Our development team has long enjoyed a strong partnership with the Bend Parks and Recreation District. Over the years, many parks in our neighborhoods have been envisioned, developed and transferred to the Parks District for the enjoyment of all. We have more park areas planned in future phases of Discovery West and, of course, Central Oregon is home to a huge variety of parks all over the region.
One of our greatest amenities in the neighborhood is the 40-acre Discovery Park which is located, primarily, in our neighboring community of NorthWest Crossing. While Discovery Park does technically extend into Discovery West along Londonderry Drive (where our newest art installation is located), most of its amenities are just a short walk away down our connecting trail system. In this beautiful park, you will find:
- Fully fenced off-leash dog park
- Three-acre lake
- Picnic shelter
- Natural play areas
- Open space and trails
If you take the Outback Trail the other direction, underneath our pedestrian walkway that features the mural artwork of Doug Robertson, you can travel all the way to one of the crown jewel parks of our region – the nearly 1,000-acre Shevlin Park. While it’s not necessarily “next door” it’s worth the few miles trek to check out its old growth beauty along Tumalo Creek. It also features an event venue, Aspen Hall, a small fishing pond and miles upon miles of nature trails.
Staying closer to home, NorthWest Crossing has some other fun parks, especially for those with little ones. The round, five-acre Compass Park near the center of the neighborhood has a nice shaded gathering area and a unique playground, and nearby Lewis and Clark Park also features a playground for kids, a basketball court and open space.
Bend, Oregon has an abundance of parks to visit, the newest to open to the public, Alpenglow Park, is located in the southeast part of town and has new public artwork installed. For a complete list of area parks, visit the Bend Parks and Recreation website.