McKay Park

McKay Park is a small 4 acre riverside park off Southwest Colorado Avenue. Although small, the park is important as it borders the section of river containing the Bend Whitewater Park.

The park first opened in 2000 and is named after Clyde McKay. The park offers a few picnic tables and benches, as well as restrooms.

There are options for hiking and biking here, including the Mill A Loop of the Deschutes River Trail. But the most popular activities at McKay Park are water related. A loaner life jacket station is located within the park if you need one.

The Deschutes River here is split into three distinct channels. Closest to the park is the Fish Ladder Channel. This is the channel you’ll want to use if taking a dip, or floating down the river. It’s also not uncommon to see people fishing here.

The middle channel is the whitewater channel. This is Bend’s Whitewater Park and contains 4 wave features. This channel is recommended only for advanced whitewater enthusiasts.

The third (far) channel is the Habitat Channel. This channel exists for the health of the river and wildlife. There is no access to this channel, but you can view the channel from above. This is a great place to watch for local and migratory wildlife.