Mountain Park is a 700 acre planned community on the East side of Lake Oswego. It
was the vision of Carl Halvorson (the man who Halvorson Island, the only private island in Oswego Lake, is named after). Developed in 1968, it is built on a dormant volcano, Mt. Sylvania. The population of Mt. Park fluctuates between 8,000 and 8.500 people meaning that just about 1 in 5 people who live in Lake Oswego live in Mt. Park. It also means that the Mountain Park Home Owner’s Association is one of the largest HOAs in the United States.
Households in Mt. Park include single family residences, townhouses, condominiums, and apartments. Every residence pays a semiannual fee. The fee averages about $400 per year and is used to maintain Mt. Parks extensive common areas. These include 185 acres of trails (15 miles worth!), parks, pathways, 3 tennis courts, and the recreation center.
The recreation center is a gorgeous facility with 2 weight rooms, a basketball court, steam and sauna, a massage therapy center, and community rooms that are available for hosting banquets and receptions. The recreation center offers a variety of classes that are free to members of the Home Owner’s Association: mind/body and traditional fitness classes, and water exercise classes (which are taught at the pool at Lake Oswego High School). There are also youth and adult activities such as game night, Kids Nite Out, Mah Jongg, and seasonal events.
The HOA publishes a neighborhood newsletter called “Parkways and Medley” where you can find out about classes and the current neighborhood events.
Because the community was planned, and pretty much all built at once, there is a uniformity to the neighborhood with well-cared for lawns and the stately sweep of hillside streets. Pricing goes from a low of $139,900 for a condominium to a high of $699,950 for a 4 bedroom house. Being on a hill, many of the homes and condos have views of Mt. Hood and Portland. Be aware that not all homes in Mt. Park are in the Lake Oswego school district. About 25% of Mt. Park along the North side has Lake Oswego addresses but is in the attendance area for Portland Public Schools. Property values are higher for homes in the Lake Oswego school district.
The whole idea of a planned community was pretty new back in 1968. Today this sort of community is being built and duplicated all over the country. But Mt. Park was a pioneer of the genre. And it has aged well. The neighborhood is clean and well cared for, and the recreational lifestyle is great.