Oxbow Regional Park Hike

Oxbow Regional Park is a 1,000-acre Natural Area park located in Gresham, Oregon, that provides fantastic recreation opportunities thanks to the majestic Sandy River Gorge.

We were finally coming back to this magnificent park! We visited Oxbow Regional Park two years ago with some dear friends, and I don’t know why we waited for so long, but I was glad to see this fantastic place with my kids again.

What to see and do

Oxbow Regional Park is a family-friendly destination nestles in the lush forests of Sandy River Gorge, home of fantastic wildlife. For instance, during our visits, we’ve seen deers, snakes, frogs, crawfish, squirrels, hawks, etc.

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This 1,000-acre natural area park is located less than an hour from Portland. It is a perfect location for swimming, kayaking, tubing, and other water activities, thanks to the beautiful Sandy River.

Although water activities are popular in this park, especially in summer, hiking, or running in its old-growth forest (some of the trees are more than 700 years old!), it will be memorable for you as it was for us, for sure. The positive side of the river activities popularity is that we had the 12 miles of trails just for us for hiking during our visit!

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Another fun activity Oxbow offers is camping. However, at present, it remains closed, as well as the reservable group picnic shelters.

And talking about picnics, even though we decided to have ours by the river, you will find picnic tables and grills in several areas through the park, as well as open grassy fields with shade.

In summary, we adored this place, and we had a lovely day with my kids, hiking, and playing in the river. We enjoyed it so much that we are planning to come back this week again!

Check here for more swimming or water adventures and here for hiking ideas!

Main features/Amenities

• Accessible picnic areas, campground restroom/shower buildings, and some campsites. (The campground is closed).
• River access.
• Boat lunch area.
• 12 miles of trails (some for walking only and others for bicycles and horseback riding).
• Group shelters for reservation (Closed in 2020 until further notice).
• Playgrounds (closed).
• The restrooms are closed. Portable restrooms are available for use.
• Welcome Center (closed). 

Important information

• Location: 3010 SE Oxbow Pkwy, Gresham, OR 97080.
• Official site.
• Brochure with the trail map.
• This park has a day-use parking fee of $5 per car or $7 per bus. You can pay it with a credit or debit card in the Fee station at the entrance, or you can buy the annual parking pass.
• Oxbow is open 6:30 a.m. to legal sunset.
• Dogs and other pets are not allowed, because they can damage sensitive habitat and threaten wildlife.
• Hunting is not allowed.
• Geocaching is allowed.
• There is plenty of room along the river for social distancing. The trails have some narrow places, so keep that in mind for planning your hikes (wear masks and keep the distance from others hikers).
• Occasional closures could happen.
• Vests are available for safety.
• Bring your water shoes (For rocky beaches).