Hillside Park

Care for Parks, Trails & Off Leash Areas

Volunteers help keep Bend’s parks, trails and off leash areas beautiful and safe places for everyone to enjoy!

Adopt-a-Park or Trail or Off Leash Area

Groups, businesses, schools, families or individuals can adopt a park, off leash area or section of Bend’s urban trail system. Volunteers help care for their adopted space by visiting regularly all year – picking up litter, pulling invasive weeds and keeping an eye out for vandalism, weather damage and potential safety hazards. Volunteers make at least a one year commitment and complete a monthly volunteer activity report.

Group Park Projects:

Your group can make a big impact by helping with a landscape maintenance project in a park.

Opportunities may be available in spring and fall, depending on the weather and vary based on the size of the group and current District needs. Projects are typically 2-3 hours and may include activities such as raking planting areas, spreading bark or playground chips, pulling invasive weeds and picking up litter. BPRD staff provides support for your group’s efforts and supplies any tools or materials needed for the project.

For more information about adopting a park or trail or scheduling a project for your group, contact:

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Dogs are a part of many Bendites’ lives and involved with their owners in many recreational adventures. In Bend, there’s so much to do with your four-legged friend including:

• Walk and run on the trails and paths
• Swim in the Deschutes River
• Play, walk and run off-leash at nine off-leash areas.

No matter the activity or adventure, it’s important that dog owners manage their dog responsibly so that everyone can enjoy the parks and trails.

City of Bend law and Bend Park & Recreation District rules require that:

• Dogs are to be leashed up in public except in official off-leash areas.
• Dog owners are to clean up after their dog. To help out, dog waste bags and trash receptacles are available at many Bend parks and trails.

Learn more about dog-friendly parks and off-leash areas. 

Natural play areas are park features made of natural elements or inspired by nature, which are meant to provide a different sensory experience than modern plastic and metal play structures. They are designed to invoke more creative, free play.

In natural areas, kids are encouraged to walk or hop across stumps and logs, race up a cluster of boulders or play tag with friends in a log forest. Using built-in hand water pumps, children can mix sand and water to build sand castles – getting their hands dirty and exploring in the process.

Learn more about Natural Play Areas.

Hillside Park’s property was acquired in 1986 from the City of Bend and William Smith. It was developed in 1987 with an agreement between the city and Brooks Resources. Named for the topography of the area and redeveloped in 2018, this park was supported by a Land and Water Conservation grant in 1990.