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Willamette Park
By admin | April 19, 2008 Email Post Print Page
What’s to Love: Willamette Park sports a healthy variety of activities for the whole family. I found the entire area to be well-kept and clean. Recently, park personnel installed a new play structure, which was badly needed. As you can see in one of the pictures, it has a low-to-the-ground set of monkey bars, which is a nice find in Portland. However, For those of you who like old-school-playground-equipment (e.g., metal slides, teeter-totters, merry-go-rounds, etc.), don’t worry, they kept the old playground equipment down at the south end of the park. The new structure isn’t very big, but it’s adequate.
What makes this park so great? It has to be all the paved paths for biking, jogging, rollerblading, etc., with connections all the way to the south waterfront area. My son just started riding his bike without training wheels, and before we knew it, we were halfway to the Aerial Tram!
The park has an off-leash area for dogs, and a nice small beach area where dogs often frolic near the water. The picnic areas are fully accessible and there are some pretty decent restrooms. If you’re into outdoor sports, there is plenty of room for throwing a football, soccer, baseball, and even frisbee golf. This park is definitely worth a visit!
Caveats: If it’s nice, the parking lot will be packed, and it costs $3 to park your car on Saturday or Sunday! Make sure you have cash, because they will not accept a credit/debit card. Boat after boat launches from this parking area, and it gets a bit much with all the trucks, exhaust and traffic. Again, this is pretty confined to a small area of the park.
The grassy areas are littered with goose poop…literally, it’s all over the place. It’s probably why the grass is so green! So, if your kids are playing in the grass, be prepared to clean their shoes, shirts, pants, etc.
Website: Willamette Park Off Leash Map Off Leash Hours Parking Information
Distance from Portland: Park is within 3 miles of downtown Portland
Recommended Ages: A great destination for the whole family!
Parental Stress Factor: This park is pretty low stress. The only stressful time is getting a parking space and getting your kids safely out of the parking lot.
Physical Difficulty: The park grounds are mostly flat with fully accessible picnic areas and restrooms.
Family Fun Factor: This is a great destination, especially if you have a boat! If your family is into playgrounds, sports, and/or biking, the fun factor is high!
Pet Friendly: Yes! This is a great park for dogs. There is an off-leash area and a great little patch of beach for letting your dog run into the water fetching sticks. Also, dogs on leashes can get plenty of exercise with their owners on the paved-paths throughout the park and beyond.
Weather Considerations: Better on a nice sunny day, but if you have the proper rain gear, you’ll still have fun.
Insider Info: This is the perfect place for teaching your kids to ride without training wheels. When they start to get the hang of it, there is a (very large - larger than a high school track) paved-circle at the south end of the park. Bike with your kids, or you can just stand in the middle and keep a constant eye on them while they go round and round.
Family Tips: Definitely bring a picnic to this park! They have some nice picnic tables right on the water, and plenty of green grass if the tables are taken. Stop at New Seasons in Sellwood, which is actually pretty close for some sandwiches and/or snacks. You can order everything online and pick it up at the store.
Technorati Tags: Willamette Park, southwest Portland parks, kid-friendly biking, paved bike paths, new playstructure, boating and fishing Willamette River
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Topics: Biking, Parks Playgrounds Pools |