Metro parks passes are a useful and thoughtful holiday gift, providing access to Metro parks and boat ramps for an entire year. Purchase a 2011 pass for admission and parking at Oxbow and Blue Lake regional parks, Chinook Landing Marine Park and the M. James Gleason Boat Ramp.
Oxbow Regional Park is a convenient local place to see wildlife and explore the forest. The area’s natural habitat makes an ideal home for wildlife such as mink, beaver, raccoon, fox, deer, osprey, songbirds, salmon, elk, black bear and cougar. Metro’s Blue Lake Regional Park, with easy access from downtown Portland, provides opportunities for boating, fishing and swimming, and makes a beautiful backdrop for family picnics, community events and special programs. Visitors can find the perfect place to launch a boat and enjoy quiet wetlands or a place to picnic.
Since Metro’s boat ramps no longer accept cash, an annual pass makes it easier to connect with nature. The 67-acre Chinook Landing Marine Park, adjacent to Blue Lake Regional Park on Marine Drive, has six launching lanes on the Columbia River, and is the largest public boating facility in Oregon. The park offers picnic and viewing areas, wetland and wildlife habitat, disabled-accessible docks, restrooms and a seasonal river patrol station. The M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Ramp, located at Northeast 43rd Avenue and Marine Drive, is another convenient public boat launch on the Columbia River, minutes from downtown Portland. Amenities include launch lanes, boarding docks, restrooms, river maps and a river patrol office.
Metro’s annual parks passes are valid from the time of purchase through Dec. 31, 2011. Purchase passes online, over the phone, 503-665-4995, at the Blue Lake and Oxbow park offices, or at the MetroStore located at 600 NE Grand Ave, Portland.
Passes cost $40 for the year. Senior passes cost $30, and low-income/disability passes cost $10 (documentation required). For information about passes for disabled veterans, call 503-665-4995.