Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint

Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint (also known as Cline Falls State Park) is a state park near Redmond, Oregon, United States. It is located on the Deschutes River. The park covers 9 acres (36,000 m2). It is administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint
Picnic area at Cline Falls park
TypePublic, state
LocationDeschutes County, Oregon
Nearest cityRedmond
Coordinates44°16′07″N 121°15′21″W[1]
Area9 acres (3.6 ha)
Operated byOregon Parks and Recreation Department

Cline Falls
Special Collections image of Cline Falls.

Cline Falls is located on the Deschutes River approximately four miles west of Redmond, Oregon. The falls were named for Doctor Cass A. Cline (1850–1926) a Redmond dentist, who owned the land adjacent to the falls. The falls occur just north of the point where Highway 126 crosses the Deschutes River.[2] In the 1950s, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department acquired property above Cline Falls for the purpose of creating a day use park.[3]

Park grounds

Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint is a day use park that covers 9 acres (36,000 m2) on the east side of the Deschutes River. It is located on the south side of the Highway 126. Because Clines Falls are a short distance north of the highway, the falls are not within the park boundary.[4][5]

The park has a large open lawn surrounded by ponderosa pine, western juniper, poplar, and locust trees that extend to the river's edge.[3][5] The park also includes riparian habitat, sagebrush covered uplands, and canyon rimrocks. These areas are home to blackbirds, canyon wrens, American dipper, song sparrows, and finches. Other song birds pass through the area during the spring and fall migrations. Prairie falcons and golden eagles are also found in the Cline Falls area.[5][6]

As it flows by the park, the Deschutes River alternates between small rapids and calm pools. The rapids pass around a number of very large boulders. The calm sections create wetlands along the shore that attract a variety of wildlife. Canada geese and other water fowl are common in the wetlands along the river.[3][4][5] A number of small mammals including the Great Basin pocket mouse and sagebrush voles are found in the park as well.[7]

Recreation
The Deschutes River at Cline Falls State Park

Since it is the closest riverfront park to the city of Redmond, Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint is a popular recreation site for local residents. A large open lawn is available for group games and relaxing in the sun; however, most visitors come to the park to picnic and swim. The park offers a variety of swimming areas ranging from deep, calm pools to shallow coves. There are also short stretches of swift water for inner tubing.[3][4][5][8]

The park provides fishing access to the Deschutes River. The pools and eddies near large river rocks provide good habitat for trout; fishermen can find native rainbow trout, brown trout, and bull trout in the Cline Falls area.[4][5][9]

The Deschutes River provides excellent rafting, kayaking, and canoeing opportunities. One of the longer paddle trips on the Deschutes is a 14.5-mile (23.3 km) section of river beginning at Tumalo State Park and ending at Cline Falls State Park. Another popular run begins at Cline Falls State Park and runs 11.5 miles (18.5 km) downriver to the Lower Bridge Recreation Site. This run requires a portage around Cline Falls, which is located about a half mile downstream from the park.[10]

Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint is closed during the winter months. When it is open, there is no charge for using the park. Alcohol is not permitted in the park at any time. The ban on alcohol is enforced by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Department.[4][5][8] Park facilities include:

Unsolved crime
Main article: Cline Falls axe attack

On 22 June 1977, two undergraduate students from Yale University, Shayna Weiss and Terri Jentz, were attacked and badly injured in Cline Falls State Park. The two women were biking cross-country from Astoria, Oregon to the East Coast. On the seventh day of their trip, they camped at Cline Falls State Park. In the middle of the night, a truck drove over their tent with the two campers inside. Then the driver got out of the truck and attacked the students with an axe. After striking them a number of times, the attacker stopped and drove away. Both students survived. However, their attacker was never caught. One of the survivors later wrote a book about the ordeal, entitled Strange Piece of Paradise.[11][12]

See also

References
  1. "Cline Falls State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  2. McArthur, Lewis A; Lewis L McArthur (2003). Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 210.
  3. Hole, Leslie Pugmire (23 June 2009). "Cline Falls: The Oasis". Redmond Spokesman. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  4. "Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint". Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  5. Bannan, Jan (2002). Oregon State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide (2nd ed.). Seattle, Washington: The Mountaineers Books. p. 174. ISBN 0-89886-794-0.
  6. "Oregon Cascades Birding Trails" (PDF). East Cascade Bird Conservancy. Retrieved 2011-06-21..
  7. Verts, B. J; Leslie N. Carraway (1998). Land mammals of Oregon. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. pp. 520, 539. ISBN 0-520-21199-5.
  8. "Monitor Cline Falls park". Redmond Spokesman. Redmond, Oregon. March 18, 2008. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  9. "Rivers and Streams: Deschutes River from Bend to Lake Billy Chinook". US Forest Service. Archived from the original on 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  10. Giordano, Pete; Willamette Kayak; Canoe Club (2004). "Deschutes River Tumalo State Park to Cline Falls State Park". Soggy sneakers: a paddler's guide to Oregon's rivers (4th ed.). Seattle Washington: Mountaineers Books. pp. 301–304. ISBN 0-89886-815-7.
  11. Jasper, David (July 22, 2007). "Ax-attack survivor, author tells all". The Bulletin. Bend Oregon. Retrieved 2011-06-21.,
  12. Santasiero, Ellen. "Left For Dead: Cline Falls ax attack survivor to discuss acclaimed memoir". Bend, Oregon: The Weekly Source. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
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