Integrated Park System & New City Parks

The City is building a new integrated park system at the confluence of the John Day River, Canyon Creek and Davis Creek. The central feature will be a new riverfront park, with a multi-modal bridge across the John Day River to provide trail access to the new riverfront trail system, 7th Street Complex, Kam Wah Chung and the Grant County Fairgrounds.

Why are we doing this?

The integrated park system project will help create a walkable community with connections to the John Day River, downtown John Day and the John Day Innovation Gateway. Our long-term goals are to improve riverfront access, create additional in-city camping and recreation opportunities along the John Day River, and improve access to our parks spaces. This proposal keeps what is great about our community - our river, our fairground, the Kam Wah Chung site and the 7th Street complex - and enhances it by bringing these community sites together as part of a master park system.

These parks are used daily by residents throughout Grant County and Oregon. The JDCC Parks & Recreation District services 2,440 residents in John Day and Canyon City at the 7th Street Complex. Day use visitors from neighboring cities frequently visit the parks, with over 40% of patrons at the community pool visiting from outside the district. The Kam Wah Chung Heritage Site had 8,851 visitors in 2018 with guides conducting 16-20 visitors per hour through the store and interpretive center. John Day is establishing a sister city relationship with Sijiuzhen, which is in the “county” of Taishan, in the Guangdong Province from which the original Chinese immigrants to the area originated. This will further boost tourism once the state completes construction of its proposed heritage site improvements at the location of the current city park and pool.

How does it connect the parks?

The integrated park system is a placemaking approach to improve the overall health of our community and honor our heritage as a historic ranching, mining and timber community. It will include waypoints, new roads and trails and improved parking.

The integrated park system will tie together active participation features from multiple existing parks and will create the infrastructure needed for future active recreation facilities, like the new city pool. It will also create a walkable, bikeable trail, bridge and parking system to connect downtown John Day and surrounding residential areas to the John Day Riverfront and to the park system. 

Active recreation areas at each facility include:
 -  7th Street Complex: Bike park, Ball fields, Skate Park, Splash Pad, Tennis, Pickleball courts, Basketball courts, Playground, Trail system, Cross-fit equipment, Fishing pond, Disc golf, Picnic areas, Future pool and rec center.
 -  Hill Family Park: Future botanical gardens, Picnic areas, Trails, Open space and free play areas, Future river tubing and beach play area.
 -  Davis Creek Park: Viewpoints and scenic overlooks, Stream and rock gardens, Biking, Hiking trails, Bird watching, Riverfront trail system.
 -  Kam Wah Chung: Interpretive center, Kam Wah Chung store, Parks and open spaces.
 -  Grant County Fairgrounds: Overnight camping (RV and tent), Riverfront trails, Pavilion and Arena, Open spaces.

When will it happen?

We are proposing a multi-phase development beginning in the fall of 2019. The initial phase includes:

• New 7th Street Complex Parking Lot
• New trail from 7th Street Complex to the John Day River
• Expanded parking lot along John Day River
• Restrooms (north of Hill Family Park)
• John Day River Bridge
• Hill Family Park trails

The final design for the park will be submitted for planning commission review and approval on October 8, 2019. This page will be updated periodically to provide additional information.