PGE Parks begin phased reopening, with limited facilities ready for visitors May 22

Portland, Ore. — Portland General Electric today confirmed three of the popular parks and recreation areas it operates in Columbia, Clackamas and Jefferson counties will reopen on Friday, May 22, in time for the Memorial Day weekend. PGE’s parks were closed March 23 to support mandatory public physical distancing orders issued to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus.

The company is aligning plans for individual parks and recreation sites with operators of nearby local, state and federal recreation areas. Details will be posted on portlandgeneral.com/parks as they become available, so visitors should check for updates before planning an excursion to any of PGE’s 14 sites. Parks scheduled to open on May 22 are:

• Trojan Park day-use area, near Clatskanie

• Promontory Park day-use area, campground and marina, on North Fork Reservoir near Estacada

• Pelton Park day-use area, campground and marina, on Lake Simtustus near Madras

Guests at the parks will be asked to practice physical distancing from visitors outside their immediate party. Other steps PGE has taken to help protect visitors’ health and safety include closing campground showers and large-group communal areas, extra facilities cleaning and disinfecting, signage to promote physical distancing, and additional staff support. The company is also working with the store and marina operators at Promontory Park and Pelton Park to help them follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety guidelines.

PGE’s other campgrounds and day-use areas remain temporarily closed, including sites at Timothy Lake and Lake Harriet on the Mt. Hood National Forest, boater access sites on the Clackamas River, and the Perry South and Monty campgrounds on the Deschutes National Forest. These sites are subject to broader U.S. Forest Service closure orders, so PGE is working with the Forest Service to coordinate reopening schedules.

Prospective campers may still make reservations with start-dates after May 29 for PGE campgrounds that remain closed. If closures extend past their reservation start date, campers will receive cancellation notices with instructions on how to make alternative reservations or receive full refunds.

Park Visitor Information: PGEParks@pgn.com