Benson State Recreation Area
April 30, 2020
The USFS' picnic area at Wahkeena Falls used to be part of the City of Portland's Benson Park. Today, due to the Union Pacific tracks, there is no legal access between the, now, State Park, accessed only from I-84 Eastbound, and the falls area.
1946 State Parks Report: Benson State Park
Benson State Park, classified as a "minor" state park, was so named in honor of Simon Benson, a zealous and untiring worker for the development of the Columbia River Highway, who gave most liberally of his time and substance to make it a reality.
The park is a tract of land of irregular width, extending from Wahkeena Creek on the west to a vanishing point east of Multnomah Creek, lying between the Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company's north right of way line and the meander line of the Columbia River. It is described as being in Lots 1 and 2, Section 12, Township 1 North of Range 5 East, W.M., and in Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, Section 7, Township 1 North of Range 6 East, W.M., Multnomah County, containing 75.80 acres. This tract was a gift from the City of Portland to the State of Oregon, by deed dated November 8, 1939.
Some years previous the present Benson State Park area and a strip of land south of the railroad right of way, exclusive of the highway right of way, were acquired by the City of Portland from Simon Benson, the Railroad Company and the other owners extending from the Wahkeena Falls area to and including the Multnomah Falls area, where the City of Portland erected the commodious and substantial, chalet type of concession building that adorns this Picturesque, widely known Multnomah Falls setting. In normal times it was well patronized by motorists and stage passengers.
When the Benson Park tract was conveyed to the State, the City transferred all of their holdings south of the railroad right of way to the United States Forest Service and they became a part of its previously established Columbia Gorge Park.
The state park is 800 or more feet in width at the west end, approximately 400 feet wide at Multnomah Creek, and from there to its eastern extremity it rapidly slivers to nothing. The entire area is low land. Prior to the construction of the Bonneville Dam, it was subject to overflow by the extreme freshets of the Columbia. A small portion of the wider west end supports a growth of cottonwood, ash, willow and underbrush, typical of the Columbia River bottom lands, having little or no commercial value, but is a soil stabilizer that affords sheds and shelter for any future park development. East of the limited growth there are scattering, old cottonwood trees, but most of the ground is open,
When owned by the city a CCC Camp was established on this tract near Wahkeena Falls, and its members were employed several periods. They erected some buildings, built good trails to the scenic upland points, did considerable roadside and trailside clean up, extensive fire hazard reduction. In this area, where forest fires are a potential danger throughout the entire fire season, clean up adjacent to highway and trails is essential.
All stages going either way, now stop for a few minutes a Multnomah Falls, and in the past, all daylight passenger trains paused giving passengers a chance to glimpse Oregon's highest waterfall which has a total drop of 620 feet (U.S.G.S.).
There are no facilities or improvements in Benson Park at this time.
W. A. Langille
State Parks Historian
December 5, 1945
Recommendations:
This is an undeveloped tract situated between the highway and river. This should have detailed study for improvement purposes.
S. H. Boardman
State Parks Superintendent
March 25, 1946
Chester H. Armstrong, HISTORY OF THE OREGON STATE PARKS: 1917-1963
Benson State Park occupies the area between the Union Pacific Railroad track and the new Columbia River Highway, beginning at Multnomah Creek, near the lodge of the same name, and running westward approximately one mile in Multnomah County. It contains 84.3 acres of lowland timbered with ash, maple and willow trees.
The city of Portland proposed in 1938 to deed to the State Highway Commission for park and right of way purposes all of the land which it owned in the Columbia River Gorge. That is, the areas known as Multnomah, Benson, Shepperd's Dell, McLoughlin and Crown Point. The Commission chose at that time to accept only the area north of the Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company track. Since the Commission did not wish to accept all of the city-owned land in the gorge, the city of Portland, in December, 1938, deeded to the state all of its land north of the O.W.R. & N. track, which was parts of Multnomah, Wahkeena and Benson Parks. Another gift of 8.5 acres from Multnomah County was made on May 20, 1958. These gifts, totaling 84.3 acres, then became a state park which the Commission named Benson Park in honor of S. Benson who had given the land to the city.
Development was started in 1950 by construction of a standard latrine, car parking area, tables, stoves and trails. A swimming beach was provided at Multnomah Lake. A good supply of water was secured from U. S. Forest Service's system across the railroad track at Wahkeena Park.
The terrain at Benson Park is generally level with only two low areas in which small lakes were formed. One lake, Multnomah Creek Lake, is open to the river but the other lake, unnamed, is not open. The Highway Commission gave the State Fish Commission the right to use the closed lake for experimental purposes in the propagation of fish. This lease is dated August 13, 1959, and runs for 10 years.
Attendance at Benson Park during 1963 was 115,772 visitors.
The Union Pacific Railroad Company gave the Highway Commission an undeterminable permit #373 covering right of way for use of a water pipe line across the railroad right of way. Permit is dated June 11, 1951, and runs for an indefinite period.
The U. S. Forest Service gave the Highway Commission permission to tap its water line on the south side of the highway for water at Benson Park. Use permit is dated March 7, 1951, and runs for an indefinite period.
http://npshistory.com/publications/oregon/history/sec5.htm#B
Oregon State Parks: Benson State Recreation Area
Simon Benson was a lumber magnate, philanthropist, and one of the principal promoters of the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway. Located one mile west of Multnomah Falls on I-84 at milepost 30 (eastbound access only), picnickers love this park; there's even a disc golf course and a reservable shelter for groups.
Try your luck catching some of the thousands of rainbow trout stocked each month into the lake between March and October. This is a non-motorboat lake, (no boat launch) so it's perfect for rowboats and swimmers.
Park property was acquired between 1939 and 1977, including gifts from the City of Portland, Multnomah County and Rueben and Rose Lenske. Early developments in the park were carried out by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1933 and 1935. Further development began in 1950 with day-use facilities and improvements for swimming in the lake on Multnomah Creek. In 1977, the State Highway Division acquired additional acreage through purchase.
The park is named for Simon Benson (1852-1942), a native of Norway who became a logging operator, roads advocate, and philanthropist. He was the first chairman of the citizen State Highway Commission which superseded the State Board of Control in 1917. In Portland he constructed the Benson Hotel , endowed Benson Polytechnic High School and gave 20 bronze drinking fountains (Benson Bubblers) to the city. Benson once owned a portion of the present park. .
Acreage: 290
Annual day use attendance: 166,950
Oregon State Parks: http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=106
CCC Camp
There was a CCC Camp located here in the early to mid 1930s. While it may have been located in the current state park property, it was more likely located where the current USFS picnic area is at Wahkeena.