New Park Projects Aim to Improve River Access

River-goers can plan for updated river access points in three centrally located parks along the Deschutes River in Bend. Bend Park and Recreation District, as part of its Deschutes River Access and Habitat Restoration Plan, is planning to update four river access points at McKay Park, Miller’s Landing Park and Columbia Park.

Concept rendering for access point #2 at Miller’s Landing Park. Credit: Bend Parks and recreation District

BPRD aims to improve access at the three parks, allowing for easier watercraft landing, wading, swimming and relaxing, which were all identified as high community needs in the 2018 Comprehensive Plan.

The project is currently in the design phase and recently received approval for its preferred concepts from the BPRD board of directors at a Sept. 5 meeting. According to Landscape Architect Ian Isaacson, the River Access and Restoration Plan identified about 28 desired projects through the river corridor.

The three parks in the MMC project were deemed a priority for increasing accessibility and sustainability. “The erosion and the sustainability of the riverbank at the existing access points is not withstanding the amount of use that they are currently seeing,” said Isaacson.

The parks will offer easy access in and out of the river while undergoing habitat enhancements. “The MMC project is groundbreaking in terms of a level of accessibility,” said Isaacson. “We want to make these access points usable by people so that they can do it independently, without needing help.”

The only parks that currently provide accessible river access include McKay and Drake Park, featuring concrete walkways into the river.

“I think what we’re showing is that access to the river, which a lot of people want and a quality habitat, which a lot of people want, don’t have to be mutually exclusive,” Isaacson said. “We can do both of them side by side, which is pretty cool in an urban corridor of the river.”

BPRD has already completed several parks projects along the Deschutes River, improving banks and expanding river trails for the Riverbend South Access project and the Drake Park Project.

BRPD is hoping to get started on Miller’s Landing Park, the first park planned for construction, in the winter of 2024-2025. Isaacson estimates that each park project will take roughly six months to complete.

This article appears in Source Weekly September 21, 2023.