Milner Historic Recreation Area

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Entrance. There is a shaded kiosk with site and safety information sitting on a concrete pad near both the west and east entrances to the site. Next to it is a tube for fee payments. To pay for day-use fees (but not camping fees), visitors can use the Recreation.gov Scan & Pay app with a mobile phone. Cell phone reception is excellent. No potable water is available in this recreation area. 

Parking areas with toilets. There are 2 paved parking lots: the Bicentennial Boat Ramp parking lot just north of the entrance and the Old Milner Boat Launch parking lot to the east. The Bicentennial lot has 35 oversized parking spaces for RVs or cars with trailers, 6 regular parking spaces for cars, and 2 accessible parking spots that share an access aisle next to an accessible double vault toilet. The Old Milner lot has 20 parking spaces for cars and 2 accessible parking spaces that share an access aisle next to an accessible double-vault toilet. Both parking lots have trash receptacles.

Picnic areas. Milner Historic Recreation Area has 2 sites with picnic areas: Old Milner parking lot and Perch Point. 

Just east of the Old Milner parking lot, there is a picnic area with 2 pavilions and a horseshoe pit next to them. Each pavilion, which has a fire ring and grill next to it, covers a picnic table on a concrete pad. Configuration of the picnic pavilions varies in ease of use by visitors in wheelchairs. Sidewalks and packed gravel connect the picnic area with the parking lot and toilets. 

Perch Point also has 2 pavilions, each covering a picnic table on packed gravel with a single-wall fire ring and separate standing grill. The configuration of the pavilion might make it challenging for visitors in wheelchairs to access the ends of the tables. The east pavilion is next to a generous gravel parking area. The west picnic pavilion has a concrete pad for accessible parking with extra space for vehicles with a side ramp. A wide, concrete sidewalk leads from the west picnic pavilion to the double vault toilet, which is on a concrete pad. 

Boat ramps and docks. Two metal accessible ramps flank the wide concrete Bicentennial Boat Ramp. The metal ramps have handrails and afford a safe transition to floating docks that are designed to remain stable even when people walk on them. One of the floating docks has a platform and kayak/canoe launch to assist with stability of the craft while getting in.  

The floating dock near Old Milner parking lot, used mainly to launch canoes and kayaks, is not considered to be accessible. 

Interpretive site. West of the Bicentennial Boat Ramp is a shaded accessible interpretive site, with angled signs providing information about the Oregon Trail, the history of the site, and targeted grazing initiatives. It has a small, packed gravel parking area and a concrete ramp/sidewalk to the interpretive site.                 

Accessible trail. A paved, accessible interpretive trail, which is east of the Bicentennial and Old Milner boat ramps, can be reached by car from either entrance to the site. There are parking spots at each end of it. From either end, it is 1.3 miles out to the site of the Oregon Trail ruts. The paved trail follows the terrain and does not have any steep inclines. Interpretive panels are located at each entrance to the trail and there is also 1 panel along the route. At the mid-point of the trail there is a bench without arms covered by a shade structure.

Campsites. The Miler Historic Recreation Area has 26 designated campsites that are numbered in 6 areas spread along the Snake River: Perch Point, Cedar Point, Cedar Circle, Bass Point, Bass Bay, and Muskrat Bend. Except for Bass Point, each of these areas has an accessible double vault toilet. 

At Cedar Point, an accessible camp host site can be used when it is unoccupied. It has a picnic table with an extended top to accommodate wheelchair users and an accessible fire ring and grill. The other campsites have varying levels of accessibility. In general, they are on flat ground with a natural surface or packed gravel, parking spurs, picnic tables, and fire rings. 

Note: Descriptions and photos uploaded March 2025. Please note that actual on-the-ground conditions may vary due to natural events (e.g., weather, wildfires, erosion), normal wear and tear, or site improvements.