Gradin Community Sports Park
A Dream Turned Reality
More than two decades in the making, Gradin Community Sports Park is complete — and it was worth the wait. Nestled on 32.3 acres in Gresham, this community hub started as a vision on paper in the early 2000s and grew, phase by phase, into a dynamic and thriving park in the Portland metro area. It’s now home to soccer fields and softball diamonds, pickleball and basketball courts, a dog park, play areas, an arboretum of native trees, and a winding walking path, all set against the sweeping views of Gresham’s nearby buttes and the towering Mt. Hood.
The park’s range of amenities means that it has something to offer nearly every resident, and with the paving of the previously gravel parking lot and walking paths, the park is navigable in all weather. A Saturday morning here looks like a dozen different things at once: kids chasing a soccer ball, neighbors rallying on the pickleball courts, dogs bounding through an off-leash enclosure, and families spreading out under the picnic shelter. More than a park, this is a gathering place, important to the people of Gresham and beyond.
Thanks to Your Lottery Play
The park’s Phase 2 expansion, completed in early 2026, was made possible through a diverse mix of federal, state, and local sources. $2 million in Lottery-backed bonds were crucial, and the centerpiece of Phase 2, the Amenity Plaza, was funded by an Oregon State Parks Local Government Grant totaling $467,950. The plaza features numerous new amenities, including:
- 8 pickleball courts with directional lighting
- 1 basketball court
- 2 permanent restroom facilities — critical for hosting large-scale, regional tournaments
- A covered picnic shelter
- New play areas for children
- Enclosed dog park
- 300+ trees planted throughout the park
- Short-term food truck spaces with hookups
All the Activities
The Sports Draw
The completed park now features four full-size athletic fields each for soccer and softball. The combination of the fields with lighted courts make it a versatile recreational venue, suitable for casual play and organized league competition alike, bringing people from around the state to experience Gresham.
Reaching through History
The Gradin Homestead
The site on which the sports park now sits was once the Gradin family Homestead. In 1896, Ron Gradin’s grandmother bought 20 acres with a $600 inheritance and built a cabin, then later a house. They cleared the land and planted orchards: apples, pears, and cherry trees. From then on, the Gradin family lived and farmed produce on the same stretch of land for generations.
In the late 1980s, the City of Gresham purchased the property from the Gradin family with the hopes of one day making it into a park, on several conditions. First, Ron’s father wanted to ensure that the Laceleaf Japanese Maple, a gift of love for his wife, would always stay on the property. He also had two other conditions: he would get to reside on the property as long as he lived, and he wanted the future park to bear his family name. The city of Gresham agreed, and the rest is history! What once stood at the start of the Gradin family driveway, you can still see the same maple today, ringed by a heart-shaped cement planter, as it thrives among the expanse of ball fields.
When we first opened our reservation books, they filled immediately. I think that tells the story, that there’s a lot of interest and desire. People are so excited!— Tina Núñez-Osterink, Senior Parks Planner
Parks as the Ultimate Public Spaces
With a population of more than 114,000 and growing, Gresham is Oregon’s fourth-largest city, and one of its most diverse. At the edge of the Columbia River Gorge, the city is shaped by its natural surroundings and its deep community roots. Gradin was built with that very breadth in mind. Whether you’re reserving a field for a youth league, rallying with friends on the pickleball courts, or shooting hoops on a weekday afternoon, Gradin has room for you.
Supporting Oregon Parks
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