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County Parks
Harney County has two parks that have limited development but
are available for public use. These two parks are Theimer Park and Craddock Park. Of the two,
Theimer Park is the most accessible and the most scenic. Currently,
Theimer Park is primarily used as the location of the Boy Scout cabin.
Theimer Park
Theimer Park is located north of Burns approximately 12 miles
(MP 57) with the access road being right off of US Highway 395. Theimer
has a canyon area that has steep slopes with Ponderosa Pine and a small creek
running through it. There is approximately 400 acres of both Pine trees,
juniper and sagebrush. Other groups or individuals/families can also
use the cabin and surrounds.
How
did the County come to own Theimer Park?
The history of Theimer Park is an
interesting one. The deed conveying the ownership from William F.
Theimer to the County was dated March 7, 1936. The sum of the payment
was $1. Mr. Theimer's original cabin is still standing on the property
which is above the canyon. During the mid 1980s The Boy Scouts built a new
cabin in the bottom of the Canyon for use by the Scouts and others.
There have been many projects around the "Scout Cabin" which have improved the
area and made this property very enjoyable to visit.
Improvements to the Cabin and surroundings have
been completed over the years. A number of camping spots were developed as well
as an Amphitheater for programs. The Cabin has had some updates with a new
wood stove and decking. Many of the projects were completed as part of Eagle
Scout Projects or other Scouting oriented projects. Continued improvements
to the road and other features will bring about even better conditions for the
public and the Scouts to use this valuable County resource.
A complete forest management plan was established prior to the tree selection
process in order to ensure that the removal of the selected trees would result
in a more healthy and vibrant tree stand for this area.
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