There’s nothing pretentious about Cline Falls State Park. It’s an old-fashioned day-use park, a first-come, first-served green oasis four miles from downtown Redmond.
The only thing fancy about the park is its official name – Cline Falls Scenic Viewpoint. It's open from dawn to dusk, there is no entry fee and it has most of the features families look for while recreating: picnic tables, water to play in and green grass to play on. As a bonus, the park borders a stretch of the Deschutes River for fishermen.
The river is the draw at Cline Falls, being the only spot close to town to cool off and enjoy the water. Kids ride the current on inner tubes, grandmas wade in the shallows and dogs fetch sticks from the far side of the river. A crawfish or two have even been caught along the shores of Cline Falls, sometimes attached to a toe.
The nine-acre park hasn’t always been so bucolic. The site was originally given to the state parks division in the 1950s and when enough land had been acquired a day-use park was opened. But the adjacent land just north of the Cline Falls Bridge was owned by private and federal sources, and with a road leading into it, it became an attractive nuisance for squatters and partiers.
In 1997 the county closed the access road and cleaned out tons of garbage, reducing – but never eliminating – the problems.
The official park side continued to be an occasional problem. With no fees or regular oversight to control the number of people or what they did while there, the park gradually became rowdier and less family-friendly.
A ban on alcohol consumption instituted in 2008 seems to have quelled most of the rowdiness; but the lack of an entrance fee guarantees the park to be packed pretty full most summer weekends.
Newcomers will find nice surprises at Cline Falls Park. The river has a menu of choices for play: a deep and calm swimming hole, little coves where youngsters can splash and a short stretch of swift current for anyone seeking a quick float.
The park has a fish-cleaning station but the water hasn’t been operational in some time. There are full restrooms (open in summer only) and a few places suited for large group picnics (but no covered pavilion).
A short hike downstream from the park leads to a section of river just above the namesake falls, where the river narrows and slows and the exposed smooth rocks make fascinating patterns. This area contains popular swimming holes but is considered very dangerous due to its proximity to the falls and what remains of a historic dam.
The site is worth a hike, however, to see the power plant just downstream from the falls, a nearly 100-year-old structure on the Deschutes County inventory of historic sites.
Due to its popularity, the park – which has parking for probably 100 cards – can get full. If you’re heading to the park on a summer weekend when the weather is especially fine and you want a picnic table or a site by the river (or both) you’d be wise to arrive early, well before the lunch hour.
What’s in a name?
Pioneer Dr. C.A. Cline, a dentist, was the namesake for the falls, once quite a torrent, and adjacent Cline Buttes. In the first decade of the 20th century a town grew up on the west side of Cline Falls, complete with a livery stable, a post office, two hotels, a land sales office, a newspaper and school, several stores, and most importantly – the power plant. Five-hundred platted lots were planned for the city of Cline Falls but the Oregon Trunk Railroad’s decision to bring its tracks from Shaniko into Redmond pretty much killed the town.
The only thing fancy about the park is its official name – Cline Falls Scenic Viewpoint. It's open from dawn to dusk, there is no entry fee and it has most of the features families look for while recreating: picnic tables, water to play in and green grass to play on. As a bonus, the park borders a stretch of the Deschutes River for fishermen.
The river is the draw at Cline Falls, being the only spot close to town to cool off and enjoy the water. Kids ride the current on inner tubes, grandmas wade in the shallows and dogs fetch sticks from the far side of the river. A crawfish or two have even been caught along the shores of Cline Falls, sometimes attached to a toe.
The nine-acre park hasn’t always been so bucolic. The site was originally given to the state parks division in the 1950s and when enough land had been acquired a day-use park was opened. But the adjacent land just north of the Cline Falls Bridge was owned by private and federal sources, and with a road leading into it, it became an attractive nuisance for squatters and partiers.
In 1997 the county closed the access road and cleaned out tons of garbage, reducing – but never eliminating – the problems.
The official park side continued to be an occasional problem. With no fees or regular oversight to control the number of people or what they did while there, the park gradually became rowdier and less family-friendly.
A ban on alcohol consumption instituted in 2008 seems to have quelled most of the rowdiness; but the lack of an entrance fee guarantees the park to be packed pretty full most summer weekends.
Newcomers will find nice surprises at Cline Falls Park. The river has a menu of choices for play: a deep and calm swimming hole, little coves where youngsters can splash and a short stretch of swift current for anyone seeking a quick float.
The park has a fish-cleaning station but the water hasn’t been operational in some time. There are full restrooms (open in summer only) and a few places suited for large group picnics (but no covered pavilion).
A short hike downstream from the park leads to a section of river just above the namesake falls, where the river narrows and slows and the exposed smooth rocks make fascinating patterns. This area contains popular swimming holes but is considered very dangerous due to its proximity to the falls and what remains of a historic dam.
The site is worth a hike, however, to see the power plant just downstream from the falls, a nearly 100-year-old structure on the Deschutes County inventory of historic sites.
Due to its popularity, the park – which has parking for probably 100 cards – can get full. If you’re heading to the park on a summer weekend when the weather is especially fine and you want a picnic table or a site by the river (or both) you’d be wise to arrive early, well before the lunch hour.
What’s in a name?
Pioneer Dr. C.A. Cline, a dentist, was the namesake for the falls, once quite a torrent, and adjacent Cline Buttes. In the first decade of the 20th century a town grew up on the west side of Cline Falls, complete with a livery stable, a post office, two hotels, a land sales office, a newspaper and school, several stores, and most importantly – the power plant. Five-hundred platted lots were planned for the city of Cline Falls but the Oregon Trunk Railroad’s decision to bring its tracks from Shaniko into Redmond pretty much killed the town.
- story and photo by Leslie Pugmire Hole
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