SHARED CURRENT New access points make recreation safer while protecting riparian habitat for wildlife words MEGHAN ROBINS images RICHARD BACON
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y day, thousands of people play, paddle, and picnic at Miller’s Landing, a 4.7-acre riverside community park tucked neatly within the Deschutes River’s S-curve that winds through Bend’s urban center. At night, local wildlife overtakes the area, reclaiming what once was primarily theirs. In 2021, the Bend Park and Recreation District (BPRD) Board of Directors approved the Deschutes River Access and Habitat Restoration Plan, a guiding document focused on improving recreation and ecological values of the Deschutes River in equal measure throughout the city of Bend. The plan identifies 28 projects to be completed over the next 10 years. As of 2025, Miller’s Landing Park now includes new hardscaped river access points with grouted boulder terracing, stairways with handrails leading users gently in and out of the water, and strategically placed in-water boulders that create safe buffer zones separating floaters, kayakers, and paddleboarders from those recreating along the banks. Notably, this new design also includes three innovative access options: a dry ramp, a wet
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ramp, and a roller launch. The dry ramp allows users to walk or roll to or below water level and transfer directly into the river while keeping gear and mobility devices relatively dry. The wet ramp offers a gentle slope directly into the river with stabilizing handrails on either side. The roller launch invites users to place their water devices on a series of rollers, transfer to dry ground, then launch independently from the rollers into and out of the river. “We didn’t want to overengineer or overcomplicate the structures we were building,” says Ian Isaacson, BPRD Landscape Architect and Lead Project Manager for the Miller’s Landing Park Project. “Our main goals were to make access to the river more sustainable and more welcoming, make safer access points that won’t erode over time, and improve ecological uplift in areas where we have the opportunity.” After talking with hundreds of community members during the design process, including technical stakeholder groups, local organizations, nonprofits like Oregon Adaptive Sports, and individual community members with various lived experiences and ability