Crystal Lake Sports Fields — Attraction in Corvallis

The trails surrounding the Crystal Lake Sports Fields (which are very well maintained for that purpose) are my main interaction with the area. When you first head towards the river from the parking lot, there's a slow eddy that everyone brings there dogs to socialize and swim, that's always entertaining. As you explore further back along the river there are river-rock stone beaches and little hidden treasures, don't go too far off some trails though because it gets swampy. There are huge, mature cottonwoods throughout this section. Wrapping around to the opposite side of the sports field from the river you can connect with barkchip paths that wander through a younger planting of ponderosa pines and oaks, or you can continue on along the main river trial and transition into Willamette Park (disc golf hub), which is also a classic park....

This place is BEAUTIFUL!! You can swim and bring your dogs. They can run off leash. The place is clean. I had only seen like two pieces of trash and we walked quite a distance. The water is pretty clear and clean. We got in about waist deep and our dog swam around. Nothing. I repeat. NOTHING that went into the water smelled afterwards. Everyone that was around was very friendly and i highly recommend this. (Make sure you wear water shoes or whatever because your feet will sink a little when standing in the water. Also helps your feet not hurt when standing on the...

This is a large city park with ample paved and unpaved paths and many sports fields (baseball/softball and soccer). There are shelters and porta potties and ample parking. Unfortunately, if you get too far off the paths or go down the wrong unpaved trail, you will run into encampments of homeless people. The police try to keep them out, but the city has no other good places for them to be, so they...