seating around the play area, which means bring a chair if you are not comfortable for standing for long periods. This park does have a decent size picnic structure. There are multi-use trails for walking your dog. There is not particularly interesting about this park, that would make me want to make a special trip, other than the spinning ride-able.

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#39 Sawyer Uplands Park – Yosemite Drive

 

Sawyer Uplands Park is across the river from Sawyer Park, and there is a trail that connects both of these parks and the Deschutes River Trail. I did not take the time to walk the length of the trail, but I have heard that it is a little steep. The parking for Sawyer Uplands Park is street parking, but the neighborhood roads seem quiet and not well traveled other than by the local neighbors.

 

The playground for Sawyer Uplands Park is unique and designed for multiple ages. Although there is not a typical play structure here, there is plenty to keep kids of all ages busy. We were happy to see a set of swings, but surprised ot not see a set of infant swings. The smaller structure is perfect for younger kids. There are a few picnic tables and benches (including one chess/checkers table) around the play area, with enough seating to keep parents off their feet. The play ground it set far enough away from most safety issues, like roads, to let me relax while my son played. The back of the play area is next to a slope, which is rocky but not too steep to cause concern.

The rest of the park proper is grassy area. It is perfect for play catch with your dogs, or flag football. There were no picnic tables in the grassy areas. If you are looking for a private picnic, I would bring a blanket.

The Sawyer Uplands Trails leads from them the paved path around the park towards the cliffs. I would watch your children closely if they are headed in this direction, as the cliffs do not have fences on the edge. The trail itself is through natural vegetation. I did notice at least two lizards running around the trail itself, making me think it may be a great place to take kids for a nature hunt.

 

Off to the side of the trail was (at least) one picnic bench set next to the edge of the cliff. From this bench I could see Sawyer Park, the Deschutes River, some of the beautiful houses on the other side and a great skyline view of Bend. Because of the way the bench is facing, I bet it makes a great sunrise spot during some parts of the year. In general, it felt very romantic.

In general, my family had a very fun time at Sawyer Uplands Park. The play structures really entertained our son. Even though he is a wanderer, we did haven’t any problems with that until after about and hour when we started to get bored. We were there on a Wednesday afternoon, but there was no one else using the park. There was one person who walked their dog to the park to play catch, but he and his pup were very friendly.

The park is missing some amenities that other parks seem to have. I was surprised, and disappointed, to see this park did not have any sort of large picnic structure. Sawyer Uplands Park might have made the list of best birthday parks in town otherwise. I also feel like the parks needs a few more picnic tables, for those looking for a little more romance and privacy. Because the park does not have any fencing around the cliff, I am nervous about letting my child get too far away without supervision. I am not sure if this is a safety issue, or not. There is a fine line sometimes between proper parenting and a park’s responsibility.

The Bend Parks and Rec website for this park is very limited in its description.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 5
Condition: 5
Amenities: 4
Safety: 5
Fun: 5

Overall Score: 4.5

Sawyer Upland Park is a neighborhood park in the Awbrey Butte Area. The playground structure is very unique, and provides different venues for fun for all ages. This park does not have infant swings. There is also no picnic structure, which makes it unusable for large gatherings. The park has grassy areas, that may be a touch too small for flag football. Sawyer Upland Trail starts at this park and goes always the way to the Deschutes River Trail and to Sawyer Park.

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#38 Mountain View Park – Providence Street

Mountain View Park is on Providence Drive, on the other side of Neff Road from Providence Park. The first thing we noticed, however, was parking was not as easy to find. If you get to this park on Providence, you will end up on a dead end, which is the park’s parking lot. With only three regular parking spaces, there is not a lot of chance you will find one open during peak ours. We ended up having to drive around (hint, take a left on Byers if you don’t want to get stuck on a roundabout on your way our of Mountain View Park from the parking lot) to the other side of the park to find parking, which was street parking.

We were surprised to find the park so busy later on a Wednesday Evening. I feel like this is a sign that Mountain View Park is popular with local residences and their children. There was a group of teenagers play some rough housing game in the middle of the LARGE grass area. Fun to watch, but a reminder that some day our son will be a teenager, and then it might not be so fun to watch. In general, I think it might be possible that this park is so popular that during peak hours it is unusable.

