April 25, 2024 3:05 a.m.

The Douglas County Parks Department has announced that it has started Phase One of a much-anticipated park rehabilitation project at Whistler’s Bend County Park & Campground.

A county release said effective immediately, the department has temporarily closed the lower day use area of the park. Additionally, they anticipate a few intermittent closures around the upper campground area as the project progresses. Traffic control will be in place to redirect vehicles during these temporary closures. Phase One is expected to take four to six weeks to complete. As with any project, unforeseen delays due to weather, equipment and material availability could possibly extend the project timeline.

This phase is part of a two-phase project funded in part by a grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department through their Local Government Grant Program. The grant funds from OPRD were matched by Douglas County and utilized to begin the project. Phase Two is being funded in part by a grant from the County Opportunity Grant Program through OPRD and is slated to begin after Labor Day this fall.

The release said the upper day use area, parking lot, disc golf course and campground area will remain open during the project for public use. Citizens are asked to use extreme caution when visiting this area during the closure and to follow all posted signs, warnings, and work crew instructions.

Whistler’s Bend County Park and Campground is located east of Roseburg near Glide and is on the oxbow peninsula of the North Umpqua River off Highway 138 E.

For more information on Douglas County Parks, go to: https://douglascountyor.gov/802/Parks