Learn what group is trying to stop a new attraction from being added to this historic, nonprofit park – and their arguments against the changes …
The new “Drop Ride” at Oaks Amusement Park would look similar to this, according to an illustration from its manufacturer. Courtesy of Larson International
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
After 120 years of operation, historic Oaks Amusement Park continues to be the premiere family recreation destination in greater Portland Area.
Over the years, the Oaks Park Association – the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the park – has added major thrill rides, including the brightly illuminated 72-foot-tall Adrenaline Peak roller coaster.
The new Oaks Amusement Park’s “Drop Ride” would be located here, partially screened by trees, in what is now their central picnic area.
Here’s the location, as noted in the Site Plan provided by Oaks Park Association.
Most recently, The Oaks installed AtmosFEAR, a brilliantly LED-lit attraction that swings riders upside down, 99 feet into the air. [CLICK HERE to see time-lapse videos of this ride being constructed.]
As part of a plan for renovating the 44-acre park’s Southeast Portland campus, in December Oaks Park Association staff filed a permit review for changes to their property, located between the east bank of the Willamette River and the Oregon Pacific Railroad berm that runs west of the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge.
Part of the review includes a zoning change, permitting construction of a new thrill ride, generically called a 147 feet “Tower Drop” ride, in what is now a large picnic area near the center of the park near the Outdoor Pavilion.
Part of a multi-year park redesign
“We’ve been working on our park redesign for more than five years,” Oaks Park Marketing and Events Director Emily MacKay told East Portland News in mid-January.
“Drop Tower rides are popular in parks all over the world, and we look forward to bringing this new thrill to our community,” MacKay commented. “The installation of the Drop Tower will be part of our larger, multi-year refurbishment and rejuvenation project, to bring many updates and improvements to the park. That kicks off this year.”
Also part of the zoning review was the addition of six new “replica ornamental light” fixtures in the area.
Applying for zoning variances and permits is nothing new for The Oaks, MacKay said. “We’ve had to obtain ‘exceptions’ for almost every improvement we’ve made, from structure elevation, to placement of electrical sources.”
Friends group opposes changes
It’s unclear when members of Friends of Oaks Bottom became aware of the zoning change proposal, but on January 11, the organization issued a press release entitled: “HELP SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS TO PREVENT THE CONSTRUCTION OF A LIGHT TOWER IN OAKS PARK” that stated, in part:
If constructed, this tower would be an eyesore for much of the Sellwood Neighborhood.
The Sellwood Bluff, which runs along Sellwood Boulevard at the South end of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, provides scenic viewpoints out to downtown Portland, Mt. St. Helens*, and the Willamette River. A tall and glaringly bright tower would detract from the scenic elements of the bluff that attract so many people to walk, run, and play along it.
Moreover, on summer nights, the proposed tower would blast a wave of light into the residences surrounding Oaks Bottom.
More significant even than the assault on the beloved scenic area are the effects that such a light tower would have on the hundreds of species of wildlife that rely on Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. Bright lights illuminating the lake and marsh, especially at night, would negatively impact all manner of wildlife from birds to beavers.
* Editorial comment: With Mt. St. Helens being located to the north, and substantially to the east, one wonders how it could be viewed from the Oaks Bottom Bluff.
“I think this particular ride is not very conducive to protecting wildlife,” Ezra Cohen, the co-founder of Friends of Oak Bottom told news partner KOIN-TV-6 News. “Light from cities gets into the sky and disorients birds when they’re migrating and then they crash into lighted structures like windows that they cannot see.”
The brilliantly lit Adrenaline Peak roller coaster at Oaks Amusement Park tops out at 72 feet.
As noted, The Oaks operates several rides taller than the 30-foot height limit, because the park predates the city’s current zoning. “When Oaks Amusement Park opened, more than a century ago, there was nothing else here,” MacKay pointed out.
MacKay said that she and Oaks Park Association management had considered the possible environmental concerns raised by Cohen. “The Tower Drop and decorative lighting are in the middle of the park, far enough from the refuge to protect the birds.
“The fact is, we are a seasonal business that only operates 129 day a year,” MacKay pointed out.
“We’re operating primarily during daylight hours, due to long, summer days; and, the rides are only running after dark for a cumulative total of about 50 hours, spread out over the entire year,” MacKay responded.
Tall illuminated rides at Oaks Amusement Park? AtmosFEAR reaches 99 feet in the air.
Although the Friends of Oaks Bottom call-to-action concluded, “We believe that this proposal would wreak significant and irreparable damage on the 160 acre Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge” – MacKay suggested that she believed both organizations could work together toward an amicable outcome.
A glowing, all-new thrill ride, like this one, is likely to become the centerpiece of the redeveloped central area at Oaks Amusement Park. Courtesy of Larson International
In March, MacKay told East Portland News that they’ve made revisions and modifications to their plans, based on suggestions from governmental agencies. “This process may go on for quite some time,” she commented.
© 2025 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
click here to subscribe
