Milo McIver is a natural refuge with a focus on water and wildlife, so these are some initial ideas for actions under the park plan:
- Develop protection strategies and restoration options for park
- Review forest management plan to improve health
- Enhance grassland/prairie for grassland birds, include paired nest boxes for tree swallow/bluebird use
- Consider native oaks in disc golf areas to replace conifers
- Consider restoring areas lawn not utilized for recreation to grassland/prairie habitat
- Consider restoring wetland adjacent to pet area
This natural character can lead to enjoyable experiences:
- Review potential locations for interp/education sites
- Increase aquatic invasive species interpretation at boat launches
Some experiences are purely recreational, and part of healthy lifestyle:
- Review entrance design and road down the hill
- Consider trails expansion (hiking, biking, equestrian)
- Complete interp assessment of park
- Better solutions for disc golf (Consider additional 9 holes for disc golf course)
- Better solutions for model airplane club
- Consider increasing camping opportunities (including equestrian camps, and cabins)
- Help staff provide better recreational services by improving office space, maintenance yard and staff housing
And some experiences are a mixture of tradition and recreation:
- Provide a gateway program that showcases and provides skills to continue traditional State Park activities
And finally, the park has a role to play in the community:
- Work with Forest Service on joint programs (gateway to Mount Hood) and resource management activities
- Look for partners to start study on Townsend’s big-eared bats at the Bat Barn.
Tryon & McIver State Park Plans 
I can’t say enough good things about Milo McIver State Park and the friendly and professional staff at the park! The park is less than 20 miles from Portland but feels worlds away. One of my concerns for the park is that the invasive blackberry bushes be kept in control as they are taking over many areas. The equestrian trails are fantastic and varied, and many thanks are to be given to a handful of volunteers from Oregon Equestrian Trails for building and maintaining them. A horse camp would be a natural for this park, since many riders from all over Oregon would love to come to McIver but there are no overnight facilities for them once they get there. It also seems like the park could be better utilized by local populations, schools, colleges, and clubs for outdoor studies, PE, events, etc. and perhaps more partnering with local entities needs to occur. It would be incredibly useful if the park had a small multi-purpose building in which nature study classes could occur, or interpretive talks, you-name-it. Adding canoe or kayak rentals on the lake would add more for families to do when they are visiting the park.
My fingers are crossed for an equestrian camp to be added to McIver Park.
For a park so close to “civilization”, it is far enough away to feel quite secluded and would be a great place to go camping with my horse.
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I have been riding McIver for years and love the convenients of having it almost across the street for where I board. I do have one coment that I would love to share.
First I know the OET folks put a lot of time into mantaning the trail every year and that is a hard work with little to no recognition.
I just wish the trails where not covered with gravel, it tairs up the horses feet and even if they were wearing shoes, it distroys the shoes. some of the gravel used is so large that shoes wouldn’t even protect them. I know the gravel is being layed to help with the mud but I have to wonder if buying a chipper is wouldn’t be more cost efficient since there is so many trees falling all the time all over that park.
There was also a notition of putting in a a equine camping Idea that should be thought about. There are a lot of folks that would use the park more if they could stay over and there are a lot of folks that pass though the area that need a place to stay. There are a many ways to make money for the park. These days anyway of making money should be thought about.OET can put in Camp hosts if that helps with
The improvements (Thank you OET and Park staff!) in the trails over the last few years are fantastic. This park, Tryon Creek and Hardy Creek trails are the main if not only, places you can ride all year long. The newly expanded equestrian parking lot guarantees a place to park (something Tryon and Hardy Creek both don’t have.)
It is a natural for a horse camping spot. I don’t think it would need to be fancy to be useful. Stub Stewart has all the conveniences if someone needs those, but most really just need drinking water, corrals and bathroom facilities. Its a place to start.
I understand there used to be more trails there for the horses. I think maybe there was even a different access point. A re-expansion back to that would be very welcome.
The master planning document mentions a change to the entrance. I would say that widening the ingress so those with passes can easily enter and not be stopped by those trying to pay for a day pass and somehow change the stop sign at the bottom of that really steep hill.
Thank you for this opportunity. I am sorry not to be able to attend the meeting.
An equestrian overnight facility would be used sooooooo much at McIver!!! What a great addition near Portland. I am a member of Valley View Riders and O.E.T.. These are equestrian clubs (riders) that are more than happy to help out where needed. There would not be a lack of helpers, if need be. There would also be many people who would use the facility (as there are now). It is wonderful to live in a state that still supports it’s very large equestrian population. McIver, Tryon, Hardy Creek and Mission are just a hand-ful of what is left for equestrian use in and around the greater Portland area. The State did a wonderful job on Stub Stewart, however, it certainly is not as handy as the remaining trails accessible to us riders who are always looking for a place to go in the good ol’ Oregon winters. There are few places left in the Metro area. Please keep them available and add to them in any way, if at all possible.
Faye W.
I have a few suggestions for the park planning process. These are a few things that my family and myself would like to see addressed. We use the park regularly.
1. Develop an RV Group Camping or a mix there of. A place were family reunions could have RV’s and Tent camping in the same area.
2. Develop a trail that connects McIver park to the Cazadero Trail in Estacada, accessible by foot, bikes and horses. This would open up miles of trail to the park users and the community of Estacada. This could be a destination campground for bike riders of Portland Metro Area.
3. Less lawn, it seems that the mowing that occurs at the park is a waist of resources. Restoration of these areas should be taken into consideration and would reduce long term maintenance cost.
4. Improve muddy conditions of trails used by horse back riders.
5. New Bathroom facilities at campground and Group Camp areas.
6. Purchase and protect more land adjacent to the Clackamas River, develop appropriate recreational opportunities such as hiking trails.
7. Develop trail connection from McIver Park to Estacada then to PGE facility at Faraday and eventually all the way to a National Forest trail network system that ties into the Pacific Crest Trail. (Big Picture Project).
8. Pave road to boat launch on Estacada Lake. Increase parking lot size a little and pave. In the summer months inspect boats coming into the park for aquatic invasive species. This could be done at the entrance booth. Help protect the Clackamas River.
9. Develop better natural resource stewardship within the park. Increase money spend on invasive species control within the park as well as natural resource restoration.
The equestrian trails are great and well maintained for year round use. McIver is one of the few winter time horse parks available that is close in. Thanks for the bigger parking lot and the covered picnic area. What a great place to have some horse camping sites.
I would love to see the invasive plants removed and the addition of native plants. The lawn areas are ideal to establish Meadowlark and other bird habitats. I would like to re-introduce the diversity of what is known as Willamette Wet Prairie habitats. I would like to see the Park used more educationally.