This park has the one of the largest grass fields we have seen. There are no trees or obstacles in the way of running around. This would make an amazing field for a pick up game of almost any sport. There is also a walking trail that goes around this field and through the park itself.

There is also a half court basketball court with bench seating around it.

The Bend Park and Rec website says the picnic pavilion can seat 8 people. Since there are two picnic tables, I would say you can fit 10-12 people comfortable, if you need extra space for a cake or presents. I feel like the pavilion is a long distance from the playground and the porta-potty, keeping it from being on my list of birthday party favorites.

The play ground itself is massive, with to play structures focused on different age groups. There are also mini structures in between, including a couple silly mirrors. The play ground also sports two regular swings, two infant swings, and a special needs swing (yay!).

There is plenty of seating around the play area, though I would imagine on a busy day it may not seem that way. Though the play area is sat far away from the roads, it is right next to the parking lot, which could cause heart attacks for parents of wanders.

Mountain View Park probably suffers in my mind because it was done right after Orchard Park, which is our new favorite. There is nothing significantly wrong with this park, and the fact that it is has a special needs swing really appeals to me. I do think that on a busy day, this park feels like it could get choatic and uncomfortable (I’m not sure why I feel that way, though.)

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 5
Condition: 5
Amenities: 5
Safety: 4
Fun: 4

Overall Score: 4.5

Although Mountain View Park suffers from no major flaws, it does not feel like a relaxing oasis from the world. There is some concern with the play area being so close to the parking lot and a road, which could give some helicopter parents of wandering children some problems. This park does have a special needs swing, which is rare for Bend area parks. The varied play structure gives this park a wide appeal, as does the expansive grass areas and the walking trail.

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#37 Orchard Park – 6th Street

I’ll be honest, we have two park jars going. We have a jar for the parks with playgrounds, and we have a jar for the parks without playgrounds. Our son needs a playground in order to be entertained. Since the jar of playground parks is getting pretty empty, we have stopped randomly picking parks. We now look at what we have left and formulate a plan. Since today was a four park today (see Farewell Bend Park and Gardenside Park), we really tried to figure out the best parks in terms of location.

Orchard Park has been right under our nose this hole time, it is probably the closest to our apartment. Because it was never picked out of the jar, I never paid much attention to it on our list. When I was looking at our big park map on our wall today, I realized how close it was. I also realized we could get Orchard Park and Mountain View Park in the same swing. (We should have done Mountain View Park while we were at Providence Park, but I didn’t even think about it.)

Orchard Park is street parking only, which is always a slight concern for me. I always feel better getting my son in and out of the car in an parking lot, and not having to worry about traffic. We ended up parking on the street that was farthest from the play structure, but street on the other side is closer. The neighborhood looks like it has been around awhile. When we finally laid eyes on Orchard Park we were surprised by what we saw. A large property with lots of rolling green grass, an almost brand new looking play structure, and a HUGE field for sports.

The Bend Parks and Rec website is dead on in their description of Orchard Park’s features. This park features a half court basketball court, a “small” soccer field, a network of walking trails, and plenty of grass. The website says there is a play “garden” for all children, though I’m not even sure what that means.

This park has all the space you need for a neighborhood game of basketball/soccer/baseball/football.

Orchard Park also sports a cute two table picnic pavilion that could support 10-15 people. My husband and I both think it would make the best small birthday party park. It is a little concerning how access to the play area from the pavilion is set up. I wish there was a more direct route from the pavilion to the play area. If you go to the park, you will know what I mean. (At least if you are a helicopter parent like I am.)

There is one play structure with multiple slides at different lengths and speeds. There are multiple, unique, ways of getting on to the structure. Orchard Park sports 2 infant swings and 4 (!) regular swings. There is one rideable, and climbable fake boulders. We also have begun to enjoy the spongy plastic cement ground covering over bark chips.

Our son seemed to enjoy this play structure more than we have seen other play structures. I am beginning to wonder if it is because it was less “cluttered” than some others. He seemed to spend time with every element.

We also say plenty of seating around the play structure, between the metal benches scattered around the edges and the picnic tables and benches. My husband did notice the picnic tables were scratched up slightly, but it should disrupt anything.

In general, Orchard Park was our favorite experience so far. I am interested to see what this park is like during peak hours (we were there on a wednesday evening.) If it still not very busy, and the people are friendly, Orchard Park may become our go to park!

