Growing Community

Club members provide hands on support to local native and pollinator gardens at the McLean House and Mary S. Young Park in West Linn.

McLean Park & House
5350 River Street
West Linn, ORF 97068

The McLean House, located on the banks of the Willamette River is a three-story, 17-room home situated on artfully landscaped grounds. This “Jewel of the City” was built in 1927, and has been lovingly restored for the community. The park is the only publicly owned semi-formal or cottage-style garden in West Linn. It is a nice place to picnic with your family or sit quietly enjoying the beautiful landscape and river views.

In the fall of 2023, the West Linn Garden Club will complete the restoration of the front of the McLean House with a lavender demonstration garden. Members planted a variety of perennial plants and shrubs donated to the West Linn Garden Club by Monrovia Nursery. Club member Judy Hutchinson serves as the liaison between the Club and the City under West Linn’s Adopt a Park program. Volunteers are always welcome. Please contact Judy Hutchinson at land77am@msn.com

The Mclean House is owned by the City of West Linn, and up until December 2022, was operated by the Friends of Mclean Park and House, a separate nonprofit organization. It is now managed by the City of West Linn’s Parks and Recreation Department. As the City develops a plan, private rentals of the house will not be available. Please check back at https://westlinnoregon.gov/parksrec/reserve-facility for any updates in the future. For more information you can contact Parks & Recreation at 503-557-4700

The park is open until 9 pm each night.

  

Mary S. Young Park
19900 Willamette Drive
West Linn, OR 97068

The park is situated alongside the Willamette River and is heavily wooded. It offers more than five miles of hiking trails, bicycle trails, picnicking, bird watching, fishing, sports fields, and a very popular dog off-leash area. About 128 acres, this quiet, forested park is a favorite for urban birders. As you walk deeper into the forest on the numerous trails (5-8 miles worth), it’s easy to forget you’re in a city.

The West Linn Garden Club collaborates with the Clackamas County Master Gardener Program in maintaining a pollinator garden at Mary S. Young Park. Volunteers are always welcome to assist. This fall, members planted more than 100 pollinator plants donated to the West Linn Garden Club by Monrovia Nursery Contact: Cheryl Borden at ckborden1@comcast.net.

Maddax Woods

This 7-acre park is lovingly maintained by the Friends of Maddax Woods. Dorothy Maddax was an active member of the West Linn Garden Club and served as our president three times: 1975-77, 1979-81 ad 1990-94. The property was once the site of a thriving boat building business owned by her husband, Virgil Maddax. Virgil died on October 31, 1991 at the age of 93. Dorothy continued to live on their property until her death on September 13, 1999. They bequeathed the land to the City of West Linn to be used as a passive park. The Friends of Maddax Woods formed in 2001 to maintain the grounds and restore Dorothy’s gardens. Another goal is to rebuild Virgil’s boat barn to be used as an interpretive center. The Friends have been holding their annual Lighting of the Woods since 2004. Over the years, the West Linn Garden Club has contributed funds to the Friends of Maddax Woods in support of their community efforts.