These were the least visited Oregon state parks in 2025

20. Umpqua State Scenic Corridor, 19. Fall Creek State Recreation Area, 18. Munson Creek Falls State Natural Site, 17. Hilgard Junction State Recreation Area, 16. Fort Rock State Natural Area, 15. J.S. Burres Day Use Area, 14. Clay Myers State Natural Area at Whalen Island, 13. Cottonwood Canyon State Park, 12. Catherine Creek State Park, 11. Unity Lake State Recreation Site, 10. Goose Lake State Recreation Area, 9. Geisel Monument State Heritage Site, 8. Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Site, 7. Koberg Beach State Recreation Site, 6. Bates State Park, 5. Jackson F. Kimball State Recreation Site, 4. Red Bridge State Wayside, 3. Ukiah-Dale Forest State Scenic Corridor, 2. Golden & Silver Falls State Natural Area, 1. Battle Mountain Forest State Scenic Corridor

A large granite fireplace is still open for use at Battle Mountain Forest State Scenic Corridor in remote northeast Oregon.

How quiet were they? Almost all the parks on this year’s list reported fewer than 50,000 daytime visitors in 2025. For comparison, the most popular park in Oregon last year, Harris Beach, saw more than 2 million visitors.

A short trail leads to the base of Silver Falls. Golden and Silver Falls is a state park site in the coastal forest of southwest Oregon, home to two beautiful waterfalls and three miles of trails.

You’d be forgiven if you haven’t even heard of some of these spots, which are scattered across the state, found along remote mountain highways and tucked into corners of the Oregon coast.

Two parks that are mainstays on these annual “least visited” lists, Chandler State Wayside and Booth State Scenic Corridor, reported visitor counts of exactly 0 in 2025. The reason? According to the state parks department, both parks had their car counters stolen. For that reason, we left them off this year’s list.

One surprise entrant this year is Koberg Beach State Recreation Site, a rest stop and river access point beside a tribal fishing village in the Columbia River Gorge. The visitor count there dipped significantly from 220,000 people in 2024 to 20,000 in 2025. State park officials also suspect car counter tampering.

Camas Creek flows through the Ukiah-Dale Forest State Scenic Corridor in remote northeast Oregon.

Parks might end up on this list for any number of reasons, like temporary closures or wildfires, but for most of these places it likely comes down to their remote locations, ho-hum scenery or lack of amenities. Battle Mountain, for example, requires a significant detour off the main highway to visit. Geisel Monument, meanwhile, is right off U.S. 101 but with little more than a gravesite with picnic tables to offer it has a hard time attracting visitors.

The Grand Ronde River flows through Red Bridge State Wayside in rural northeast Oregon.

Regardless of the reasons, the simple fact remains: These were the least-visited Oregon state parks in 2025.

20. Umpqua State Scenic Corridor

Visitors: 54,038

Location: Coast Range

One-year change: -18%

Known for: Water access and views of the lower Umpqua River.

By day, Jason Rau works at the Klickitat Hatchery, in this summer evenings, he fishes for Chinook off a platform hanging from the cliff face at Koberg Beach near Hood River.

19. Fall Creek State Recreation Area

The historic Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge is a fascinating Old West attraction in the tiny town of Sumpter in eastern Oregon.

Visitors: 49,872

Gravesites at the Geisel Monument State Heritage Site on the southern Oregon coast.

Location: Willamette Valley

One-year change: -61%

Known for: A haven for boaters on Fall Creek Lake east of Eugene.

18. Munson Creek Falls State Natural Site

Visitors: 47,214

Location: Oregon coast

One-year change: +85%

The sun sets over Goose Lake, a 147-square-mile lake that straddles the border of Oregon and California near the southern Oregon town of Lakeview.

17. Hilgard Junction State Recreation Area

Visitors: 46,104

Location: Northeast Oregon

One-year change: -33%

16. Fort Rock State Natural Area

Visitors: 44,592

Location: Central Oregon

One-year change: +33%

People gather on the boat dock at Unity Lake State Recreation Area in Eastern Oregon.

Known for: A fascinating volcanic attraction with historical significance in a beautiful high desert setting. Read more in our guide to Christmas Valley.

15. J.S. Burres Day Use Area

Visitors: 40,152

Catherine Creek State Park is a remote park with a campground and hiking trails that offer views of the Blue Mountains in northeast Oregon.

Location: Central Oregon

One-year change: 0%

Sagebrush, rocky cliffs and golden brown steppe dominate the rugged landscape of Cottonwood Canyon State Park in north-central Oregon.

Known for: Sagebrush and towering basalt cliffs along the John Day River, just across the water from Cottonwood Canyon State Park.

The J.S. Burres day use area, which is part of Cottonwood Canyon State Park in north-central Oregon, runs through the sagebrush prairie on the south side of the John Day River.

14. Clay Myers State Natural Area at Whalen Island

Visitors: 34,039

Fort Rock is part volcanic wonder, part archeological mystery.

Location: Oregon Coast

A picnic area is found at Hilgard Junction State Park, found just off Interstate 84 outside La Grande.

One-year change: -5%

Known for: Pristine coastal estuary habitat that’s great for wildlife watching on the north coast.

13. Cottonwood Canyon State Park

Visitors: 33,076

Location: Central Oregon

One-year change: -9%

Known for: High desert scenery and camping beside the John Day River in north-central Oregon. Read more about the 2025 fire in Cottonwood Canyon.

Munson Creek Falls is a 319-foot waterfall found at a state park site in Oregon's Coast Range.

12. Catherine Creek State Park

Visitors: 27,056

The Umpqua River runs by the Umpqua Wayside State Park in the Coast Range.

Location: Northeast Oregon

One-year change: -35%

11. Unity Lake State Recreation Site

Visitors: 27,040

Location: Northeast Oregon

One-year change: -27%

Known for: A green and beautiful place for boating, fishing and picnicking in the otherwise arid high desert.

The J.S. Burres day use area, which is adjacent to Cottonwood Canyon State Park in north-central Oregon, was one of the least-visited state park sites in 2025.