Reporting from Gresham
On a sandy beach large enough to feel spacious and yet accommodate many rivergoers, the conversation of fishermen, indistinguishable over the sound of moving water, mingles with the arguing voices of children building a sandcastle as their parents recline in sunglasses and folding chairs.
Further from the river, behind the people enjoying a calm, sunny afternoon, is a peaceful campground, with tall evergreen trees that provide shade and house birds whose abundant songs never quite let silence descend completely.
This is the setting at Oxbow Regional Park, a scenic area located along the Sandy River just outside of Troutdale. Traveling to Oxbow, the transition from open farmland to dense forest is abrupt and total, giving the park a sense of distance belied by its convenient proximity to civilization.
After entering the park, prospective campers follow a narrow road that winds through the woods and alongside the river. Occasionally, the trees open up to afford a view of rippling blue water framed by beaches, with a swimmer or two stretched out on a towel or hip-deep in the water.
Alan Eldridge has lived in Gresham for 35 years, and has been camping at Oxbow for nearly as long. He and his wife, Margaret, discovered the park on a church camping trip soon after moving to the area. Since then, they have brought their children and grandchildren for summer weekend getaways at Oxbow
"It's quiet, scenic, and close to home," said Eldridge. "If you forget something, you can drive right back."
Abundant trees lend privacy and serenity to Oxbow's 64 campsites, which include accessible sites and some dedicated exclusively to RV camping. Each site has a picnic table and firepit, and water spigots, restrooms, and trash and recycling facilities are spaced throughout the campground.
On a quiet Friday afternoon, many of the still-vacant campsites have a yellow "reserved" placard marking them as taken for the weekend. Jeremy Eberle, a park employee for the past four summers, said that is typical for the summer months.
Oxbow reserves campsites for patrons ahead of time via phone and, for the first time this summer, an online reservation system.
Eberle said that while the online system hasn't affected the number of reservations overall, it has reduced the workflow for park staff, as about 75 percent of reservations now arrive electronically.
The park offers 15 miles of hiking and walking trails, ample riverside beaches for swimming and picnics, and good locations for boating and fishing, with ample signage related to these activities informing park visitors about water safety, catch and release techniques and more.
Additionally, during the summer, Friday and Saturday nights in the park offer live music and storytelling events for campers. These events are only open to people staying at Oxbow, as day-use park hours end at sundown.
Oxbow also has picnic shelters available for larger events, open green spaces, and playgrounds.
Eberle said that, in terms of patrons, there isn't a particular demographic that dominates the campground.
"It's a pretty good mix," Eberle said. "People get here really early to go fishing, there's lots of families, retired couples in RVs. Really, kind of everyone can find something they like to do here."