Cool places for hot summer fun

It’s hard to beat a dip in a pool to beat the summer heat! Take advantage of our research, and enjoy some of outer East Portland’s best spots for splishing and splashing …

Many folks enjoy the leisure pool at the East Portland Community Center Aquatic Center during scorching summer weather.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
If the backyard lawn sprinkler or kiddy pool isn’t filling the bill when temperatures skyrocket, there’s lots of splashing fun to be had at East Portland pools or parks this summer.

While we don’t have a commercial “water amusement park” near town, Portland Parks & Recreation facilities provide hours of cool playtime for families. The facilities at the East Portland Community Center Aquatic Center include a two-story-tall water slide!

From our Front Page: Robert Duvall and son Taijiro take an exhilarating ride down the two-story water slide, before plunging into the leisure pool.

“We have seen a lot of people come out because of the heat,” said the Center’s director, Abbe MacFarlane, when we visited on July 7. “We’re fortunate to have one of the few fully air-conditioned [Community Center] facilities. The whole building is very pleasant, temperature-wise.”

MacFarlane added that they are seeing “huge numbers” for their open “Play Swim” sessions. “On the hottest days, we’ll probably max out to capacity. We’ve just added more guards, so we could accept the rest of the people in the line, waiting to swim.”

In total, she said the Center can accommodate about 170 people in the pool.

A big attraction of the East Portland leisure pool is the “current channel”. Behind it (above, right) is “The Vortex”.

Two pools, one building
“Actually, we have two pools,” pointed out MacFarlane. “There’s a 4-lane 25-yard lap swimming pool. And, there’s our leisure pool – it has a kiddy ‘Shark’ slide in addition to the big one, a current channel, vortex, and a 3-lane 20-yard lap swim section.”

Water depths in the leisure pool range from 0 feet to a depth of 9 feet, making it fun, and safe, for families to enjoy. And, while it’s usually more appealing to folks in the wintertime, the large whirlpool spa is always heated to 102 degrees.

When temperatures are soaring outside, this pool looks mighty inviting!

Check before you come
“We do have daily Fun Swim sessions,” MacFarlane said, “ But we have things scheduled the entire time the pool is open – like water exercise, lap swimming, and swim lessons. Make sure the pool is available for recreational swimming before you come, so you’re not disappointed.”

> East Portland Community Center & Pool – indoor and air conditioned – 740 SE 106th Ave. (503) 823-3450. CLICK HERE to see their website.

Other Portland Parks & Recreation Pools

Montavilla Community Center & Pool – outdoor – 8219 NE Glisan St (503) 823-4101
Mt Scott Community Center & Pool – indoor – 5530 SE 72nd Ave. (503) 823-3183
Creston Pool – outdoor – SE 44th Ave & Powell Blvd. (503) 823-3672
Sellwood Pool – outdoor, celebrating 100 years in July – 7951 SE 7th Ave. (503) 823-3679

> CLICK HERE to open Portland Parks & Recreation’s Swimming Pool pages!

School Community Pools
Don’t forget that our outer East Portland high schools also have great pool facilities you may want to check out:

Parkrose Community Center Summer Swimming Pool – At Parkrose High School, 12003 NE Shaver St. (a long block west of NE 122nd Ave.); phone (503) 408-2600 > CLICK HERE for their webpage.

David Douglas High School Pool – 1001 SE 135th Ave. (it’s actually off SE 130th Ave. between SE Stark and SE Division St.); phone (503) 261-8378.

This cool “water feature” at Raymond Park provides hours of summer fun for outer East Portland kids.

And, you can cool off at Portland Parks & Recreation Spray-and-Play water features, located at these parks:

Earl Boyles Park – SE 112th Ave & Boise St. > CLICK HERE for their webpage
Stark Street Island – SE 106th Ave & Stark St > CLICK HERE for their webpage.
Essex Park – SE 79th Ave & Center St. > CLICK HERE for their webpage

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