Casey State Recreation Site
🏆🏆🏆🏆 Day-use park along the East Fork Hood River — in the shadow of 11,249-foot Mt. Hood, Oregon’s highest peak and one of the most-climbed glaciated peaks in the world.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Hood River County, Oregon |
| Entry Fee | Free (Oregon Coast) / Day-Use Permit |
About Casey State Recreation Site
Casey State Recreation Site is a small but beloved day-use park along the South Umpqua River near Canyonville in southern Oregon. Named for an early settler family, the site offers a shady riverside retreat beneath towering cottonwood and Oregon ash trees. The South Umpqua here is calm and gentle — perfect for summer wading and swimming.
Things to Do
Summer swimming and wading in the South Umpqua River is the main draw. The park has picnic tables and a short riverside path. Fishing for smallmouth bass, steelhead (winter), and trout is popular. The site serves as a convenient rest stop along Interstate 5 for travelers between Grants Pass and Roseburg.
Getting There
Located off Interstate 5 at exit 98 near Canyonville in Douglas County. Follow signs to the day-use area along the South Umpqua River. Free to visit.
About Casey
Casey State Recreation Site in Clackamas County provides day-use recreation along the Clackamas River in the Cascade foothills east of Portland. The Clackamas is one of the finest steelhead and salmon rivers in the Portland metro area — drawing anglers from throughout the Willamette Valley.
Things to Do
Fishing for steelhead and salmon, picnicking along the Clackamas River, swimming in the river during summer, and enjoying a Cascade foothills escape near Portland.
Insider Tips
Columbia Plateau oasis: Casey provides shade and water access in Oregon’s dry eastern interior — a welcome stop on long drives through wheat country. Pro tip: The site sits near the John Day River — one of the longest free-flowing rivers in the lower 48. Geology: The surrounding basalt cliffs are remnants of massive lava flows that covered eastern Oregon 15 million years ago.
Best Time to Visit
Spring: Wildflower bloom in the steppe lands. Summer: Swimming and shade (eastern Oregon reaches 100°F+). Fall: Golden cottonwoods along the river. Winter: Quiet but cold — eastern Oregon winters are harsh.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Columbia Plateau?
A vast basalt plain covering eastern Oregon, Washington, and Idaho — created by massive volcanic eruptions 15-17 million years ago. The lava flows were so enormous they reached the Pacific Ocean, covering 63,000 square miles.
Wildlife & Nature
Casey State Recreation Site along the South Santiam River provides access to one of Oregon’s most productive salmon and steelhead rivers. The river corridor supports migrating Pacific salmon — fish that are born in freshwater, migrate to the ocean, and return years later to spawn and die in the same stream where they were born. This extraordinary navigation — guided by the earth’s magnetic field and their sense of smell — is one of nature’s most remarkable feats. Salmon carcasses fertilize streamside forests — nitrogen from ocean-fed fish has been detected in trees up to 500 feet from streams. American dippers, great blue herons, and bald eagles depend on the salmon runs. River otters fish the pools between rapids.
Nearby Attractions
Cascadia State Park offers old-growth forest hiking and natural soda springs. McDowell Creek Falls County Park — a hidden gem — features three waterfalls in a lush canyon. Santiam River provides year-round fishing for salmon, steelhead, and trout. Sweet Home hosts the annual Oregon Jamboree — one of the largest country music festivals in the Pacific Northwest. Foster and Green Peter Reservoirs offer boating and water recreation. Tombstone Pass and Iron Mountain provide wildflower hiking in the Cascade foothills.
