Blue Lake Regional Park
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Blue Lake Regional Park offers a large, natural setting ideal for a family day out, featuring a lake with blooming lily pads, a beach, and covered fishing piers. It provides free life jackets and safety rings for water activities, along with clean, plentiful restrooms and nice playgrounds. Its upgraded facilities and diverse wildlife make it enjoyable year-round for various outdoor activities.
Key Highlights
- ✓Plentiful and clean restrooms.
- ✓Upgraded and improved park facilities.
- ✓Unique blooming lily pads in the lake.
- ✓Large park featuring a beach and covered fishing piers.
- ✓Free life safety jackets and safety rings available for use.
- ✓Large, shaded picnic tables.
- ✓Open trails and abundant natural creatures/wildlife year-round.
- ✓Nice playgrounds for kids.
Standout Features
- ⭐Free availability of life safety jackets and safety rings for water activities.
- ⭐Plentiful and clean restrooms.
- ⭐Large, shaded picnic tables.
- ⭐A beach area and covered fishing piers.
- ⭐Nice playgrounds designed for children.
- ⭐Tree branch covered paths offering shade.
- ⭐Opportunities for wildlife observation (birds, natural creatures) year-round.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Bring all desired snacks and drinks, as there are no snack concessions on-site.
- →Be prepared for a $5 car fee upon entry.
- →If planning a picnic, arrive early to secure a picnic site close to parking, or be ready to haul your gear a significant distance.
- →Consider visiting in the summer for an optimal experience, though the park is enjoyable year-round for nature activities.
- →Be mindful of dog droppings, as enforcement of the 'no pets' rule appears inconsistent.
Things to Consider
- ⚠Dog droppings observed in the park despite 'no pets' signage, indicating an enforcement and hygiene issue.
- ⚠Parking can be a considerable distance from several picnic sites, requiring guests to haul their gear.
- ⚠A $5 car fee is charged for entry.
- ⚠Currently no snack concessions are available on-site.
- ⚠Park reportedly closes 'too soon', implying potentially limited operating hours.
Price & Value
A $5 car fee is charged for entry. For this fee, visitors gain access to upgraded facilities, a large park with a beach, fishing piers, playgrounds, clean restrooms, and free use of life safety jackets and safety rings, offering good value for a full day of outdoor family entertainment.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific details regarding wheelchair accessibility for trails or specific facilities are mentioned. Tree-covered paths are present.
- •No special needs accommodations are explicitly mentioned in reviews.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •No snack concessions are currently available on-site, strongly implying outside food and drinks are permitted and encouraged for picnics.
🚗Parking Info
- •Paid parking with a $5 car fee.
- •Parking areas exist, but some are a considerable distance from various picnic sites, requiring guests to haul their belongings.
- •Other picnic sites are conveniently close to parking.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Reported as 'not busy at all' on a Saturday around noon, suggesting it can be relatively quiet even on weekends.
🛡️Safety Features
- •Free life safety jackets and safety rings are readily available for use, especially around the lake and fishing piers.
⏰When to Avoid
- • If you expect on-site food and drink concessions to be available.
- • If you have difficulty hauling heavy picnic gear over long distances from parking.
- • If a strong aversion to dog droppings is a concern, due to inconsistent pet policy enforcement.
- • If you require extensive late operating hours, as the park reportedly closes 'too soon'.
Pricing/Package/Events
Photos
What People Say
What's Great
- Safe environment for children (mentioned in 2 reviews)
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 2 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Can get crowded during peak times (mentioned in 2 reviews)
- Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 5 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Nathan Gotten
6 months agoWe used to come here all the time when we were younger. As we were passing through we needed a restroom and this was the closest place so we stopped. We paid for parking, though I don't think anyone else did. The sign said no pets but the park was littered with dog droppings which was the only negative. The restrooms were plentiful and clean. It wasn't busy at all on Saturday around noon when we stopped here. Nice small lake surrounded by park on one side and houses on the other. Nice playgrounds for kids and cool trinkets around the park.
avalon151
6 months agoAbsolutely beautiful park and facilities. Hadn't been there in decades. Has definately been upgraded and improved. My only criticism . . the parking is too far away from several of the picnic sites. You have to haul your stuff a considerable distance in some cases . . other sites and covering, are close to parking, so a mixed bag.
Paul Hernandez
9 months agoCall me sheltered, but I have never seen Lilly Pads blooming in a lake. Well, I think these are Lilly pads. They put a smile on my face today. Great large-sized park with a beach and covered fishing piers to enjoy a long mellow day fishing. Also a nice tree branch covered path. Pluses : life safety jackets and safety rings available (free) Large shaded picnic tables, Lilly Pads. Not-So Pluses: $5.00 car fee and currently no snack concessions yet.
John Smith
a week agoBeautiful. Will come back in the summer for sure!
Tyler Olson
a month agoBlue Lake isn't someplace I've been to a lot, but something I've noticed seasonally is it's always a fun trip. Open trails, a full bodied lake, lots of natural creatures and wildlife year round. Lots of reasons to love this little place in Oregon. Walk the trail, go fishing, look at some birds. You know. My only issue is it closes way too soon. But I love that you can visit it at any point of the year. So it makes up for it.