Dodge Park

About Dodge Park

Located at the confluence of the Sandy and Bull Run rivers, Dodge Park is a playground in Portland’s backyard. Just 20 miles east of Portland, the park offers year-round picnicking, fishing, and boating.

Day use

Dodge Park is open for day use year-round. See Park Policies below for park hours. There is no entrance or parking fees. The park offers a unique site for fishing and picnicking. Picnic sites boast tables and grills. There is a children's playground and portable sanitary facilities available year-round.

Camping and community hall rentals are no longer available at Dodge Park.

Boating & Swimming

Swimming: Swimming is strongly discouraged at Dodge Park. No lifeguards are on duty and all swimming is at your own risk. 

The water can be very dangerous. While the water can appear calm in areas, strong undertow occurs that can sweep swimmers under the water, or down the river. The river often moves swiftly and can be very cold well into mid-summer. For people who choose to swim, life jackets are strongly recommended, even for strong, experienced swimmers should wear lifejackets. Park visitors exploring the water should not go alone. All children should be accompanied by adults. 

Boating: Dodge Park is one of many launch sites for the 38 river miles that make up the Sandy River Water Trail. Boaters are allowed to leave a shuttle vehicle overnight at Dodge Park under the following conditions:

October 1 through May 19:

Boaters must call Portland Water Bureau Security at 503-823-6084 and provide the following information:

• Date of drop off
• Date of pick up
• Make, model, and license plate number of vehicle
• Name and cell phone number of vehicle driver
• Access to the Park will be from dawn to 4:00 pm Mon to Thur. No access will be provided when the gate is locked.

May 20 through October 1:

• Boaters must park their cars at a site designated by the camp host. If the camp host is not available, boaters must park their vehicles outside Dodge Park gates.
• Access to the park will be from dawn to dusk daily until Oct. 1. Operating hours subject to change. No access will be provided when the gate is locked.

Park policies and rules

Out of respect for other visitors and neighbors, please observe the following rules:

• Park hours October 1 through May 19 are dawn to 4:00 p.m Mon to Thur.
• Park hours during the summer season (May 20 through October 1) are dawn to dusk
• Park operating hours are subject to change
• NO alcohol or drug use
• NO discharging firearms, hunting, or fireworks
• NO littering or dumping
• NO burning outside designated areas (pits and grills)
• NO stereos or sound amplification devices
• NO smoking near public areas
• NO violation of any local, state, or federal law or regulation
• Dogs must be leashed at all times and owners must clean up after their dogs
• Picnic areas are secured on a first-come, first-served basis
• Speed limit is 5 mph, and roadways are one way only
• Vehicles are only allowed on roads and in designated parking areas
• Visitors must not disturb other park users or interfere with any Park Enforcement Officer

Park rule violations? Contact Portland Water Bureau Security at 503-823-6084.

Directions to Dodge Park

Park address: 11021 SE Lusted Rd., Sandy, OR 97055

Get directions

From Portland:

1. Take I-84 east to the Troutdale exit (Exit 17, 257th Avenue).
2. Go past the truck stops, and turn right onto 257th Avenue.
3. Follow 257th Avenue to Division Street.
4. Go left on Division Street and follow it east for five miles toward Oxbow Park (you will see signs for Oxbow Park along the way).
5. Instead of turning left on Oxbow Parkway, turn right on Hosner Road.
6. At the end of Hosner Road, turn left on Lusted Road and follow it for almost five miles.
7. Cross the Sandy River on the bridge. Dodge Park is on the left just after the bridge.

For locations closer to Gresham:

1. Head east on Division Street and follow it toward Oxbow Park (you will see signs for Oxbow Park along the way).
2. At the Oxbow Park turnoff, instead of turning left on Oxbow Parkway, turn right on Hosner Road.
3. At the end of Hosner Road, turn left on Lusted Road and follow it for almost five miles.
4. Cross the Sandy River on the bridge. Dodge Park is on the left just after the bridge.

Dodge Park history

For nearly 100 years, people have flocked to this scenic spot at the confluence of the Sandy and Bull Run rivers. Originally named for the town of Bull Run, Dodge Park was renamed for Frank Dodge, the second Superintendent of the Portland Water Bureau who served from 1897 to 1914. Frank Dodge was one of the earliest photographers who recorded river flows in the Bull Run River and the Bull Run Watershed.

In 1911, the Mount Hood Railway and Power Company built a railway line from Montavilla in east Portland to the town of Bull Run. The railway line was first built to move materials to the powerhouse being built for the Bull Run Hydroelectric Project on the Sandy River. The steam locomotive line served 30 small communities on the way to Dodge Park.

In 1912, the Portland Railway, Light and Power Company acquired the rail line and converted it to an electric trolley line.

The annual report for the Portland Water Bureau for 1926 notes that "a conservative estimate of visitors during the last summer would be thirty thousand....At times there was hardly room enough to accommodate the crowds that poured into the Park on Sundays." No less than 168 picnic tables and 72 brick campfire grills, as well as many stacks of firewood, served the weekend crowds.

Trolley service ended in 1930, but roadways and a bridge installed in the 1920s continued to give people access the park.

In the 1940s, the City of Portland established a "Boys and Girls Camp" at Dodge Park in addition to the picnic grounds. The Water Bureau and Portland Parks & Recreation comanaged the park until the late 1980s.