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 5
Condition: 4
Amenities: 5
Safety: 4
Fun: 5

Overall Score: 4.75

Everything in our souls, expect our desire to be fair, want to give this park 5’s across the board. Orchard Park has everything you could want, including walking trails, sports fields, and fun play ground structures. There is some concern about how the fencing and different “levels” are laid out around the play area, making it difficult to chase your child if they were to run in some directions out of the play area. Some of the picnic tables and benches are in disrepair. The walk trails will work great if in a pinch, and need to take the kids to the park and walk yourself and fido at the same time.

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#33 Providence Park – Providence Drive

We have been waiting to do this park until the jar gave it to us. We have some friends who live in the neighborhood, and wanted to come down and park with us when the time came. To be honest, I lost patience with the jar. With only 9 parks left (with play grounds) I was starting to wonder if we were ever going to pull Providence Park. Because it is on the way back from Big Sky Park, we decided to hit it on the way back.

Providence Park is in the middle of a beautiful, family friendly, subdivision on the east side of Bend. There is some off street parking, which generally isn’t full since most families walk from their homes. I could see those 4 or 5 spaces filling up on a busy day.

This park contains a half-court basketball court, two doggie stations and a billboard for community activities.

The play ground is surrounded by open grass. There is a walking/jogging trail around the perimeter of the park. This would make a great walking option for parents who need to bring their kids with me. I feel like you are close enough to the park, and can keep the park in your eye line for most of the trial. I also noticed a couple people walking their dogs on this trail as well.

The playground itself is varied. There are 2 regular swings and 2 infant swings. There is one big play structure with multiple slides. There is also an old school “jungle gym” that was nice to see for nostalgia sake. There were able features that I do not quite understand, but I’m sure kids like them.

There are three picnic tables and a few benches around the edge of the park. I feel like the park could use some more around the entire perimeter of the play ground.

It is probably not worth mentioning, but it is not very often a Bend Park has a problem with it’s “condition.” One of the megaphones is missing, making the other one almost obsolete. Then again, I’m sure kids use it anyway. The Bend Parks and Rec department is usually really good at this keeping the parks in good repair.

We got some amazing pictures of our son at this park. I have not big concerns about safety here, especially since the park is pretty far from the road. There is an ice cream trucks that drives around, so I suppose that could be a turn of for parents looking to avoid sweets. Also, there did seem to be a few bees around one of the trash cans, and flying around the picnic benches. If you, or your child, are allergic to bee stings I’d bring your epipen just in case.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 4
Condition: 4.75
Amenities: 4.5
Safety: 5
Fun: 5

Overall Score: 4.5

Providence Park is a lovely play area in the middle of a family friendly neighborhood. Lacking in a large group picnic structures, there are tabled scattered around the property. The play area is varied and fun for all ages. There is a walking path if you are in a pinch. Providence Park would make a great place, especially if you are looking for something fun on the east side of Bend.

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#32 Big Sky Park/Luke Damon Sports Complex – Neff Road

Big Sky Park – Luke Damon Youth Sports Complex is a HUGE Property on the east side of Bend. It is on Neff road, and easy to find if you don’t mind driving past what feels like the edge of town.

This park has enough fields to support a multitude of sporting activities, including BMX. For the sake of staying on topic, I will send you to the Bend Parks and Rec website for information on this. I will be sticking to the play ground portion of this park for this blog.

 

Although there is a lot of parking around this park, I felt like there were not a lot of parking spaces close to the actual park area.

This play ground features two regular swings, two infant swings, and to separate play structures for different age groups.

We enjoy when a park has climbing walls attached to their play structures. The structure for younger kids had a climbing wall at a very low incline, which is great for your little climbers. In general we really enjoyed all the activities available at this park.

Next to the play area is a picnic structure (and another on the other side of the park) that could hold 20-30 people. This would make a great birthday picnic area, though I worry about it being busy especially since it is such a commonly used sports field during the varies seasons.

I am also a little concerned about the lack of bathroom facilities near the play area. Not even a porta-potty. It is an awfully long walk for a child just potty training, and too far to leave one child playing while you take the other one. This park could be greatly improved by a bathroom near this play ground.

There are also no individual picnic tables or benches around the play area. I also did not see any individual picnic tables anywhere in the massive park. Although I recognize this property is not for picnicking, it would be nice to have some around the play area.

