Bates State Park is a 131-acre Oregon park near Prairie City in the Blue Mountains along the Middle Fork John Day River. Open from May to October, it occupies the site of Bates, a former company town centered on a lumber mill that closed in 1975 after the community had once reached about 400 residents. The old mill pond remains a prominent feature linking the park to that past. Today the park offers primitive campsites, day-use access for hikers and bicyclists, picnic areas, and several miles of trails. Oregon acquired the property in 2008 and opened the park in September 2011 after extensive preparation for public use.