Clackamas County, OR Public Conduct: Public Alcohol Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Day-use areas
- Alcohol possession banned, no permit offered
- Group picnic areas
- Permit available with reservation and payment
- Reserved campsites
- No alcohol permit required
- Fine
- $183 under §6.06.050(G)
- Enforcement power
- Confiscate and destroy alcohol on the spot
Summary
Clackamas County bans possessing alcoholic beverages in the general day-use areas of its parks unless you hold a permit for a reserved group picnic area. Reserved campsites need no alcohol permit at all. Rangers and park staff can confiscate and destroy any alcohol found in violation, and the county's fee schedule sets a $183 fine.
G. Alcoholic Beverages
1. No person shall possess alcoholic beverages in any general day use area in any county park. Permits may be issued for designated reservable group picnic areas when requested and approved and upon payment for the group picnic area. Permits for the possession of alcoholic beverages in reserved campsites are not required. Violations shall be treated as a rule violation, and any person authorized to enforce park rules is authorized to confiscate and destroy any alcohol and its container.
H. Park Property & Property Destruction
1. No person shall mutilate, deface, damage, or remove any table, bench, building, sign, marker, monument, fence, barrier, fountain, faucet, traffic recorder, or other structure or facility of any kind in any park area.
2. No person shall dig up, deface, or remove any dirt, stones, rock or other substance whatever, make any excavation, quarry any stone, lay or set off any blast, roll any stones or other objects, or cause or assist in doing any of said things, in any park area.
3. No person shall erect temporary signs, markers, or inscriptions of any type in any park area, without the permission from the Parks Manager and/or their designee.
4. No person shall set up or use a public address system in any park area without the written permission from the Parks Manager and/or their designate.
Full Breakdown
050(G)(1) draws a sharp line between day-use areas and reservable spaces. In any general day-use area of a county park, forest or recreation area, possessing alcoholic beverages is banned outright; no permit is offered for that space. 040. Anyone who has reserved a campsite, by contrast, needs no separate alcohol permit at all; possession there is allowed as part of the campsite reservation. 060(A), the authority to confiscate the alcohol and its container and destroy it on the spot rather than simply issuing a citation. That enforcement authority applies across every county-operated park, including day-use riverfront and boat-launch areas such as Barton, Carver and Boones Ferry Marina.
Violations & Fines
Possessing alcohol in a prohibited area without a permit carries a $183 fine set under Code § 6.06.050(G) and the county's parks fee schedule. Beyond the fine, the officer or park employee handling the violation may seize and destroy the alcohol and its container immediately; that confiscation is authorized by the rule itself and does not require a separate court order or citation to be issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drink a beer at a Clackamas County park picnic area?
Do I need a permit for alcohol at my campsite?
What happens if a ranger finds alcohol in a day-use area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clackamas County
Compare Clackamas County to another location·View the Oregon public conduct overview
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