Gladstone’s Four Clackamas River Parks
The Clackamas River flows 82.7 miles from its source at Olallie Butte, ending at its confluence at the Willamette River. The city of Gladstone borders the north side of the Clackamas River for almost 1.5 miles before this confluence, and has three parks with river access and one with impressive views from high on a bluff (Charles Ames Memorial Park). That is four city parks along the Clackamas, the most of any one entity on the river (followed second by Clackamas County Parks & Forestry with two parks and a boat launch).
Cross Park provides waterfront access and excellent paved paths. The very popular High Rocks Park gives access to some of the best river-swimming in the region (and with full-time AMR Lifeguards during the summer). Dahl Beach is located adjacent to the larger Meldrum Bar Park (bordering the Willamette), and provides excellent river beach access for fishing, swimming and boating on both the Clackamas and Willamette.
Now, thanks to the Gladstone Park & Recreation Advisory Board and the city’s Public Works Department, new Clackamas Water Trail (CWT) map signs have been installed in three waterfront parks. They are the same map sign installed in other Clackamas River parks over the past year, including McIver State Park, Feldheimer, Riverside, and soon Barton & Carver Parks. Each map sign has a QR code graphic that takes users right to the interactive www.clackamaswatertrail.com website. The map was designed by award-winning cartographer Dave Imus and funded by Clackamas River Water Providers and Mt. Hood Tourism. Map installations were generously done by Gladstone’s public works staff.
High Rocks
Many who drive Interstate 205 over the Clackamas have no idea that just downstream of the bridge is a significant outcrop of basalt, forming sheer walls along the river and a popular fishing, picnicking and summer swimming area called High Rocks. The City of Gladstone manages the 1.55 acre High Rocks park on the north side of the river; the southside rock faces – the tallest – are unmanaged and only public to the vegetation line.
The new Clackamas Water Trail sign is at the entrance to the park on 82nd Drive.
Cross Park
The pedestrian bridge downstream of High Rocks marks the beginning of Cross Park, a 5.58 acre waterfront area with paved walking paths and natural access trails down to river beaches and rocks. Cross Park abuts the 2 acre Charles Ames Memorial City Park to the west (which is up high on the bluff and offers no river access) and High Rocks to the east, and together provide over a half mile of protected and publicly accessible waterfront.
The new map sign is located at the top of the main access path, and adjacent to parking and bathrooms.
Dahl Beach
Perhaps the largest sand beach on the Clackamas River, Dahl Beach hosts picnickers, swimmers, and boaters in the summer, and provides excellent bank fishing year round.
The new map sign is located at the start of the path to the river, adjacent to a large parking and turn-around area.
