| Cottonwood Canyon State Park | |
|---|---|
 Information station in the park | |
   | |
| Type | Public, state |
| Location | Sherman and Gilliam counties, Oregon |
| Nearest city | Wasco |
| Coordinates | 45°28′42″N 120°28′20″W / 45.478371°N 120.47233°W |
| Area | 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) |
| Created | 2013 |
| Operated by | Oregon Parks and Recreation Department |
| Open | All year |
| Website | Cottonwood Canyon State Park |
Cottonwood Canyon State Park, established in 2013, is the second largest state park in Oregon, encompassing 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) on the lower John Day River.[1] The largest is Silver Falls State Park at 9,064 acres (3,668 ha).[1]
Park headquarters, about a two-hour drive east of Portland, is adjacent to Oregon Route 206 between Wasco and Condon.[1] The river, which here forms the boundary between Sherman County on the west and Gilliam County on the east, meanders for 16 miles (26 km) through the arid park.[2]
The walls of the main canyon reach to 1,920 feet (590 m) above sea level within the park, which also includes four side canyons: Hay Creek, Esau, Rattlesnake, and Cottonwood. These and the main canyon are flanked by grassland, sagebrush shrub-steppe, river bottom, and cliffs composed mainly of basalts of the Columbia River Basalt Group.[2]
- ^ a b c Richard, Terry (September 23, 2013). "Cottonwood Canyon Opens as Oregon's Second-Largest State Park, Thanks to Western Rivers Conservancy". Oregon Live. Advance Digital. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ^ a b "Cottonwood Canyon State Park" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. July 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2013.