Eagle View Park

Washougal, WA, United States

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West Slope

Eagle View Park

Washougal, WA, United States

Firm

Ground Workshop

Type

Landscape + Planning › Public Park

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2023

SIZE

25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft

BUDGET

$500K - 1M

Eagle View Park was not conceived as a destination park, but as an open-space folly—something one might happen upon, be drawn into, and explore. Organized as a sequence of three gardens—Discovery Garden, Art Walk, and Log Drive Garden—the park integrates meandering trails, scenic overlooks, gathering spaces, meadows, art, and interpretive features.

At the east, etched salmon motifs invite visitors into the Discovery Garden, an ecology-focused space with a central outdoor classroom. Interpretive panels honor regional plants, riparian habitat, and the life cycle of salmon. A small open lawn accommodates community gatherings and events. Moving west, the Art Walk links adjacent housing to the Waterfront Trail and features Quaytskin, a traditional welcome-figure sculpture by Indigenous artist Travis Stewart. At the western edge, the Log Drive Garden abstractly references the region’s historic log drives, where felled timber once floated from forest to mill. An interpretive log terminates the garden, illustrating the milling process while offering informal seating and play opportunities.

Drawing inspiration from river side channels—water bodies branching off and rejoining the main flow—the park “splits” from the Waterfront Trail, guiding visitors through a sequence of riffles and pools that reveal layers of ecological and cultural stories. Like a side channel, its circulation offers a slower, more contemplative path parallel to the trail. A series of wooden piers along the park’s northern edge defines this “channel” with a sense of permeability and rhythm.

Topography is sculpted to provide additional flood storage, with an elevated boardwalk in the Discovery Garden rising above the landscape. The salmon motif running along the pathway nods to fish migrating upstream through calmer waters. Clear sightlines and intentional design cues—art, materials, and interpretive moments—invite discovery and reflection.

Eagle View Park’s character pays homage to the river landscape. Meadows of native grasses and ecologically significant species sequester carbon while supporting habitat and biodiversity. Boulders unearthed during construction were catalogued and repurposed, recalling the site’s glacial and flood history. Locally salvaged timber and regionally sourced western red cedar are woven throughout, while crushed basalt paths minimize runoff. Concrete is used sparingly—for two seatwalls and an interpretive walkway—serving dual purposes as flood backstops and community gathering elements.

Set within the broad floodplain of the Columbia River on a post-industrial sawmill site, the 1.3-acre park lies at the interface of development and riparian habitat. As the region grows and density increases, the design reasserts the value of open space and ecological restoration. Native meadows and riparian buffer restoration provide critical habitat, supporting the park’s educational focus and Salmon Safe certification.

In a unique collaboration, the Developer and the Port of Camas-Washougal dedicated the 1.3-acre parcel as part of a community landbank. The Developer maintains the park for its first ten years before it transitions to City of Washougal ownership. The Landscape Architect, working with civil and natural resource consultants, identified opportunities for increased flood storage and habitat enhancement, and collaborated with the Washougal Arts & Culture Council to commission Indigenous art for the site.

Originally envisioned as a simple lawn connection between new housing and the Waterfront Trail, the design evolved into a layered and narrative-driven park celebrating the river’s ecology and history. In a world increasingly focused on the hurry of getting somewhere, Eagle View Park invites visitors to slow down—to experience the significance of the spaces between.