Delta Park

Delta Park in North Portland lies at the site of Vanport City, an 'instant city' that sprang up in less than a year to become Oregon’s second largest city. Vanport was a company town that housed shipbuilders during World War II. The hastily constructed community was built on the frequently inundated floodplain of the Columbia River. On May 30, 1948, despite assurances from officials that they were safe from rising floodwaters on the Columbia, residents found their homes swept away by a twelve-foot wall of water when the levee at North Portland Road broke. Vanport was never rebuilt and Portland Parks acquired the land in 1960.

The park consists of two separate units separated by Interstate 5. East Delta Park is a complex of softball and soccer fields, volleyball courts, playground, and picnic area. West Delta Park includes a golf course, off-leash dog area, and natural areas with surprisingly abundant wildlife. Force Lake and a heron colony in the northwest corner of the golf course are home to many species of birds. Interpretive signs around Force Lake explain local wildlife and the history of Vanport.