Our History

North County Recreation Association (NCRA), in north Cowlitz County, was formed through the vision and hard work of our early Soccer, Softball, and Baseball Club volunteer leaders, the Castle Rock School District, and many community members, who all came together in an effort to create a first class Youth Sports Complex and Park for our children to play sports and the community to enjoy.

The original grant for the project was applied for in 1998, which stipulated there must be matching volunteer labor and donations to secure a grant, and specific completion dates needed to be adhered to. The initial grant was $250,000 which provided the basic bare-bones needs of the project.

Agreements between the three user groups were drawn up and signed in 2003, a non-profit 501(c)3 was formed, a 50-year lease was signed for surplus land from the school district, the grant was awarded, and dirt began to move. Without the ongoing help of dedicated volunteers and continuous fundraising over the years, the project would not have succeeded, and is still a work in progress — but its current estimated value now exceeds several million dollars.

The 65+ acre Park and Youth Sports Complex includes two baseball fields, two softball fields, field lighting, a utility field, two soccer fields, a concession stand, batting cages, restrooms, a first-class boat launch facility on the Cowlitz River, walking trails for the public with lighting, and a Community garden & orchard. And in 2023, over 660 kids from our community played sports here!

Nearly a dozen more grants, applied for and administered by Val Tinney over the years, provided funds to build a Maintenance Shop for equipment, and the Picnic Pavilion for our Community to have a beautiful gathering place. Our hope is the Pavilion will help fund our annual park maintenance.

The two latest grants, with help from Representative Ed Orcutt in 2019 for the Pavilion, and Senator Jeff Wilson in 2023, will help fund construction of a Kitchen/Restrooms/Storage Rooms & Bridal Suite to further enhance the facility. Visit our Weddings & Event Rental Pages for more information.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the thousands of construction and volunteer manhours at the Pavilion, and Maintenance shop, by Paul Helenberg, Vilas Sundberg, Joe Godinho, Chuck Stefani, Charlie Tibbs, Bob Gearhart, and the late George Comstock.

With our annual park maintenance and equipment costs exceeding $55,000 per year, we must continually raise funds to keep the park operating. We hold several major fundraisers throughout the year, and also offer Field Naming Sponsorships as business advertising opportunities for local businesses. After 20 years, North County Recreation Association Youth Sports Complex & Event Venue is still going strong, creating quality of place for all, THANKS TO YOU