Cottonwood Canyon State Park

Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Information station in the park
Cottonwood Canyon State Park is located in Oregon
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Cottonwood Canyon State Park is located in the United States
Cottonwood Canyon State Park
TypePublic, state
LocationSherman and Gilliam counties, Oregon
Nearest cityWasco
Coordinates45°28′42″N 120°28′20″W / 45.478371°N 120.47233°W / 45.478371; -120.47233
Area8,000 acres (3,200 ha)
Created2013
Operated byOregon Parks and Recreation Department
OpenAll year
WebsiteCottonwood Canyon State Park

Cottonwood Canyon State Park, established in 2013, is the second largest state park in Oregon, encompassing 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) on the lower John Day River.[1] The largest is Silver Falls State Park at 9,064 acres (3,668 ha).[1]

Park headquarters, about a two-hour drive east of Portland, is adjacent to Oregon Route 206 between Wasco and Condon.[1] The river, which here forms the boundary between Sherman County on the west and Gilliam County on the east, meanders for 16 miles (26 km) through the arid park.[2]

The walls of the main canyon reach to 1,920 feet (590 m) above sea level within the park, which also includes four side canyons: Hay Creek, Esau, Rattlesnake, and Cottonwood. These and the main canyon are flanked by grassland, sagebrush shrub-steppe, river bottom, and cliffs composed mainly of basalts of the Columbia River Basalt Group.[2]

  1. ^ a b c Richard, Terry (September 23, 2013). "Cottonwood Canyon Opens as Oregon's Second-Largest State Park, Thanks to Western Rivers Conservancy". Oregon Live. Advance Digital. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Cottonwood Canyon State Park" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. July 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2013.