Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
After years in the making, Linn County opened River Bend County Campground on May 17, its first new park in 25 years.
The 45-space campground is located on Highway 20 approximately three miles east of Quartzville Drive.
“I know up around the corner during the summer time, people go out on the rocks, soak their feet and enjoy it,” said Linn County Parks Commissioner Ozzie Shaw, who has served on the parks commission since it was formed in 1959.
Shaw described how Linn County parks have been selected over the years, noting that they have been located in places people used.
Orville Jess, a former Sweet Home District Ranger with the Forest Service, asked permission to run a trail through what is now River Bend Park, Shaw said. He had signs made by the Boy Scouts describing what hikers could see, and the Forest Service had a map of the trail.
The park land was donated by the Northwest Area Foundation.
The land was transferred to the foundation by the Hill family, said retired Cascade Timber Consulting President Larry Blem. CTC manages timber land owned by the Hill family.
River Bend is on an 80-acre parcel, one of the Hill family’s smaller parcels of land, Blem said. Blem suggested that it be made a park.
The only problem was much of the land along the South Santiam River was owned by Timber Service Company, Blem said. “It didn’t really have any river frontage, and a river is pretty important to parks. I said Timber Service Company ought to trade land down here for land up there (referring to land on a hillside across Highway 20)…. It’s good timber growing ground.
“I helped facilitate that through the system. It’s not as bad as politics, but sometimes it gets close.”
Parks Director Brian Carroll was thrilled that the park was finally open.
“I don’t know who was more excited about it, the parks commission, staff or me,” he said.
He thanked the commission, staff and many others for their contributions to opening the new park.
Carroll pledged Linn County’s commitment to making the park complementary to Camp Attitude, a facility for disabled children located just to the west of the new park.
“We still have a long way to go to make this park meet the needs of people with physical challenges,” Carroll said.
The County Parks and Recreation Department still plans to double the size of the park to 90 spaces, along with the construction of a second gazebo and other features.
“It’s very exciting,” Carroll said. “I can’t tell you how exciting it is to do something like this. The staff and parks commission as well have a lot of pride in it.”
The park is already drawing interest.
“We’re taking a lot of reservations already,” Carroll said. The park is sold out for Memorial Day and the Oregon Jamboree.