Bicycle Community Support Needed - Restore MTB at Parrett Mountain
Patrick Harrington
The following note is from one of the coaches on our NICA team and I wanted to send the information out to the broader OBRA bicycle community to bring more support. A local trail system near SW Portland has historically served a variety of user groups. Recent decisions by the Parks Board have restricted mountain bike access, and we’re working to encourage a conversation about restoring shared use where it can be done safely and sustainably. We’d greatly appreciate an email with a note of support or in person (or Zoom) support at the next board meeting.
Thanks!
Patrick
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Some of you know this story. For others, this may be new — but it affects our team directly, and we need your help.
A little background: Bob and Crystal Rilee Park on Parrett Mountain (near Newberg/Wilsonville) is where Lake Oswego Composite used to practice once a week. Our team didn't just ride there — we put in trail work too. In 2023, the Chehalem Park and Recreation District (CPRD) Board voted to remove bicycle access — and we lost that trail system overnight.
The good news: The CPRD Board is expected to vote on restoring bicycle access on June 25th. CPRD even commissioned their own independent study this year, which recommends opening the park to cyclists within three months. The evidence is on our side.
What we need from you:
✉️ Email the Board — by June 19th at Noon
Emails received by noon on June 19th make it into the official board packet — what board members actually read before the meeting. After that, your message is far less likely to be seen.
Write a personal message to bo...@cprdnewberg.org. Tell them who you are, that your child rides with Lake Oswego Composite, and that your team practiced and did trail work at Rilee Park. Ask them to restore bicycle access and develop a thoughtful trail management plan that works for all users.
Personal messages carry real weight. https://rileepark.org/ has a form letter if you need a starting point, but your own words — especially as a LOC parent or coach — are more powerful.
Share this message with other friends and family.
📍 If you can make it — please come
Rilee Park is about 30–40 minutes from Lake Oswego — practically our backyard. Don't let being outside the district hold you back. A small group of equestrians seeking exclusive access to this public park have been flooding the board with correspondence from across Oregon and Washington and showing up to meetings in force. We have nothing against equestrians — shared trails work — but we can't let a vocal minority speak for the whole community. Right now they're winning the inbox battle. We need cyclists — and NICA families — to match that energy.
Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 6:00 PM CPRD Office — 125 S Elliott Rd, Newberg OR 97132 Remote option (Zoom): cprdnewberg.org/AgendaCenter
We rode those trails. We put in the work. Let's show up for this one.