Otters at Last: Minto-Brown 9/26/2026

We had plans to head to Eugene in the afternoon to celebrate our son’s birthday with my parents. My heel was feeling well enough to attempt another short hike prior to meeting up with them, but then I woke up with a stiff right hip making it hard to even walk. We had planned on a short walk at Minto-Brown Island Park to once again try and spot an otter. After my morning PT routine and a round of anti-inflammatory medication, the hip had loosened up enough that walking actually felt better than any sedentary position.

We decided to give Minto-Brown a try and headed out a little before 8:30am to make the 15-minute drive to Parking Lot 4 on Homestead Road.

We checked the slough near the parking area for wildlife and spotted a pair of pied billed grebes.

Pied billed grebe in the fog.

After checking this section of slough we headed out to Homestead Road (which becomes Faragate St S) and followed it along the slough to a gated road where we turned right to cross the slough.

Brown creeper

We spotted this Great Blue Heron from the bridge over the slough. We had also heard some loud splashing in the water and Heather and seen a dark shape in the slough but couldn’t make out what it was.

After crossing the bridge we turned right on the Blue Heron Loop to visit the slough where several otter photos we’d seen had been taken and where I’d seen the Green Heron on my previous visit (post). We checked a number of viewpoints and spotted a lot of wildlife but once again no otters.

Hawk as the fog was burning off.

Great blue heron

Closer look at the GBH.

Wood duck

Mallards and American wigeons

Great egret

Closer look at the egret.

We watched it for several minutes as it moved around in the algae, occasionally sucking in some of the water and expelling it. I had to post a photo and video to the Friends of Minto-Brown Facebook group to figure out this was almost certainly a carp.

Killdeer

Greater yellowlegs

Sandpiper on the far side of the slough.

After striking out on otters here we detoured on the spur trail I’d taken during my previous visit to the backside of Oxbow Slough.

There wasn’t much happening here other than some wood ducks in the distance, but a photographer we’d seen a couple of times already was here and he let us know that there were often otters in the slough next to the bridge we’d heard the splashing from.

With this new information in hand we continued on the Blue Heron Loop and made our way back to the bridge.

Field along the Blue Heron Loop.

Spotted towhee

When we got back to the bridge we scanned the slough where we’d seen the heron earlier but still no otters. At this point we decided to try walking up Faragate St. along the slough to see if there were any other viewpoints of the water. There was really only one obscured view, but just as we were about to turn around a red-tailed hawk landed in a tree above the road.

The hawk was a nice consolation prize, and we headed back toward Lot 4. However, as we were passing an obscured view of the slough I spotted three otters!

They spotted us too and swam off. We went back to the bridge for one last look and this time the otters were visible. There were at least four and possibly a fifth. Two of them were having what I decided was second breakfast.

We could have stayed and watched the otters for a long time, but my hip started hurting again while we were on the bridge, so we tore ourselves away. The good news is my heel felt much better during this 3.1-mile walk and the hip eventually loosened up again allowing me to enjoy the birthday celebration. Happy Trails!

Dotted line is today’s route.

Flickr: Minto-Brown (Otters)