The truncated dock at Freeway Lakes County Park, photographed on Feb. 10, 2026.
It was in June 2018 when I last navigated the waters of Freeway Lakes near Albany in my canoe. I’m hoping to repeat the experience once it warms up this spring.
Eight years ago that June, Freeway Lakes County Park still had a floating dock near the gravel boat ramp and parking lot at the wayside off Freeway Lakes Road. The floating part of the dock is gone, even though the Linn County Parks and Recreation Department still shows it in a colorful photo on its website.
When I stopped by the wayside this month, the place was deserted and looked pretty much picked up. At this time of year, the water’s surface was clear of water primrose, which made boating difficult in recent summers.
Volunteers have worked in the county park off and on over the years, clearing away rubbish and building picnic tables. The county, though, has no immediate plans to do anything about making improvements such as rebuilding the dock, as I learned when I inquired last week.
Linn County is working on a new master plan for its extensive park system, most of it geared toward summertime recreation at the reservoirs and campgrounds in the eastern part of the county.
The last master plan came out in 2008, and it recommended improvements at Freeway Lakes, with its three lakes and 56 acres.
“With the exception of the restroms,” the plan said then, “the site is in need of renovation.”
The 2008 plan’s suggestions included better signs, a day-use and picnic area, upgrades of the parking lot, and trails connecting the lakes. It also called for establishing “a fully ADA accessible site that accommodates its semi-urban character and nearby senior housing.”
Now a new plan is said to be in the works. The question is whether any improvements will ever be made regardless of what any plan says. (hh)
The Linn County website still features this photo of the Freeway Lakes dock, which hasn’t been there for years.
The first of the three Freeway Lakes mirrors the hazy February sun.
A bilingual sign lets you refresh your Spanish. “Life jacket,” for instance, is “chaleco salvavidos.”
Freeway Lakes is sadly dismissed. A dock would be awesome!
Well first of all, the dock was funded by the Oregon marine board. Its clearly, or was stated by the bathrooms. In 2020, the dock was removed and a sign posted due to covid19. That plandemic caused alot of radical grief throughout ALL parks, and outdoors? Ya. So looking into the disasters that agencies did, therein lies the reason for no dock. I wont get into personal details of linn County parks in that era.
Hasso, can you park for free at Freeway Lakes? I was surprised to learn last summer that it now costs $7 to park at Waterloo Park.
“Linn County Parks Director Brian Carroll told me Monday that the dock was removed because of vandalism, and there’s no current plan to replace it. Looks like the vandals won.” September 27th, 2021, by Hasso Hering
Thanks for the reminder.