Shevlin Park

Aspen Hall

Located in a beautiful setting, Aspen Hall features open-beamed ceilings, tile floors with wood framed windows and a full kitchen. It is popular for weddings, receptions and other celebrations. Learn more about renting Aspen Hall.

Aspen Meadow Picnic Shelter

This natural area offers a tranquil setting for field trips, receptions and picnics. Located close to the lower parking lot and first footbridge in Shevlin Park adjacent to Tumalo Creek and to the Shevlin Park trails. Capacity is 75 people.

Learn more about this rental. 

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:

×

Send email to

Your name *

Your email *

Subject *

Your message *

Send Email

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 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 achieve 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 preferably, small prescribed burns that will replicate what used to happen throughout the millennia. The lessons learned from the 1990 Awbrey Hall Fire mandate that we proactively manage this community treasure.

Shevlin Park is home to many species of native flora and fauna. Download the Shevlin Park Interpretive Trail Brochure (1 MB PDF) and take a one-mile loop hike to learn the natural history. You’ll learn about the geological history in the canyon, the natural cycle of forest growth and the birds and animals that call Shevlin Park home.  

The Deschutes River is home to many species of native fish and some of the most idyllic fishing spots reside in Bend parks. In addition to river fishing, the District also features fishing ponds at Pine Nursery and Shevlin Parks that are stocked by Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. View the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife stocking schedule here. Shevlin Pond is open to youth 17 years and under. Learn more.

Licenses: All state angling licenses and regulations apply at all locations. Fishing is open to youth, 17 years and under, and anglers with disabilities. Youth aged 12 to 17 must have a juvenile fishing license. Limit of two fish per day, eight inch minimum length.

Bait: Whether bait and/or fly fishing is allowed depends on location. Please check ODFW’s website for more information as regulations may change.

The first known Euro-Americans in the Shevlin Park area were fur trappers searching for beaver in 1834. The land was the site of early explorer camps, logging mill and railroads, fish hatchery and more. Shevlin Park was gifted to the City of Bend in December 1920 and the deed was officially transferred in January 1921. The park was initially 350 acres and has since grown to approximately 1,000 acres. Bend Park and Recreation District began acquisition in 1977, continuing with pieces of the land through 2017. Those involved include the City of Bend, Brooks Resources, Deschutes County, Joyce Coats, Tumalo Creek Development LLC, and Trust for Public Land. Development was supported by a Land and Water Conservation grant in 1974. The Skate Shack work was supported by an Oregon Department of Transportation grant in 1989. Shevlin Conservation Easement was supported by a local government grant in 2000. Access work was supported by a local government grant in 2017. The Miller Tree Farm property acquisition was supported by a 2016 Community Forest Grant. The 2023 Trail work was supported by the Deschutes Trails Coalition. Fun facts: The pond was a skating rink. And in 1926, the local boy scouts helped save the park from a fire.