OPINION: Splitting access of Bob & Crystal Rilee Park failed

Published 9:25 am Thursday, July 31, 2025

By Anne Dufay

The multi-year attempt to share the hiking, birding, dog-walking and equestrian trails at Bob & Crystal Rilee Park with mountain bikes failed.

At the heart of that failure was a breakdown of community that saddens me. Discourtesy has been a through-line in the ongoing talks around this park. Ageism, sexism (old ladies — used as a pejorative) and classism are regular attendees at every discussion.

There were many reasons the project didn’t work. The terrain at Rilee Park is lovely. It is also heavily forested with short sightlines, ravines, blind turns and steep hills. Imagine a bike bombing at speed around a corner, splat into a child on a horse.

Splitting access failed. The equestrian trails were unsuited to children, riders with disabilities and the elderly. This put a damper on trail use. Then riders were banned without notice. The mountain bike club had, once again, scheduled an event on the horse side. There was never any notice given by park staff or on the park’s website.

Since bikes were banned there has been a noticeable increase in park usage. A donated picnic table provides rest to any and all who need it. The land is being loved and cared for, as its original donors hoped it would be.

Anne Dufay lives southeast of Newberg.

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