 

The play ground is elevated, and the edge is close to the play structures. As a helicopter parent, I was having concerns about my son falling down the “cliff” and tumbling into the road. Most people probably drive pretty slow through the park, but it still concerns me. This would be another perfect reason to have benches, especially between the play structure and this edge.

According to the Park and Rec site, there is also an off-leash dog area, though we did not see it.

We greatly enjoyed the structures and fun in the play ground area. I would not suggest driving out to this park alone, but if you are driving through the area and need a quick stop, then I would totally recommend it.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 5
Condition: 5
Amenities: 3 
Safety: 4
Fun: 5

Overall Score: 4.0

The Big Sky Park/Luke Damon Sports Complex is a sprawling mecca for all sports in Central Oregon. The park seems to have every amenity you could ask for. For a day at the park with family, and no a day watching the games, this park is severely lacking in some areas. I do not recommend this playground if you are working on potty training, as there are not bathroom facilities close by. This is not a park to make the long drive out to find, but if you are in the area then it is worth the pit stop for some fun.

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#31 Al Moody Park – Dagget Lane

Al Moody was a jar pick. We didn’t decide to go “parking” until 7:30pm. I have been forgetting lately that it is getting dark earlier again. We did not get as many adorable pictures of our son as normal, since we didn’t have a lot of daylight.

Al Moody is on Dagget lane, and is relatively easy to find. Most people don’t know about this park unless they live in the area or have children who go to Endsworth Elementary which is across the street. The parking is street parking, and cars tend to spend around that corner.

I apologize for the blurry picture. Our phones were having a tough time in the light. We may have tried this park another time, but we actually use Al Moody as our go-to park most of the time so we are already well acquainted with it.

The main play structure  has two slides and plenty of ways to play. There’s some parts of this structure that make me very nervous, but our son is a touch young for the structure. The structure itself is great. The structure is connected to an upper part of the park, so if your child has a tendency to wander keep your eyes out. Our son has bolted from the platform before and gotten out of sight.

The playground as two regular swings and no infant swings. I am always nervous about parks that don’t have more swings. We have had to wait our turn in the middle of the day for swing time before.

The play ground also has a see-saw ride-able. I guess I’ve seen kids have fun with it, but I am skeptical. It feels to tight to me. I guess the days of see-saws with a lot of lift are gone.

The main attraction to Al Moody park is it’s “little ones” play area. This jewel of a train is perfect for little park goers to use unassisted. I am alittle surprised at the things written on the inside of the train care, but it is a park. Little kids love this train, and I have always heard parents rave about it.

I wish there was more than just one park bench near the small train, and in general around the park. There are two park benches on the other side of the park near the larger main structure.

There is a half-court basketball court that I almost always see someone using. The wood fiber fitness trail has been my walking path more than once while my husband and son play in the park. There is a natural trail that seems to take off from the right side of the fitness trail at one point. I followed it, it seems to just go into adjacent neighborhood. In the middle of the fitness trail is a large grassy area that would be perfect for games of flag football, kite flying, or anything that you would want a lot of space for.

There also seems to be a small bike circuit, but I can’t tell if that was on purpose or created by the local bike riders. I see kids using it on occasion, but I cannot really speak to it’s safety.

I have heard that you can sled in the park in the winter. I look forward to checking that out this winter and seeing what that is like.

 

There is a picnic shelter, that could house approximately 24-36 I believe. I admit, I didn’t count the amount of picnic tables underneath the shelter. I am surprised to not see a number on the Park and Rec website. The shelter seems a little far from the porta-potty, but I may just be picky.

There are some picnic tables in the vicinity of the shelter as well.

I did not know that next to the picnic shelter is this picturesque orchard looking area with many shady trees. I feel like it would be the perfect place for a blanket picnic and cuddling on a Sunday afternoon.

The Bend Parks and Rec website says that Ensworth Elementary is working on an “Art Discovery Trail.” The only thing I found in the park for this was this rather dilapidated sign. I’m not sure what happened here, but it is a stark and sad sight amid the beauty of this park.

The garden in the park is absolutely gorgeous! I will save you all the pictures I took of individual blooms. I believe this is the butterfly garden mentioned on the website, which is provided by the “Roots and Shoots” organization.

