Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site

Love this place cuz it's always nice and QUIET. Kinda out of the way and the only thing there is restrooms, so not to many people go there. Not a good place for kids, no playground, no swings. Just a beautiful QUIET park. Let's keep it that way.

Nicely cared for little park! There are many deciduous trees, sho I'd like to come back for a walk in the fall.

Well maintained bathrooms with tp and soap. The group picnic areas looked nice.

Plenty of parking. Nice picnic areas scattered throughout.

Two trails give access to the small river, which is rather clean, slow moving, and generally no deeper than 3-4 feet.

Nice little day park. On Luckiamute River. Well kept. Super clean restrooms. Lots of shade areas.

This park is lovely, well maintained, and not crowded however I cannot seem to find the swimming hole people talk about.

Nice, quiet little park. Has area for a family gathering. There was a big family in the park at the time so really didn't get any pictures except for outside the park. Lots of places to just sit and eat a picnic lunch, or bring your food from a local restaurant in Monmouth.

Beautiful park. Nice for a walk. Family and pet friendly. Will visit again soon.

Lots of parking. Limited creek space for sitting or lounging. Lots of grass, picnic tables and bbqs to use. So pretty, lots of shade. Trails to the creek.

Very cute Day Use park. Great for picnics with trails to the river for Summer fun. Nice bathrooms. Has two reservable group picnic areas with electric and water. Lots of open spaces and picnic tables.

Smaller state park. Still a beautiful stop. Has campgrounds on one side. Day use for the rest of the park.

Great for Bird Watching and Spring Flowers, this is the oldest State Park in Oregon. The pathway to the bathrooms is paved, but a jaunt with a slight hill, which could be difficult for some alternative transportation devices, but the bathrooms are clean and accessible. The park features a road that circles around and provides locals or travelers a fine and beautiful walking track.

What a great little hideaway picnic park. Has a short trail for walking. There is a small beach on the little Clackamas river. Access is a little steep.

What a beautiful little park! We only stopped to eat lunch but wow!! Oregon has so many little surprises. It's on a river, has restrooms and is great for kids. Lovely trees

Nice little quiet park for locals. Not worth driving to alone but if it's on the way, make a pit stop. Short trail to multiple river spots. My dogs love it.
Bring towels and rinse water.

This was a beautiful Park. With plenty of room to spread out and for any kids to run around. There's a little stream that runs through it and it's fully shaded making for good place to beat the heat on a hot summer day. There are many different picnic sites as well as hiking trails.

Love this place! It's our favorite swimming hole close to our home. The park is always so clean. And the Park hosts are always so friendly. Great place to have a family picnic, swim, dog friendly, or just to get away for some peace and quiet.
But be careful in the early mornings or late evenings. We saw fresh cougar tracks recently down by the swimming hole.

The puppers and I needed a break from the car. We wandered around this park, exploring the beauty, the trees, the everything. Even on a 90+ degree day (whew, it was a warm one!), the shade allowed the dogs and me to enjoy our time without overheating. Definitely spend time here -- it's worth it!

Sooo much fun with Lil ones!!! I have 4 kids so I love bringing them here!!!

You do not have to pay to enter. It's a nice place to enjoy the water but the path to get to it is either very dry and dusty or muddy and slippery (careful!). I like to have picnics here. Off-season there are few tables closer to the paths that lead to the water but it has yet to be crowded when I have gone. So hasn't been an issue!

Ever wondered what was Oregon's first state park?
You might think it was somewhere on the coast or in the Cascades but, nope it was right here at Sarah Helmick!
The park was created after the Helmick family donated land along the Little Luckiamute River in 1922.

This day use park is beautiful and has picnic areas, trails, and is never crowded.
I highly recommend visiting.

I took our 2 dogs for a walk on the trail by the river. They and I always enjoy it. Talked to a man walking around the paved park loop getting his steps in. It's a great park!! Many thanks to Sarah Hemick for donating this wonderful plot and thanks to the caretakers & people who maintain it!!😃