Riverside Park is not a fancy grassy park. It is a “walk in the woods”. Most of the trails are wide and flat. But some meander along the Lamprey river. It is a terrific place to bring a family for a picnic. Kids can run in the field, climb huge rocks, investigate the many vernal pools, and enjoy nature at its best.
The Park is home to the Cam Baer Disc Golf Course and the Raymond Dog Bark Park. There are picnic tables, a small playground, a large field with a performance pavilion, and horse shoe pits.
Riverside Park was created about 1998 as the brainchild of Henry Turcotte, a local realtor.
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The park comprises 62 acres of woods and fields and abuts Cammet Field. A portion of the property comprising 16 acres that runs along the river was swapped with the town and Henry Turcotte for a 2 acre building lot. The balance of the property was procured by the townspeople as a result of a warrant article. The property was previously used as a commercial gravel pit. Portions of the property fall under a grant that limits the building of permanent structures to approximately 1 acre.
The entrance to the park is located at the end of Sundeen Parkway which is off of Langford Road.
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While Riverside Park is town owned property, most of the work there has been organized and completed by volunteers. The Park is a “carry in and carry out” with no trash cans, porta potties or water available.
Over the years numerous community projects have been added to the Park. Eagle Scout projects include the welcome kiosk, the performance pavilion, and a number of hiking trails. The Neil Welch hiking trail was created by the Raymond Area Rotary Club with the help of local Boy Scouts. Many volunteers have worked over the years, some on keeping the trails cleared, others on the Memorial Garden.
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The Playground was installed by the Raymond Coalition For Youth with help from volunteers and funding secured through a Lowes grant. The Horseshoe pits were donated and installed by Henry Turcotte and Raymond Area Rotary Club.
The Dog Park was added in a section of the park that is not covered by the grant. There was originally a group that called themselves the Dog Bark Committee. The group was spearheaded by Steve Puderbaugh from Raymond Animal Hospital. Visit the Dog Park Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2239237422756837
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In 2022 the Baer Family working in conjunction with the Raymond Coalition for Youth created the disc golf course. This course is 18 holes and draws players from around the state. You can learn more about it by CLICKING HERE
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Riverside Park is an ongoing project and is always in need of volunteers. The garden would benefit from a group willing to take on bringing it back to life. Visit our Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/148501928158305
