Swimming at Mill Creek Park in the Willamette Valley

Looking for more Willamette Valley swimming holes?
Head down the road to Buell County Park.

SWIM

Mill Creek Park is possibly the best publicly accessible place to swim along Mill Creek. The water here runs cold and clear, and is a little deeper than at nearby Buell County Park, making it possible to actually swim (at least a little). It’s a small swimming hole, but nonetheless a fun place to cool off in summer.

Mill Creek is shallow in most spots, but be mindful of deeper sections among the boulders. The creekbed here is rocky and sometimes difficult to traverse. I recommend water shoes or sandals with good traction.

You’ll also need good shoes just to get down to the creek. One downside to both Mill Creek Park and the Mill Creek Day Use Site is that there’s no easy path to the water. For able-bodied children and adults, climbing down the short but steep hillside isn’t too difficult, but for others the creek may be out of reach.

As with any water source, safety is always a primary concern. During our visit, the water level was low and the Mill Creek was calm and quiet. This is typical in the summer, but conditions vary. Always be mindful of currents and keep a close watch on children.

PADDLE

Because Mill Creek is shallow and rocky, it’s not great for paddling. Instead, bring your inflatables for lazy summer fun.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Both Mill Creek Park and the adjacent Mill Creek Day Use Site are free to visit.
• Vault toilets, garbage bins, picnic tables, and fire rings are available at both locations. The vault toilets are… not the best. But, they are there if you need them! The day use site has a fire ring by every picnic table.
• Getting down to the creek at either park is not easily accessible. At both locations, reaching the creek is tricky, involving a steep but short climb down a rocky, rooty path. Wear water shoes or sandals with good traction. Those with mobility limitations may not be able to access the water.
• Bring drinking water. Potable water is not available at Mill Creek Park or Mill Creek Recreation Site.
• Pets on leash are allowed.
• Mill Creek Park is generally uncrowded. Similar to our experience last summer at nearby Buell County Park, we encountered few others during our Friday afternoon visit. Or course, weekends and local heat waves can be a different story, so keep this in mind when you plan your visit.
• Look out for poison oak! Yep, poison oak likes Mill Creek, too. We passed right by a clump of it as we made our way down to the creek. In summer, the leaves, which grow in groups of three, tend to be bright green and shiny. In fall, the leaves darken, the turn red before dropping off in winter. Avoid touching this noxious plant if you don’t want to develop an itchy, bumpy rash.

HIGHLIGHTS

This low-key little park is perfect when you just want to spend a summer afternoon by the creek. It’s nothing fancy, but great for a picnic and some play time in the water.

THE KIDS’ TAKE

Mill Creek Park and its beautiful swimming hole received my kids’ full approval. They loved the clear, cool (but not too cold) water and the fact that we had the place to ourselves on a Friday afternoon.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

A few miles further north on Mill Creek Road, just across Highway 22, is Buell County Park. It’s another fun place to play in the water or have a picnic. Buell County Park also has a small playground. Both Mill Creek Park and Buell County Park are near Highway 22, which connects Salem and the Oregon Coast. There are a few wineries and other spots of interest along this route. One place on my list to try is Salt Creek Cider House, located just 15 minutes east of Mill Creek Park. If I try it, I’ll let you know.

It was summer in the Willamette Valley. In other words, it was the prefect time to head down to the creek. After a failed attempt to find water guns in Dallas (Oregon, not Texas), we hopped back in the car and headed to Mill Creek Park.

There were a couple of other cars in the parking lot when we arrived, but one group was clearly leaving, while the other visitors had wandered out of sight further downstream. J looked down at the now-empty swimming hole and declared his approval. We inflated our float tubes, made a pit stop at the pit toilet (stinky!), and carefully made our way down the steep hillside to Mill Creek. The trek from car to creek isn’t long, but it is definitely for the sure-footed only. Fortunately, the picnic tables near the parking lot are much more accessible.

Like many Oregon streams, Mill Creek runs cold and clear, sometimes tumbling over boulders, at other times fanning out into shallow pools. Here at the park, a lovely little swimming hole awaits those who can reach it. The kids (and dog) wasted no time getting down to business.

One thing we quickly realized is that this was not an ideal spot for bare feet. Having forgotten to remind the boys to bring their sandals, I made the executive decision to allow them to wear their shoes into the water. After all, they’ll dry out. The creekbed is covered in large pebbles, and the larger rocks at the edge of the water often sport a thin, yet slick, coating of algae. All of us enjoyed our time much more with our feet protected.

On the upstream side of the swimming hole, steep boulders force Mill Creek into a narrrow channel. The water level varies throughout the year, but during our late July visit it was scarcely over five feet at the deepest. Despite the greater depth, this is not a safe place from which to jump, as there are still many jagged boulders hidden beneath the surface.

For kids (and dogs), the wide open swimming hole is the best place to splash around and cool off. Unsurprisingly, this is where we spent most of our visit. But Mill Creek invites exploration, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before we clambered over the boulders to see what lay on the other side.

Just upstream from the swimming hole, Mill Creek is wilder, frothing over mossy rocks, the white water glistening in the sun. This area doesn’t invite swimming, but is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures of nature.

This particular stretch of Mill Creek doesn’t have a true tube run, but J determined that the narrow path between the boulders was worth a try. Getting the tube to the starting point took a little work, but he was rewarded with a sweet (and very short) float back downstream to the swimming hole.

As evening approached, it was time to go, but not before making one final stop. Just beyond Mill Creek Park is the Mill Creek Day Use Site. I’d never visited the day use site before, so couldn’t resist the chance to check it out. Like Mill Creek Park, the day use area encompasses a grassy, shaded picnic area adjacent to a small parking lot. A vault toilet (not quite so stinky) is available across the road from the lot. It’s a beautiful place for a picnic, especially as all the picnic tables have their own fire rings.

Now all was well, and the trip down Banks Lake to Northrup Point passed quickly. We made another safe crossing of the main channel, and were soon back at the dock. It was time to pack up. The sky darkened as we hurried to transfer everything back to the car, the first raindrops falling as we folded up the now deflated kayaks. Spirits still high, we drove off as the rain started to pour. Perfect timing! And a great end to a wonderful paddle on beautiful Banks Lake.