WASCO COUNTY, Ore. — This week's "Let's Get Out There" takes us to the eastern part of the Columbia River Gorge, about 15 minutes east of Hood River and sits Mayer State Park.
“It's where the gorge really starts to open up, and you really start to see the pine trees, the oak trees and just have really dramatic basalt cliffs,” said David Spangler, the Columbia River Gorge park manager for Oregon State Parks.
Mayer State Park is split into three distinct sections — east, middle and west.
“The middle part of Mayer State Park, which is a really popular picnic spot … and then, finally, we have East Mayer State Park, which is a very popular windsurfing spot,” Spangler said.
West Mayer is a popular place for anglers, particularly for salmon. It temporarily closed last fall for park improvements, which include a brand-new boat ramp as part of a $1.14 million project.
“During the offseason when it's not heavy fishing season, this is a great protected bay to use for kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding,” said Spangler.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department contributed $858,000 through its Facility Investment Program. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife and Oregon State Marine Board each provided grants of $858,000 and $342,000, respectively.
Along with the new boat ramp, new plants were put in the ground and a new water main line is being installed. Fresh pavement will be the finishing touch on the project that's on track to be completed just in time for Memorial Day weekend, May 25-27.
“Seeing this come to fruition, especially when it is a ramp that is in a really heavily used area... and to see an improvement for the public is really rewarding,” Spangler said.
The boat ramp at West Mayer is free to the public and will include a loaner kiosk for personal floatation devices (PFDs). There is a $5 day use fee to visit East Mayer.
“This park, it sees a lot less usage and really is a spot where you can find a little bit more quiet than you would typically find that a lot of our parks in the western edge of the gorge,” Spangler said. “We always encourage folks to come out explore the east end of the gorge and of course also come out early, come out often, because things get crowded. It's really nice to be able to spend some quiet time.”
"Let's Get Out There" airs once a week on KGW's 4 p.m. newscast and "The Good Stuff," which airs Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. We're including viewer photos for this series. You can text your photos to 503-226-5088 or post them on the KGW Facebook page.