Douglas County Parks Department
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2024
*** PROJECT START - TEMPORARY CLOSURE NOTICE ***
Lower Day Use Area – Whistler’s Bend County Park
(Douglas County, Ore.) The Douglas County Parks Department is excited to announce that they have started Phase One of a much anticipated park rehabilitation project at Whistler's Bend County Park & Campground. Effective immediately, and as a part of the rehabilitation project, the Parks Department has temporarily closed the lower day use area at the park. Additionally, they anticipate a few intermittent closures around the upper campground area as the project progresses, but traffic control will be in place to redirect traffic during these temporary closures. Phase One of the rehabilitation project is expected to take four to six weeks to complete. As with any project, unforeseen delays due to weather, equipment and material availability could possibly extend the anticipated project timeline.
Phase One improvements to the day use area and portions of the upper campground at Whistler’s Bend County Park are a part of a two-phase rehabilitation project funded in part by a grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) through their Local Government Grant Program. The grant funds from OPRD were matched by Douglas County and utilized to begin the project. Phase One rehabilitation includes replacement of two single non-accessible vault restrooms with two ADA accessible vault restrooms; installation of a pavilion for public use and special events next to the Whistler’s Bend Disc Golf Course parking lot; resurfacing of the lower parking lot and access roads to improve river access; installation of a walking path along the river, resurfacing the playground with rubber tiles, and paving of the upper campground access road and group sites. Phase Two will focus on paving the upper campground, adding more full hookup sites to the upper campground, and replacing three single vault toilets in the lower campground with ADA accessible ones. Phase Two rehabilitation also aims to enhance the Whistlers Bend Disc Golf Course with the addition of a small pavilion and a new restroom in the middle of the course, as well as furnishing the course with additional benches and garbage receptacles throughout. Phase Two is being funded in part by a grant from the County Opportunity Grant Program through ORPD and is slated to commence after Labor Day 2024.
Please note that the upper day use area, parking lot, disc golf course and campground area will remain open during the project for public use. However, safety is always a priority for the recreating public, and we ask citizens to use extreme caution when visiting this area during the closure and project time frame. We ask that you please follow all posted signs, warnings, and work crew instructions. We understand that our County Parks are popular destinations for day use activities such as fishing, swimming, picnicking, disc golf, camping and BBQs, park patrons are encouraged to also consider checking out our large inventory of Douglas County Parks during this temporary closure and improvement project.
Whistler's Bend County Park & Campground is located 15 miles east of Roseburg near the community of Glide on the oxbow peninsula of the North Umpqua River off Oregon Hwy 138 at 2828 Whistlers Park Road. This park provides a plethora of recreational activities. The Douglas County Parks Department appreciates the public’s patience as they continue to improve your recreational experience in our county parks. For more information, or to locate a park, campground or boat ramp near you, log onto the Douglas County Parks Department’s page on the Douglas County, Oregon Government Website at: https://douglascountyor.gov/802/Parks.
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Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Douglas County Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Douglas County Public Affairs Office | Office: (541) 957-4896 | Cell: (541) 670-2804 | Email: tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov
Photos Attached: ©K.Trenkle/Douglas County