By Alex Paul
Linn County Communications
The Linn County Parks and Recreation Department had a busy winter, due in part to a major
windstorm that downed many trees in Detroit-area campgrounds and Whitcomb County Park.
But with Memorial Day and the start of camping season at hand, campgrounds are ready to welcome guests now and in coming weeks, according to county Parks Director Stacey Whaley.
Whaley is gearing up for her fourth season leading a full-time staff of 17, which serves both Linn County and U.S. Forest Service campgrounds. Linn County has about 600 camping sites and the Forest Service has more than 600 sites.
“We did a lot of behind-the-scenes work over the winter,” Whaley said. “We initiated a new reservation system and went live with a new website. We had to create everything from scratch for the reservation system and we had to transfer all the current reservations into the new system.”
The Parks Department doubled its campsite offerings when it added the U.S. Forest Service campgrounds and with that move, there were some growing pains as that also required adding seasonal staffing – fulltime staffing remains at 17, vehicles and maintenance equipment, such as leaf blowers and weed eaters.
Linn County’s Parks Department now is responsible for 56 park sites, 1,875 acres of park lands, 1,213 campsites, Clear Lake Resort (16 cabins, four yurts and a restaurant), the Linn County Historical Museum, the Moyer House, spread out over four reservoirs and five lakes.
This season, the Parks Department has added Trail Bridge Campground,which was closed for almost a decade while improvements were made to the hydropower system on the McKenzie River.
In a presentation during the recent 2026-27 county Budget Hearings, Whaley noted the following events of the past year:
- Modern cabin upgrades and fire suppression at Clear Lake Resort.
- Generator replacement at Clear Lake.
- Cabin floor replacement and new wastewater tanks installed at River Bend.
- Culvert replacement at Yukwah Campground (USFS).
- Road repair at House Rock Campground (USFS).
- Addition of a Munson Landing Craft donated by the Oregon State Marine Board.
- December windstorm damage and clean-up.
- Addition of Starlink satellite system at Clear Lake. Cabins now have Wi-Fi capability.
- Improvements to the modern cabins at Clear Lake, including new flooring, lighting and mattresses.
- Addition of Smart TVs.
- Addition of a new 30-foot ADA-approved yurt at Clear Lake. It is the largest yurt in the parks system and will include an indoor restroom and small kitchen. It will be on one level only, including a deck area and access to parking. The yurt was partially funded by a grant from Travel Oregon.
Although the December storm sent debris, limbs and trees tumbling, the only structural damage it caused was the corner of one restroom, Whaley said. There also was infrastructure damage to water lines caused by ground spikes from falling trees.
“Fortunately, it missed our yurts and cabins,” Whaley said. “It hit the Detroit area and Whitcomb Creek the hardest. There is still clean-up to do, but the parks are safe for use. It set us back two or three months.”
Whaley said the waste dump station that opened last spring off the north end of 24th Avenue in Sweet Home has seen good usage.
“With four lanes, there is plenty of room and quick service,” she said.
The Linn County Road Department will be in charge of improvements on North River Drive this summer and the entrance to Lewis Creek Park will be modified during that time. Whaley said the entrance gate will be moved inward, allowing parking space for people who would like to use the park for walking or taking their dogs out for a trek.
Linn County Parks will all be operating by Memorial Day, but Whaley said people should go to the parks website to check on campgrounds that are at higher elevations. Their opening dates are determined in part by snow levels.
“The new campground at Trail Bridge will be first-come, first-served from May 1-14 and then all sites will be reservable,” Whaley said.
The annual Parks and Recreation Guide, published in cooperation with The New Era, is expected to be published and on-line by Memorial Day. It will be available online on the Parks and Recreation Department website at www.linncountyor.gov/parksrec.