By Justin Andress, For The Mountain Times
Sandy draws thousands of action sports tourists each year. Unfortunately, a lot of those people drive through Sandy as they heed the call of neighboring Mt. Hood. With Cedar Park, however, Sandy has one more way to showcase its vast appeal.
On November 2, Sandy citizens young and old gathered to celebrate the grand opening of Cedar Park, an acre plot of land that houses an expansive skate park, mountain bike pump track, and jump line. Designed by the renowned American Ramp Company, the new park has space enough to accommodate riders and skaters of all skill levels. The park itself was the brainchild not just of the local parks department but of the entire Sandy community.
Sandy’s action sports practitioners provided a “big push in the design of the skate park,” said Rochelle Anderholm-Parsch, Sandy’s Director of Parks and Recreation. Once the idea hit the City Council’s agenda, skaters regularly attended meetings and testified on the park’s behalf. It was this sustained effort, Anderholm-Parsch explained, that helped the council “see the potential” offered by an action sports park.
The community’s response remained so strong that more than 600 people responded to design surveys sent to the community. That’s a new record, according to park designer Maddie Ferson of the American Ramp Company.
“I’m so excited. I’m really proud to be a part of it,” said Parks and Facilities Manager Tiana Rundell. “I just can’t wait to continue welcoming the community here.”
Community was at the heart of the Cedar Park decision-making process. The American Ramp Company worked hand in hand with Portland-based landscape architecture firm Lango-Hansen to build a park that appealed to everyone.
Landscape architect Kurt Lango’s enthusiasm was obvious when speaking about the project. “We were incredibly excited,” he said. “Thinking about it as a community space, and
as an action sports park, and how those two different things could combine to create a kind of truly unique open space for Sandy and for the region.”
Looking at the space’s effortless mixture of amenities, it would seem that goal was achieved. In addition to the action sports attractions, Cedar Park features ample green space so locals can hold soccer and football practices. It also features ready access to the Sandy Trail System.
“The public was really excited about the old track that used to be here,” Anderholm-Parsch said. “[We] wanted to keep a walking path, so we designed a quarter mile walking loop that folks can still walk.”
In short, the park manages to accommodate skaters and mountain bikers of all ages and skill levels without sacrificing the gorgeous greenery for which the area is known. When discussing his proudest design achievement, Lango was spot-on when he said, “when you look out at the park, you’re not quite sure where the action sports ends and the park begins.”
Cedar Park is something truly unique not just to Sandy, but to the state of Oregon. A facility of this scope has never been accomplished in the area, and the park itself is a strong reason for regional and national tourists to stop in Sandy and stay a while.
Wy’east Mountain Academy Head Mike Hanley was on hand at the opening. Though he spends his work days surrounded by state-of-the-art facilities, he was impressed with the results at Cedar Park, saying, “The city of Sandy has always had so much potential in the action sports world being so close to Mount Hood, but the opening of this park now actually makes this a reality for everybody outside of our community to embrace [action sports] and realize that there’s more to us than just the gateway to the mountains.”
Cedar Park is indeed an extraordinary achievement, especially considering the age of Sandy’s Parks Department. Though the area is home to 19 parks (13 of which are classified as “developed”), the Sandy Parks Department didn’t exist as a separate entity until three years ago. Before that, it was part of the city’s Public Works Department. On becoming an independent department, the team at Parks and Rec set about turning the vision of Cedar Park into a hardscape reality.
The new park has a bright future ahead of it. Anderholm-Parsch has several potentially lucrative ideas. “One of the things we will do — and we have our eyes on it for 2026 — is to host a Red Bull competition at the pump track.” There are also plans developing to use the space for biking and skating summer camps. Even town traditions, like Sandy Mountain Days’ annual Bike Derby will find a home at Cedar Park.
You can find Sandy’s newest action sports attraction just a block north of Proctor Boulevard at 17225 SE Meinig Avenue. Visit today: you won’t be disappointed!