Curtain Creek Community Park opens in Clark County with $850,000 state grant

Clark County staff and community members on Thursday celebrated the grand opening of Curtain Creek Community Park, a 16-acre site whose first phase includes athletic fields, pickleball courts, a basketball and food stall court, an inclusive playground, a picnic shelter and walking paths, a presenter said.

"A vision that was decades in the making," the presenter said, describing the park as designed with community input to serve all ages and abilities.

The park also emphasizes nature-based play: another presenter highlighted accessible nature-play features and a large scavenger-hunt panel that showcases native birds and ties the play area to the nearby Gattis Wetlands Natural Area. "The bottom of the sculpture features glass mosaics that represent native and imaginary birds," the presenter said, and "at the top, we have an imaginary bird of flight sky dancer."

Phase 1 was financed by a combination of a Metropolitan Park District levy, the local real estate excise tax and an $850,000 grant from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, the presenter said. The presenter directed listeners to the county's project page for further details.

Officials said a second phase will add parking, an additional rugby and soccer field, another shelter and more trails. A resident who spoke during the program noted the project began in 1999 and urged continued community visioning and resource-seeking to support projects that contribute to local health and vibrancy.

For more information about Curtain Creek Community Park, the presenter provided the county website clark.wa.gov/publicworks/curtincreekcommunitypark.