Shotgun Creek Recreation Site is a 277-acre day-use park run by the Bureau of Land Management's Northwest Oregon District along Shotgun Creek, a small forested tributary of the Mohawk River north of Marcola in Lane County. Only about 20 acres are developed, with mowed lawns, a ball field, two reservable group shelters and 23 individual picnic sites. The rest is second-growth Douglas fir and maple forest crossed by roughly 6.4 miles of hiking trail. BLM lists swimming as one of the site's activities and describes a seasonal swimming area on the creek.

From Springfield, take OR-126 east to the 42nd Street/Marcola exit and follow Marcola Road northeast for about 13.3 miles, through Marcola, to Shotgun Creek Road, the first paved road on the left past the community of Mabel. The entrance is about 1.5 miles up that road on the right (38455 Shotgun Creek Rd.). From the north, leave I-5 at exit 216 on OR-228, turn right on Bush Creek Road just east of Crawfordsville and stay on it for 12.4 miles as it becomes Marcola Road, then turn right onto Shotgun Creek Road. Paved parking lots sit inside the gate next to the picnic loops.

The swimming spot is on the creek itself. BLM's site map marks a beach area on the east bank beside the southern picnic loop, with a removable dam just downstream that was used to back up a pool in summer, and the agency's 2017 business plan describes a seasonal swimming area with a sandy beach. Shotgun Creek is small and shaded, and its flow drops a lot by July and August, so plan on shallow pools and wading water rather than a deep hole. BLM's current pages don't say whether the dam is still put in each season, and some visitor accounts describe the creek as mainly a place for kids to splash. The water stays cold, rocks are slick, and there are no lifeguards.

This is not a free site. BLM charges $5 per vehicle per day, paid at the self-service fee station near the entrance with cash or a check made out to the Bureau of Land Management; the receipt stub goes on the dashboard. The Northwest Oregon District annual day-use pass and Interagency (America the Beautiful) annual and lifetime passes are accepted instead. Group shelter reservations on Recreation.gov ($100 for up to 100 people, $300 for both shelters in peak season) do not cover the vehicle fee. Gate hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from May 1 through September 30 and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from October 1 through April 30. It is day use only, with no overnight camping.

Motorized off-road vehicles are not allowed inside the site, even though the 34-mile Shotgun Creek OHV trail system starts just to the north. Campfires are limited to the steel fire rings and grills BLM provides, and summer fire restrictions can shut those down, so check BLM's Oregon fire restriction page before bringing charcoal. Dogs must be on a leash. Summer weekends get busy, and the shelters are often booked for reunions and weddings.

Away from the water there is a playground, a sand volleyball court, horseshoe pits, the ball field, flush restrooms with a changing room, drinking water and a year-round site host. The trail network climbs the slopes on both sides of the creek: the Shotgun Creek Trail Loop (about 2.4 miles), the Tiki Trail Loop (about 1.3 miles) and the B.S.A. Trail (about 2.1 miles) wind through mossy forest and connect into a longer loop that Oregon Hikers rates as easy.