Shevlin Park
18920 Shevlin Park Road
652 acres, 50 acres developed
This cherished regional park was donated to the community in 1920. Although the park has a paved road, three developed picnic sites and Aspen Hall within it's boundaries, most of the park remains undeveloped. Tumalo Creek rambles through the park with several foot bridges providing opportunities to cross over to the newest section of the park, the Shevlin Conservation Easement, adding approximately 44 acres to the east side of the park in 2002. The easement features a parking area with a viewpoint and is popular with hikers, joggers and mountain bikers. Shevlin Park is a haven located less than three miles from Bend and a perfect location for hiking, jogging, fishing, cross country skiing and picnicking. There is an extensive trail and pathway system providing for both summer and winter uses. The park is the site of Cougar Camp, a popular youth day camp offered by the District in the summer months. For information on reserving a picnic spot or Aspen Hall call the District office at 389-7275.
Download a pdf of the Shevlin Park Trail Map
Shevlin Park Forest Management
Like much of Central
Oregon's forests the exclusion of
wildfire has created unsafe and unhealthy conditions in
Shevlin Park. With the assistance of
a National Fire Plan Grant, Bend
Metro Park
and Recreation District is working with
Deschutes National
Forest and the Oregon Department of
Forestry to improve the health and resilience of the old growth
forest in the park. The goal is to return the park to a
condition similar to that which settlers found near the turn of
the last century. In the past fires would move through
the area every 17 years or so according to research
by foresters at COCC. This would leave a mosaic of a
wide variety of plant species at various stages of maturity in
a much more open and park like stand of very large old
trees. The District is using a variety of methods to
acheive this goal including prescribed fire, brush mowing
and thinning. People will occasionally see smoke
coming from the park at times throughout the winter from
burning slash piles. Since the Management Plan was
implemented in 1992 nearly 200 acres of the 600 acre park have
been treated. This work has been done by District staff
with the help of many volunteers as well as prison inmates and
the Forest Service. The District will continue to
treat 30 to 50 acres a year, eventually getting to a point
where thinning will be replaced by occasional brush
mowing, and preferrably, small prescribed burns that will
replicate what used to happen throughout the millenia.
The lessons learned from the 1990 Awbrey Hall Fire mandate that
we proactively manage this community treasure.
