Orchard Park
60 S Parker St, Lowell, OR 97452…read moreLane County
43.917° N, -122.780° W.
Orchard Park is a small, somewhat isolated U.S. Army Corps of Engineers park located about 7 miles north of Ivan Oakes Park and approximately 1.1 miles south of Lowell State Recreation Site. It sits just off the roadway, so you can see and hear passing traffic, although once you walk farther into the orchard the setting feels surprisingly secluded. See photos.
This is definitely not a developed campground in the traditional sense. There is a restroom, but no water that we could find. The posted regulations specifically allow camping, along with picnicking, hiking, boating and swimming.
The park itself is an interesting combination of an old orchard and open meadow. Mature trees provide areas of shade, while large sections of relatively flat, dry grass provide plenty of open space for camping. Large rocks border much of the gravel driveway and parking area, however, preventing vehicles from driving onto the open areas. If camping, expect to carry your tent, cooler and other equipment from the parking area.
When we visited in early August, there was no evidence of anyone else using the park--no tents, picnickers or people along the shoreline. For a park sitting this close to the road, it felt surprisingly isolated.
The reservoir and surrounding forested mountains provide a beautiful backdrop, but water access was another matter. During our visit, Dexter Reservoir was approximately 60 feet below its higher seasonal level, based on the published lake-level information we checked. There is no dock or boat ramp at Orchard Park, and the normal shoreline is already bordered by dense brush and tall grasses. Reaching the August waterline would have required working through the vegetation and then making a considerable trek across the exposed, potentially muddy reservoir bottom. This would definitely not have been my choice for launching a kayak.
Previous reviews have mentioned concerns about the vegetation around the park. During our visit, we did find the vegetation near the shoreline quite dense, although the open orchard and grassy areas themselves were easy to walk through.
The 60-foot difference in reservoir level also makes me curious about Orchard Park earlier in the season. I would like to return in late spring or early June when Dexter Reservoir is closer to its higher seasonal level. With the water much closer to the natural shoreline and the orchard earlier in its growing season, I suspect the experience could be considerably different.
Overall, Orchard Park was a nice momentary stop along the way. Based on our August visit, I would not consider it a destination park, particularly if your primary purpose is easy access to the water. However, for someone looking for a quiet, primitive place to camp, have a picnic, explore the orchard, or simply get away from the more developed recreation areas around Dexter Reservoir, it has an interesting appeal of its own.
