‘More accessible’ river area opens at Miller’s Landing Park in Bend
Isabella Warren
(Update: Adding video, comments from parent, Visit Bend)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– River access in the Old Mill just got a whole lot easier. The Miller’s Landing Park project wrapped up construction last week and is now open to kayakers, swimmers and paddleboarders – just in time for a hot summer week leading up to the Fourth of July.
“It just gives another option for getting in. The water is not as crazy as it seems. And so it’s just a nice place to enter and exit and makes it more accessible for kids, even just to play in the water,” parent Kelly Fleming said Monday. “After seeing it, I’ll definitely come here over some other spots that are a little more crowded. I like multiple areas to get into the water.”
The $1.3 million project provides easier access to kayakers and paddleboarders to get in and out of the water, as well as river-goers with accessibility issues.
Miller’s Landing Park is a 4.5-acre community park and one of 16 Bend Park and Rec District-owned or managed parks along the Deschutes River. The district’s 2021 Deschutes River Access and Habitat Restoration Plan identified a high-priority project at Miller’s Landing Park to improve the existing access points and restore habitat.
Previously, river users needed to navigate the steep, rocky river bed to get into the water.
Zavier Borja, destination stewardship director for Visit Bend, said, “Having something like this redeveloped with those folks in mind is just something that’s really key to our mission. The more visitors that we have, of all types, we’re able to reinvest into really strong, cool projects like this one here.”