Just downstream from the Cascade Mountain town of Winthrop on the Methow River, a new 2-acre park was dedicated this fall for locals and visitors alike. Homestream Park, a beautiful space featuring artwork by Native American sculptor Smoker Marchand, is a restored riparian area with benches along the river; a short trail; and a public gathering area with shelters, picnic tables, interpretive signs, and a kid’s lookout fort topped with wood-carved osprey by Bruce Morrison.
The park is dedicated to the rivers and fish of the Methow Valley and to Native Americans who have called the valley home for generations. The art depicts the original Native American inhabitants of the area and draws attention to the challenges native salmon face navigating hydroelectric dams downstream. A meandering path with nine large boulders along the way symbolizes the nine dams Methow River salmon encounter on their own journey from the Pacific Ocean to the Methow Valley. The park was officially dedicated in October and visitors should plan to stop and enjoy this new public treasure on the way into town.Â
