Forget crowds and fighting for parking – these are the parks you might have all to yourself.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has once again released its annual visitor counts, and we have once again rounded up not the most, but the least popular state parks in Oregon.
These are not the marquee parks we all know well. There are no pins or patches or scratch-off bucket lists for these places, however well-loved some of them may be.
Frequent readers of this annual feature may spot some repeat places such as Red Bridge, Catherine Creek and Battle Mountain, which always feature in the bottom 20. But this year’s list also has a few surprises.
Chief among them is Yachats Ocean Road State Natural Site, a typically busy spot that has no business being listed among the least popular parks. State parks spokesperson Stefanie Knowlton said the department didn’t have an immediate answer about why the coastal park saw an 85% decrease in visitors last year.
It’s rarely clear why day use numbers fluctuate at these lesser-visited parks. A closed restroom, a highway detour or a shift in the winds of public opinion can apparently affect these numbers.
Some places, like Cottonwood Canyon State Park, just never seem to catch on. Cottonwood Canyon is one of only a few official Dark Sky Parks in Oregon, and cabin rentals remain extremely competitive, yet it somehow always finds itself on this least-popular parks list. What will it take for people to discover one of the most beautiful high desert destinations in our state?
Honestly, the same could be said for the rest of these places, each of which is beautiful in its own right. They may be remote, they may be small and they might not have as much to offer, but all of these least-visited parks are worthy of a little more attention.
Evening at the Winchuck State Recreation Site, located near the Oregon-California border on the southern Oregon coast.
Jamie Hale, The OregonianVisitors: 51,752
Location: Oregon Coast
One-year change: -13%
Known for: Ocean beach access on the southern tip of the Oregon coast.
Visitors: 41,938
Location: Northeast Oregon
One-year change: +141%
Known for: A tranquil setting along the crystal-clear waters of Catherine Creek, with a small, primitive campground.
Catherine Creek State Park is a remote park with a campground and hiking trails that offer views of the Blue Mountains in northeast Oregon.
Jamie Hale, OregonLive.com file18. J.S. Burres Day Use Area
Visitors: 40,196
Location: Central Oregon
One-year change: -3%
Known for: Sagebrush and towering basalt cliffs along the John Day River, just across the water from Cottonwood Canyon State Park.
Visitors: 37,246
Location: Northeast Oregon
One-year change: +80%
Known for: A green and beautiful place for boating, fishing and picnicking in the otherwise arid high desert.
People gather on the boat dock at Unity Lake State Recreation Area in Eastern Oregon.
Stephanie Yao Long, The OregonianVisitors: 36,380
Location: Central Oregon
One-year change: -12%
Known for: High desert scenery and camping beside the John Day River in north-central Oregon.
The Pinnacles Trail leads along the John Day River through Cottonwood Canyon State Park in north-central Oregon.
Jamie Hale, The OregonianVisitors: 35,699
Location: Oregon Coast
One-year change: +11%
Known for: Pristine coastal estuary habitat that’s great for wildlife watching on the north coast.
Visitors: 33,940
Location: Southern Oregon
One-year change: +42%
Known for: A large, seasonal lake that’s home to large numbers of migrating waterfowl in spring and early summer.
The sun sets over Goose Lake, a 147-square-mile lake that straddles the border of Oregon and California near the southern Oregon town of Lakeview.
Jamie Hale, The OregonianVisitors: 33,506
Location: Oregon Coast
One-year change: -85%
Known for: An intertidal beach along the rocky shoreline in the heart of Yachats.
The sun sets over the beach at Yachats Ocean Road State Natural Site on the central Oregon coast.
Jamie Hale, The OregonianVisitors: 33,332
Location: Central Oregon
One-year change: +5%
Known for: A fascinating volcanic attraction with historical significance in a beautiful high desert setting.
Fort Rock in central Oregon is a volcanic tuff ring, formed by explosions of hot magma that met cold groundwater. Today, it's managed by Oregon state parks and open to day hikers.
Jamie Hale, The OregonianVisitors: 30,254
Location: Coast Range
One-year change: +39%
Known for: Two stunning waterfalls in a remote forest setting off the southern Oregon coast.
Visitors: 25,502
Location: Oregon Coast
One-year change: -44%
Known for: A 319-foot waterfall found at the end of a short hike, just off the Oregon coast in Tillamook County. Read more in this Oregon Coast Range waterfall roundup.
Visitors: 23,612
Location: Oregon Coast
One-year change: 0%
Known for: A historical gravesite and monument on the south Oregon coast.
Visitors: 22,830
Location: Central Oregon
One-year change: +10%
Known for: A quiet, secluded spot for fishing, canoeing and walking among a forest of quaking aspen at the headwaters of the Wood River.
Visitors: 21,166
Location: Northeast Oregon
One-year change: +4%
Known for: Tours of a historic gold dredge in eastern Oregon.
Visitors: 18,236
Location: Northeast Oregon
One-year change: -5%
Known for: Hiking trails and a primitive campground at the former site of a thriving lumber mill.
Visitors: 14,404
Location: Northeast Oregon
One-year change: -19%
Known for: A forested park and quiet campground along the Grande Ronde River in the Blue Mountains.
Visitors: 11,588
Location: Northeast Oregon
One-year change: -19%
Known for: A seasonal campground and day-use area in a quiet forest replete with wildlife.
Visitors: 10,098
Location: Northeast Oregon
One-year change: -40%
Known for: A forest of ponderosa pine, larch, Douglas fir and spruce that is protected as habitat for wildlife on the side of the highway.
Visitors: 7,506
Location: Southern Oregon
One-year change: -71%
Known for: A roadside forest of ponderosa pine and quaking aspen trees that are beautiful in the fall.
Visitors: 6,604
Location: Southern Oregon
One-year change: -75%
Known for: A wooded area just off U.S. 395 with access to fishing along Crooked Creek.
— Jamie Hale covers travel and the outdoors and co-hosts the Peak Northwest podcast. Reach him at 503-294-4077, jhale@oregonian.com or @HaleJamesB.
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