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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 2016)
OUTDOORS State Parks IN GRANT COUNTY BATES STATE PARK Where: About 17 miles north of Prairie City on County Road 20, 1 mile north of the junction of U.S. Highway 26 and Oregon Highway 7. Features: 28 primitive campsites for tents or self- contained RVs, three ADA accessible. Hiker/Biker camp with six sites and electric plug-in access Potable water Bates State Park Bates State Park rests on the site of what was once a thriving lumber mill town, set on the edge of a lush valley in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. The mill closed in the mid-1970s, and the opening of this 131-acre park in 2010 was due largely to the efforts of many residents who remembered Bates in its prosperous days. Look for the interpretive panels describing Bates life in the early days and the current steps being taken to restore the land and waterways. With over three miles of hiking trails overlooking the park, old mill pond and valley, lying along the Middle Fork John Day River as well as two creeks, Bates State Park is not lacking in solitude, quiet or natural beauty. Day use visitors can reserve the group picnic shelter. The park makes a great base camp for long-distance hikers, snowmobilers, ATV enthusiasts and hunters, as well as RV campers. Fire rings, picnic tables, day-use area with covered picnic shelter, vault toilets Season: May 1 - October 31 Reservations: First-come, first-served More info: www.oregonstateparks.org • 541-448-2585 CLYDE HOLLIDAY Where: 1 mile east of Mt. Vernon on U.S. Highway 26. Features: 31 sites with electrical and water hookups (maximum length 60 feet) 2 tepee sites Hiker/Biker camp Hot shower, flush toilets Firewood and ice sales, RV dump station, horseshoe pits, outdoor amphitheater with summer programs Clyde Holliday State Recreation Site Clyde Holliday State Recreation Site is a cool oasis for both passersby and locals, putting out a welcome mat for folks using just about any kind of transport. Shaded with tall cottonwood trees, the park and day-use area borders the John Day River and is a welcoming respite. Each first-come, first-served campsite features a variety of trees and foliage that give a secluded feeling, and wildlife visitors can be just as common as human ones. Campers are also welcome to reserve one of two tepees (the only reservable sites in the campground). Guests can walk a trail paralleling the river to a nearby fishing pond, play horseshoes or relax in the shade on the expansive lawn or visit some of the area’s many attractions, from the Fossil Beds to the Strawberry Mountain wilderness. In the summer, rangers and others offer interpretive programs at the outdoor amphitheater. Season: Day-use, Year-round Camping - March 1 through November 30 (tepees available mid-April to late September) Reservations: Tepees - Reservable Camping sites - First-come, first-served More info: www.oregonstateparks.org • 541-932-4453
