Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site |
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Picnic area
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| Type | Public, state |
| Location | Polk, County, Oregon |
| Nearest city | Monmouth |
| Operated by | Oregon Parks and Recreation Department |
Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site, also known as Helmick Park, is a fun state park in Polk County, Oregon, USA. It's located near the city of Monmouth. The park sits by the Luckiamute River and is filled with tall trees. You can see Bigleaf Maple, Douglas-fir, and Black Cottonwood trees there. This special park is named after Sarah Helmick. She was a pioneer who came to Oregon in 1845. She kindly gave the land for the park.
Park History
How the Park Started
Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site was the very first park land bought by the State Highway Commission. This happened on February 15, 1922. Sarah Helmick gave about 5 acres of land. James and Amanda Helmick also gave a small piece of land, about 0.3 acres.
The park is named after Sarah Helmick (1823-1924). She was an important pioneer in Oregon. She and her husband settled on this land in the 1840s. Sarah Helmick lived in Albany, Oregon. She donated her land to be used as a place for cars to stop and camp. This was called an "automobile campground" back then.
Park Growth
Over the years, the park grew bigger. In 1948, about 23.65 acres were bought and added. Later that same year, another 1.7 acres were given to the park. Today, Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site is a day-use park. This means you can visit during the day. In the past, people could camp overnight there.
Nature at the Park
Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site is a beautiful place to explore nature. It is located on the floodplain of the Luckiamute River. A floodplain is a flat area of land next to a river. This area can sometimes get flooded when the river overflows.
The park is home to many different kinds of trees. You can find large Bigleaf Maple trees. There are also tall Douglas-fir trees. Another common tree is the Black Cottonwood. These trees make the park a shady and green place to visit.
