Meldrum Bar Park

Great place to let the dogs run on the beach. Sketchy people hang out here and ‘fish’ on a daily basis. Lots of campers here make me think people are homeless and trying to catch a meal in order to eat. I’ve had some odd conversations with folks here at the water, asking overly curious, personal questions. So, be observant while you’re at this park.
Perhaps in the summer it will be a better option, but winter and spring has been sketchy at best. The soccer field has nice bright lights, poop bag dispensers and a decent place for off leash play time with the dog.

great beach to hang out at in the summer

This is a hidden gem of a park. I say hidden because the only way to get to it is via Meldrum Bar Park road, which is an easily missed turnoff situated between trailer parks. Most people may be thinking… uh-​oh, trailer parks, why go there?
Why? Well, first there are the playing fields. Lots of room for teams to play soccer and baseball at the same time. Follow the road father back into the trees and there is a boat launch and a nice dock on the Willamette River. I see kids playing there at the river quite often. In the trees there is also a community dirt-​bike (non-​motorized) area with earthen ramps and trails for biking and nature walks.
If you turn left onto Dahl Park Road, there is a large community garden area. For $ 20 or so you can have a plot for the season, and people grow everything from flowers to food. There are always people there, working the soil, tending the plants, and harvesting. They are wonderful people, but a bit wary of strangers since there have been instances of people stealing crops from the garden. Still, if you are friendly and appreciative and keep your hands off all that tasty-​looking fresh produce, you will find the people welcoming. I always have a camera with me, which makes it easier to break the ice.
Dahl Park Road runs parallel to the Willamette river, under the dappled shade of some lovely empress trees. There are some great views of the river, as well as West Linn and Lake Oswego on the other side. There is a covered picnic structure, bathroom facilities, and parking with good access to the river for fishing. The Clackamas River meets the Willamette here, and fishermen abound, both on the shore and on boats launched either from Meldrum Bar Park or Clackamette Park. This spot is a great place for steelhead and coho salmon.
There is even a bit of a beach, and this is where you will find children in swimsuits playing fetch with their dogs. You can also watch people play though the the 9^th hole of the Children’s Golf Course.
I love the early mornings here, and the evenings. There are often spectacular sunsets here on the river. Its a large park, well-​visited but not crowded. As a woman I am very safety conscious and I’ve never felt threatened here.
One last thing. On July 4^th they have an all day party at Clackamette Park (just across the Clackamas River), and then there is an excellent fireworks display from Meldrum Bar. I think it rivals the one in Portland without all the traffic/​parking hassle, and its certainly more ‘neighborly’.