Arrowhead Park

Just south of mildly, although consistently congested Irvington Drive, you will find Arrowhead Park at the corner of Arrowhead Street, at approximately the 3500 block.  Unless you are looking for the long, narrow stretch of park or turning to find a residence on one of the discreet cul-de-sacs down the street, you would probably never know it was there.  From Irvington, one of the few main streets that run over the railroad tracks to access Highway 99, only the shortest border of the park, featuring the slightest of rises in terrain, abuts the roadside.  Once you turn down Arrowhead, however, the park is a refreshing change of scenery from the clusters of homes and developments in the area and sprawls nicely down the west side of the street.

The trail at Arrowhead Park Eugene Oregon

The modest playground was safely erected at the far south side of the park away from Irvington, and it includes swings, two slides, a handful of benches and a water fountain.  During my brief visit, only four or five other people were present, including a Latino couple and their child, who enjoyed the play equipment as they conversed in Spanish.  A solitary man read a book on a bench that sat far behind me toward Irvington and a girl rode in circles on a bicycle.  A dense and thriving row of trees and undergrowth create a natural barrier between a row of backyards and the spacious lawn, which stretches from the playground back up to Irvington.  Around the western perimeter in the shade of the trees, an unpaved path provides pedestrians an alternative to the sidewalk at street’s edge.  Sporadically and recently planted, fragile-looking trees hint at the newness of this park’s development.

The park is open from 6am to 11pm.  Lane Transit District’s bus number 55 stops right in front of the park on Arrowhead Street, and while shade is scarce until the late afternoon, the open lawn is perfect for a picnic or game of catch.

Article and photos by Lauren L. Zavrel