The website also mentions a “tree house” play garden. I have no idea where that is, what it’s about.

In general, this park is in amazing condition as usual. It is very big with plenty of room to run and play.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 5
Condition: 4.75
Amenities: 5 
Safety: 4.75
Fun: 5

Overall Score: 4.95

This park comes so close to a perfect 5. The street parking is always a concern, especially when people speed through the neighborhood. The play area is far enough away from the road that it should not be a problem once you get unloaded. The play area is varied and caters to all ages. There is a basketball court and unofficial bike track. The fitness track is not label for length, but makes a good flat surface for those not wanting a trail experience. There seems to be some signage that has not been properly cared for and some features missing that are listed on the website. This park as all the regular amentities. There are not a lot of picnic tables spread apart from each other, so prepare to sit close or bring a blanket.

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#30 Columbia Park – Columbia Street

I grew up at Columbia Park as a kid. My Grandmother’s house was across the pedestrian bridge, on the river. You can see her old back yard from the bridge. When we arrived as I very excited to see the SS Columbia and other changes that have been made. I was also saddened by some things that are gone that made my childhood amazing.

Columbia Park is dominated by the SS Columbia, a pirate ship play ground structure. The ship comes with three different slides, multiple ways to get in and our, and a “plank”. It seems like every kid enjoys this pirate ship, and has been the first thing I’ve been asked about since I started this tour. Every one wants to know if I’ve been to see the pirate ship yet. I will say, this is my favorite play structure by far!

The play ground also had one regular swing and one infant swing. Normally this would bother me, but I have a feeling no one come to the park to swing.

This park also boats are large slide. This seems to be a huge hit with older kids. I would suggest staying close by. This slide also seems to be a flash point for kid fights. The slide is so long, some kids don’t realize that there are little kids at the bottom and they kinda get ran over.

Although the Bend Park and Rec Website does not mention river access, there does seem to be this small but well manicured “ramp” into the river. I would not think this would be a popular place to come in our out of the river. This area is not fenced. The majority of the river bank of this park is not fenced, except a rail fence which really wouldn’t keep any kid away. There is also a park of this fence that is supposed to be a chain link fence, but it has fell down. If you child is overly attracted to water, or wanders, I would keep a very close eye on them, especially on the lower level of the park.

There was also a gardner snack near the pedestrian bridge. This could either make the park cooler or scarier, depending on your opinions of snakes. Because of it’s proximity to the river, I’m sure this park gets plenty of wildlife from the Deschutes.

Back on the upper level, there is a grassy knoll that has a horeshoe pit and more seating. The park as a lot of grassy area in general, and would make a great place for a game of flag football.

There is a small covered picnic shelter that could support 15+ people comfortably. I would imagine it is a mecca for birthday weekends and probably always has a birthday party going on.

The rest of the park has adequate seating, though we did not use much of it. This park as a lot of reason to stay on your feet and near your child. It could make for a nice picnic park.

In general, I’m not surprised they blocked the path to the big rocks by the river. You can still see it by the pedestrian bridge. I spent a lot of my childhood on top of the rocks, trying to figure out my troubles. I almost went splunking up there, but I decided I should was until there are less impressionable mimics around. It could be dangerous up there for those who aren’t sure footed.

The Pedestrian Bridge is not part of the park, but it would be a good reminder to not let your children jump off it. They will see a few adults do it if you go on a hot day, so it will be rather tempting. The Deschutes River is not as deep as many adults like to think it is. Growing up next to the bridge, I saw many people hit their heads, break their backs, so on and so on. There is a secret to jumping off this bridge, but I won’t share it. It’s a “locals only” thing that I really can’t share. The moral of the story, is don’t jump off the bridge.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 4
Condition: 3
Amenities: 4
Safety: 3
Fun: 5

Overall Score: 4

Columbia Park makes a great effort to be a 5 star park. It has plenty of grassy area. It does have the regular amenities, including porta-potties. The SS Columbia is, at this point in the tour, our favorite playground structure. The large slide is also a favorite. Do be very careful near the river, since the fencing is not in good shape and there is river access, despite what the Bend Park and Rec website says. There is somewhat adequate seating. The 15+ person picnic shelter would be a good place for a small birthday party. This is not a park I recommend letting your kids run free, unless they are definitely old enough to make good decisions about water.

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