Heritage Landing is a popular boat launch and day-use area with access to the Columbia and Deschutes rivers. It’s just across the river from Deschutes River State Recreation Area campground.
The launch is gateway to the Lower Deschutes, a 100-mile section designated as a National Wild and Scenic River and an Oregon Scenic Waterway for its outstanding scenery, ecological importance, and recreation value. This is where river guides meet their clients, families gather to head out onto the Columbia for salmon fishing or water skiing, and anglers show off their big catch.
The Lower Deschutes uses a Boater Pass system to protect it from overuse and degradation. Boater Passes are required year-round for day and overnight use for anyone using a watercraft or floating device (including float tubes). Purchase passes online at recreation.gov.
The lower 2 miles of the Deschutes River from below Moody Rapids to Rattlesnake Rapids is a pass-through zone for boaters, meaning boaters are prohibited from stopping. This area is set aside for hike-in and bike-in river access.
Jetboating is allowed on the lower segment of the Deschutes River all year, except alternating weekends from June - September; boaters passes are required.
Detailed maps of the entire Lower Deschutes River are made available by the Bureau of Land Management.
NOTE: A SCAT Machine, also known as a portable toilet dumping machine, is available for waste disposal for a $5 fee. Please reference the step by step guide on the back of the machine prior to operation.
The Lower Deschutes River is managed cooperatively by three agencies: Prineville District Bureau of Land Management, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
Yes, a boater pass is required for anyone using a watercraft/floating device to access the Deschutes River or the Columbia River. All passes are per person.
Currently, 3 boater passes exist:
1.) Deschutes River Boater Pass: valid above Moody Rapid (from the Pelton Dam down to the I-84 bridge at Heritage Landing). Available for purchase online at: www.recreation.gov. If accessing the Deschutes River below Moody Rapid only, just a Moody Island Boater Pass is required.
2.) Moody Island Boater Pass: valid downstream from Moody Rapid (between the campground & Heritage Landing) and available for purchase at the self-pay kiosks ($2/per person/per day)
3.) Heritage to Columbia Boater Pass: valid only from the Heritage Landing boat ramp out to the Columbia River and available for purchase at the self-pay kiosk at Heritage Landing boat ramp ($1/per person/per day) Also, a $15 annual pass can be purchased online.
The first tract of land was acquired in 1963, when the state purchased thirty acres at the mouth of the Deschutes from the Columbia-Deschutes Power Company. Between 1977 and 1983, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department acquired 134.37 acres of frontage lands abutting the scenic waterway through transactions with private owners, using funds raised by the Wildlife Heritage Foundation. Between 1998 and 2002, the land was officially deeded to OPRD by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).