Parks & Gardens

Every time Marilyn Depew walks through the Japanese Garden, she notices something different.

"It really is amazing to be able to walk through the garden for years and years and still make new discoveries," Depew says while walking down the strolling garden's zigzagging bridge. "I think that says a lot for the designer when he envisioned this place."

Depew has been a volunteer tour guide at the Japanese Garden in Portland for many years, showing and explaining the unique garden to everyone from students to seniors.

Juniper Swim & Fitness Center is owned and operated by Bend Park & Recreation District. Juniper is a community health, fitness and recreation facility open to people of all ages and abilities. The state of the art facilities and quality fitness programs ensure you Get Fit & Have Fun!

A  2 ½ acre garden store that features greenhouses, antiques, tips and a wide arrange of gardening tools and supplies. They even deliver dirt, gravel and barkdust to local customers, but for those out of town visitors, you can find unique gifts and plants that will thrive in just about any North American climate. 

If you want to immerse yourself in a subalpine pine forest where the air has that high-Cascades tang; to stay in a clean, quiet campground next to a twisting, cold river brimming with trout (and a nearby legendary fly fishing spot) and surrounded by miles of waiting-to-be-explored wilderness; to sit smack in the middle of dozens of high-mountain lakes (in winter, near some of the best ski-spots in the land); to see eagles or red-tailed hawks grabbing breakfast right in front of you; or, to just sit in a campsite pondering what you might do tomorrow ...

Come discover how our local geology, ecology, climate, and culture are all interwoven at the Lava Lands Visitor Center. The latest information on various topics including volcanic activity in the Cascade Mountains and Paleo-Indian technology is available and hands on activities will delight both young and old.

If there is one thing in Canby that is the best kept secret, it’s a 3.5-mile trail that bisects the community, with bridges over roads and highways.

Called the “Logging Road Trail” by locals, it really is the remnants of the Molalla Forest Road, which was a route use by log trucks to bring timber to the Willamette River. Today it has become a straight trail that offers some of the smoothest bike rides, runs, skates and walks around the state.

A waterfall as magnificent and memorable as any in the country is located just a 30- minute drive outside of Portland. Visiting Multnomah Falls, a 611-foot-tall roaring, awe-inspiring cascade of icy water, lets you experience the power and beauty of nature up close and with ease. From the parking area off of I-84, a 5-minute walk is all that separates you from the exhilarating spray at the base of the falls.

He shot down the 48-foot waterslide like a torpedo, letting out a scream the minute he hit the water at the end of the ride.

That’s just one of the many fun adventures you can have at the North Clackamas Aquatic Park. The park, owned by the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District, opened in 1994, and has been a destination for locals and out-of-towners alike.

On a busy summer weekend, my husband and I launch our kayak down the Siltcoos River Canoe Trail, and in moments find ourselves in absolute quiet and solitude. Well, quiet, that is, if you don't count the flap of osprey wings overhead, or the creaking of trees swaying in the wind, or the tweets and twitters of countless songbirds.