In 50 years, River Parks went 'from dirt and gravel' to 'place of possibilities' (2024)

In 1977, Bobby Bomer found his oasis: River Parks.

The 80-year-old runner has spent 47 years near the park, where he built a house close to the river, took the kids and grandkids to the playgrounds, and ran the Turkey Mountain trails with his wife.

A lot has changed since he first stepped foot in the park. He said in the early days, only die-hard runners would attempt to run at River Parks because of its few defined trails and lack of water stations or bathrooms.

Bomer has never stopped running, and the park has never stopped developing.

“We enjoyed the kids growing up, running and playing,” Bomer said. “My wife and I still go there all the time. From dirt and gravel, it progressed into a place of possibilities you can enjoy. Every year, there’s just something new.”

Bomer remembers the Memorial Day flood in May 1984, which caused multiple deaths and damage citywide, including more than $125,000 in damage to River Parks facilities. Bomer was a member of a running club at the time, and it had donated money to improve some of the trails.

When the flood happened, he thought all their investments were gone, but he quickly realized that it only encouraged those who cared about the park to work harder and recover from all the damages.

“We’ve seen a lot of crazy and interesting things down there, but we’re drawn to this place,” Bomer said. “My wife and I have done races around the country, and out of all the places we’ve been to, River Parks has one of the best trails and is one of the most scenic.”

River Parks is a special place for Janet Kendall, too.

Kendall was 23 when she started working at River Parks in 1974, when water fountains, safe trails and a pedestrian bridge were nothing more than future plans.

When Kendall became the manager of administration, she walked by the Arkansas River and wondered what that area would one day become. There were no pedestrian lanes and no pedestrian bridge, but soon enough, things started to take shape.

In May 1977, what was once a railroad bridge over the river was turned into a pedestrian bridge.

“Seeing the bridge before any renovation began is my first memory there,” Kendall said. “Since then, River Parks has become one of the most recognized public spaces. A former board member described River Parks as ‘Tulsa’s front porch,’ and I agree.”

During her 42 years with River Parks, Kendall has worn many hats. She handled the annual budgets, oversaw the auditing process and performed several administrative duties. Yet she said she never wished to be the face of the organization. She retired in 2016 but was invited to continue working part time for River Parks in the grants and special projects department.

Kendall attributes the park’s success to a set of factors, including River Parks staff, private donors, and the city of Tulsa and Tulsa County.

“I always felt like I could contribute by being the behind-the-scenes person,” Kendall said. “It is nice to get some recognition, but I would like the spotlight to be on the thousands of people who made it the success it is today.”

Executive Director Jeff Edwards and his predecessor, Matt Meyer, are two of those people.

When Meyer was hired in 2003, the city bought almost 100 acres to add to Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area. Since then, Turkey Mountain has become a location where Tulsans can bike, run, horseback ride and hike through 646 acres of urban wilderness.

Meyer said the development of Turkey Mountain is one of the things he is the most proud of. He retired in 2022 but said River Parks continues to take steps in the right direction.

Meyer is excited about the opening of Zink Lake over Labor Day weekend. It’s a project he and other local officials started working on years before his retirement.

“The success is a combination of the very dedicated staff and a very generous board,” Meyer said. “I’m pleased to see the staff is still intact. I think Jeff Edwards has been doing a good job and will continue to do a good job.”

Edwards was a frequent River Parks user even before he was hired to lead the organization.

Edwards said the 50th-anniversary celebration of River Parks can’t help but make him look back at all the changes the park has undergone.

A park that began with just 3 miles of gravel paths has since grown to include 26 miles of paved trails connecting communities and 45 miles of soft-service trails on Turkey Mountain, Edwards said.

“The park has had a phenomenal public-private partnership, and it’s just so well used and loved by the community,” Edwards said. “I think a lot of folks are just excited to be able to celebrate a mark like 50 years and are saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to go for 50 more.’”

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