Sellwood Riverfront Park
Encyclopedia
Sellwood Riverfront Park is a city park of about 7.6 acres (3.1 ha) in southeast Portland
, in the U.S. state
of Oregon
. Located at Southeast Spokane Street and Oaks Parkway, the park has paths, picnic tables, a stage, a boat dock on the Willamette River
, restrooms, and a dog off-leash area
.
Formerly a mill site overgrown with Himalayan blackberries
, the south half of the park includes a parking lot, the boat launches, and a large grassy area suitable for picnics and lawn games. The north end of the park is a native-plant wetland
and riparian zone
featuring marsh plants and willows. A formal path winds through the wetland, home to frogs and dragonflies
, and an informal path follows the river bank toward Oaks Amusement Park
to the north. Running parallel to Oaks Parkway along the east side of the park is the Springwater Corridor
, a hiking and biking trail linking the park to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
and downtown Portland, as well as the amusement park. Directly east of the park on the far side of the Springwater Corridor is Sellwood Park
. The Macadam Bay Club is across the river from the park, and slightly north of the club lies Butterfly Park
.
Portland Parks & Recreation
arranges free, sponsored, public concerts in the park during the summer. Performances in 2010, all held on Monday evenings, consisted of four separate concerts, one apiece devoted to soul music
, gospel
and rhythm and blues
(R&B), alternative pop, and rock
.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Located at Southeast Spokane Street and Oaks Parkway, the park has paths, picnic tables, a stage, a boat dock on the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
, restrooms, and a dog off-leash area
Dog park
A dog park is a facility set aside for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners...
.
Formerly a mill site overgrown with Himalayan blackberries
Rubus armeniacus
Rubus armeniacus, Armenian Blackberry or Himalayan Blackberry, is a species of Rubus in the blackberry group Rubus subgenus Rubus series Discolores Focke. It is native to Armenia in southwest Asia, and widely naturalised elsewhere...
, the south half of the park includes a parking lot, the boat launches, and a large grassy area suitable for picnics and lawn games. The north end of the park is a native-plant wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
and riparian zone
Riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
featuring marsh plants and willows. A formal path winds through the wetland, home to frogs and dragonflies
Dragonfly
A dragonfly is a winged insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera . It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body...
, and an informal path follows the river bank toward Oaks Amusement Park
Oaks Amusement Park
Oaks Park is a small amusement park located south of downtown Portland, Oregon USA, near the Sellwood Bridge. The park includes midway games, about two dozen rides that operate seasonally, a skating rink that is open all-year, and picnic grounds.- Rides :...
to the north. Running parallel to Oaks Parkway along the east side of the park is the Springwater Corridor
Springwater Corridor
The Springwater Corridor Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian rail trail in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It follows a former railway line of the same name in its route from Boring, through Gresham, to Portland, where it ends near the Eastbank Esplanade. A large segment...
, a hiking and biking trail linking the park to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge is a city park of about in southeast Portland, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in a floodplain along the east bank of the Willamette River near Sellwood, the park is known for attracting a wide variety of birds...
and downtown Portland, as well as the amusement park. Directly east of the park on the far side of the Springwater Corridor is Sellwood Park
Sellwood Park
Sellwood Park is a city park of about in southeast Portland, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located at Southeast Seventh Avenue and Miller Street, the park includes courts for tennis and basketball; fields for soccer, baseball, softball, and football; picnic areas; a horseshoe pit; a playground;...
. The Macadam Bay Club is across the river from the park, and slightly north of the club lies Butterfly Park
Butterfly Park
Butterfly Park is a city park of about in southwest Portland, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located at 7720 Southwest Macadam Avenue, the park includes a natural area and walking paths near the Willamette River...
.
Portland Parks & Recreation
Portland Parks & Recreation
Portland Parks & Recreation is the bureau of the City of Portland which protects the parks, natural areas, recreational facilities, gardens, and trails of the city of Portland, Oregon....
arranges free, sponsored, public concerts in the park during the summer. Performances in 2010, all held on Monday evenings, consisted of four separate concerts, one apiece devoted to soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
and rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
(R&B), alternative pop, and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
.