Boat Landing · McKenzie River · Leaburg Lake, near Walterville
Lloyd Knox Waterboard Park / Walterville Canal Landing
A wide, quiet stretch of impounded water where the McKenzie slows down and the picnic tables outnumber the boats.
On the water here
confirm ratings locally
Kayakcalm reservoir water, not a river-run put-in verify
Whitewater raftFlat reservoir water above Leaburg Dam — no current to speak of verify
Drift boatused more for bank/dock fishing than as a launch point verify
Fishingbank access plus a floating dock over the lake
Canoeflat water, good for beginners
Paddleboardone of the calmest paddling surfaces on the whole riverThis one comes with an asterisk. The well-documented site here is Lloyd Knox Park, a 50-acre EWEB-owned property on the shore of Leaburg Lake — the slack-water reservoir Leaburg Dam creates — with more than 150 picnic tables, a floating dock, and enough open lawn to host a family reunion. It sits about 22 miles east of Springfield, and it’s one of the largest, most amenity-rich stops on this whole stretch of the McKenzie corridor. The ‘Walterville Canal’ half of the name likely points to the EWEB canal that begins its four-mile run toward the Walterville powerhouse nearby — infrastructure dating to 1911 that quietly pulls a significant share of the river’s flow for hydropower before returning it downstream.
Whether the canal-side name refers to this same property or a separate, smaller access point further down toward Walterville proper isn’t fully pinned down — see the research notes.
More detail
Getting there & parking +
From Highway 126 near Leaburg, watch for signage to Leaburg Dam Road; the park entrance is along that road on the shore of Leaburg Lake verify.
Facilities & accessibility +
- 150+ picnic tables
- Reservable group shelters
- Wheelchair-accessible floating dock
- Open activity field
- Sand volleyball court
- Restrooms verify
This is less a boat landing in the working sense and more a full-service riverside park that happens to have water access.
River conditions & hazards +
Because this stretch sits on the reservoir behind Leaburg Dam, there’s no real current here — the hazards are the ordinary ones of any lake: sunburn, cold water shock on entry, and boat traffic near the dock. The real hazard to know about is downstream: Leaburg Dam itself, which anyone paddling this reservoir needs to take out well above. Don’t attempt to run the dam.
Downstream of the dam, the McKenzie’s flow is also partly diverted into the EWEB canal system, which can leave the natural riverbed noticeably lower during peak irrigation and power-generation season verify.
Nearby landings & float planner +
This park anchors the upper end of a long, mellow reach that runs most of the way to Springfield.
Fishing at this landing +
Anglers fish the reservoir here for trout, and the dock makes it one of the more accessible spots on the river for kids or anyone who doesn’t want to scramble down a bank.
