After a couple of months of being on my own while Heather recovered from a bad knee she had been released to take short hikes with minimal elevation changes. With Heather cleared for action we just needed a favorable forecast for our December hike. When a day off coincided with a rain-free forecast we set off for the Talking Water Gardens in Albany. The site of two former mills Talking Water Gardens is a series of wastewater ponds created to assist with water treatment for the cities of Albany and Millersburg. While it may not sound like a typical place for a hike a series of paths and maintenance roads provide for a nice stroll with plenty chances to spot wildlife.
There are a couple of possible starting points for a visit to the gardens and we chose to begin at Waverly Lake and follow a route suggested in the Oregon Hikers Field Guide.
Waverly Lake at sunrise.
We headed left (clockwise) around Waverly Lake where a number of ducks were paddling around.
Mallards
Buffleheads
I think this is a ruddy duck.
American coots
Guessing these are some sort of domestic/mallard? crossbreeds. Very interesting looking.
More mallards near Cox Creek
Cox Creek flowing toward Waverly Lake.
Nearing the outlet of Cox Creek.
When we arrived at Cox Creek flowing out of the lake we crossed Salem Avenue then crossed Cox Creek on a footbridge.
We turned left on far side of the creek and followed a paved path 0.3 miles to Waverly Dr. NE and the other possible starting point, Simpson Park.
We almost got off-track here. This path on the right (just after passing under some railroad tracks) does lead into the wetlands but it wasn’t part of the Oregon Hikers described hike.
One of several interpretive signs along the trails.
Frosty leaves, it had been a chilly 28 degrees when we started out.
Simpson Park
We walked over to the park to take a look but didn’t check out the Simpson Park Trail this trip.
The Simpson Park Trail is a 1 mile out and back along the Willamette River. It also offers access to the Riverfront Trail which one could follow SW almost 3.5 miles to Monteith Riverpark at the mouth of the Calapooia River. With Heather being limited to shorter hikes for now that wasn’t an option today but will be something we look forward to trying in the future.
After the brief detour we recrossed Waverly Road and entered the gardens through a black gate.
We headed left past a mostly frozen pond.
Map on a welcome sign.
Frozen leaves
There are numerous different loops and routes available through the gardens. We followed the Oregon Hikers description linked above. We had to stop numerous times to consult the track map from that description to stay on the right path due to the trails not being marked/signed and the only maps having been located near the entrance. The paths themselves were in good shape and we saw a lot of ducks and other birds as we wound through the wetlands.
American wigeons
Bald eagle fly over
Flock of geese flying over
One of many unsigned intersections.
Robin
One of two memorials in the gardens.
Bufflehead
Green winged teal
Northern shoveler
Frost
Simpson Park across a pond.
After completing our loop we headed back to Waverly Lake where some fog had rolled in.
Fishermen heading into the fog at Waverly Lake.
Mallards hanging out in the fog.
Dark eyed junco
The GPS had us at a 3.5-mile hike, a little more than what Oregon Hikers showed but we did double-back a handful of times for one reason or another.
This was surprisingly nice hike and we’re anxious to visit again when the plants are green and water is flowing through the ponds. This was perfect though for a first outing to test Heather’s progress. Merry Christmas and Happy Trails!
Flirck: Talking Water Gardens
wanderingyuncks 
One reply on “Talking Water Gardens – 12/17/2022”
[…] It was a nice first visit though and we are now interested in returning in late Summer/early Fall when some of the flooded trails might be accessible. While the fog made it a bit hard to see we still managed to see a few ducks, a goose, several rabbits, the owl, a hawk, lots of smaller birds, and one bald eagle that flew overhead. From the trailhead we drove North to the city of Albany where we’d plan to visit a series of the city’s parks. The idea was to start at Monteith Riverpark and hike East along the Willamette River to Simpson Park and then continue along the river there past First and Second Lakes if the trail wasn’t flooded. If it was flooded, we could turn inland at Simpson Park and re-visit the Talking Water Gardens (post). […]