Thursday, September 19, 2013

New state park to open in eastern Oregon

Cottonwood Canyon State Park will open Saturday, Sept. 28. The new 8,000-acre park is located along the John Day River on Highway 206 near Condon, Oregon.

The park includes a small, primitive campground ($5 off-season, $9 in prime time), a picnic area and trails. Wildlife such as elk, bighorn sheep, chukar, snakes, lizards and waterfowl live in the park a little more than a two hour drive from Portland.

The park will be open all year, with free daytime visits. The 21-site campground is first-come, first-served and is designed for tents or self-contained RVs. It has has running water, vault-style restrooms, but no showers.