Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge - Stanfield, OR
Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge in Stanfield, OR, offers a unique outdoor experience for dog owners and nature lovers alike. This quiet, out-of-the-way spot features pet-friendly trails and dog-friendly hiking opportunities, making it a great destination for those looking to enjoy the natural beauty of Oregon with their furry friends. While it is not a traditional dog park with playgrounds, it provides ample space for dogs to run and explore safely alongside their owners.
The refuge is known for its peaceful environment and excellent fishing spots, attracting locals and visitors who appreciate a serene setting. However, visitors should exercise caution near the water’s edge due to muddy areas and hidden fishing hooks. Families with children will find kid-friendly hikes and open grassy areas suitable for play. Overall, Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge is a distinctive dog park in Stanfield, OR, perfect for pet owners seeking a quiet retreat with scenic views and outdoor adventure.
FAQ for Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge in Stanfield Oregon:
- Is the park suitable for children? Yes, the park is good for kids and has kid-friendly hikes.
- Are there any safety concerns at Cold Springs? Yes, caution is advised due to patchy silt and mud areas near the water which can act like quicksand, and there are many fishhooks and discarded beer cans near the shore that can be hazardous.
- Can you fish at Cold Springs? Yes, the park is good for fishing with species such as perch, bluegill, crappie, small and largemouth bass. However, the water levels can vary significantly.
- Is the area good for nature enjoyment? Yes, visitors have noted it as a quiet, nice place for a walk with opportunities to see wildlife like elk, coyotes, and porcupines.
- Is there a playground at the park? No, there is no playground at Cold Springs.
- Are there any walking or hiking trails? Yes, there are kid-friendly hikes available around the park.
- Is the park open at night? There is no gate at night, but the area has a bad reputation and may not be safe to visit late.
Reviews
Good old cold springs . Used to be the place you could drive out and dump a body. Or leave a body. They haven’t found one out there in years, but people have still died out there it no playground thats for sure. It’s a resivoir for irrigation and it’s old, so when the water is low, the silt is high yocould get stuck in muck mud up to your waste and not be able to get yourself out. I sunk to my crotch one neg in the mud one leg out thats hoe patchy it is one step good the next like wet cement. Its a good thing i was not alonethat silt just flows into every airhole or empty space it can find fast and it had gone down into my hip wader as fasrt as i sunk cemenring my leg in the wader in the silti had to be pulled ot buy 2 grown men and then we had to get my wader out. . So be careful it’s like pockets of quicksand. Not to mention all the fishhooks, and i mean massive amounts of fishhooks . People but out chum lines strung out with beer cans . And then loose there hole line cause beeer cans are no match foe a good size catfish or tw smallones for that matter and the stick or the whatever they have them tied to gives and there goes half a dozen barbed hooks. The water rises and lowers so fast they sometimes get lost in the muck, so if you’re out there walking along the shorelineA. Stay in the dry areasandB. If you see a beer can just know there may be a hook chances are good that there will be a hook on a line pretty close but could be 3 feet of line or 6feet all curled up just close if the shore is wer it might be a few inches down and you could hook yourslf when the sink . If it’s dry, it could be waiting for your bare foot to dig in a little and cat h your toes. I would never let my kids dig out there if i did take them down there(i never took my young kids down there) its way too dangeriousFor small boating, it is great for fishing. You can catch Perch, bluegill,crappy, small, and big mouth bass. I dont remember catching any trout out of there, but we didn’t go there for trout. We fish among the flooded treetops for crappy. . It does not have a gate at night, so I wouldn’t want to go late. It still has a bad reputation.On a diff note this is just a flas ftom the past when you used to be able to get in thru the back side gate you could drive over the burm and you could get to the water pipe that sucked the water uot for irrigation. You used to be able to walk out on the rickety oldwooden planked walkway where just out of a movie set it was missing boards sone were only half boards some looked like the would break if you steped on them. Anyhow, we would walk one at a time trying to stay to the sides where there was a small lip of metal that held the board in place. Some pieces were even at an angle. It was dangerous. I can tell you now that im a grown-up thinking about it. we were young and dumd thou i think i was just 21 last I went out there. Still young and dumb . Why did we do this, and when i say we, I mean not just me and my friends but many many kids and mybe grown kids. It was because of the names and the sayings and the love you forevers that had been scratched into the paint on all the metel tresses for 50 years or so, and we did this 30+ years ago. They should take that down that old rickety thing and didsplay it at town hall or the library in Hermiston. I think a lot of people would like to see that again i would. I dont even know if it’s still there that the back gate has been closed to the public for 30 yrs. And blocked off from the front ever sense those people drowned at the spillway. You can’t even walk back there. Well youcan but it’s posted. dont do it, so you know..
This maps location is not taking us to the right place. Tried finding the entrance to water, and it is just a small bushy way, as shown in the picture, which finally did not lead to the water body. Please be careful when you are choosing this place
Not bad fishing. Very nice area.
Super great place I was introduced to by a great local. The water was low and we caught a few catfish one after another. She brought her dog and let her run around but we also saw a wild porcupine, so be aware! After we finished fishing we heard elk and coyote singing us goodbye and I will never forget any of it.
A little difficult to find but great spot to enjoy nature.