We continue to be impressed by the number and variety of urban hikes in the Portland-metro area. On our most recent outing we visited three more areas near West Linn and Lake Oswego.
We started our day in West Linn at the Camassia Natural Area just before 7am. Our hike started from the trailhead at the end of Walnut Street.
A few feet from the trailhead is a signboard and the start of a loop.
We picked up a guide brochure and started the loop by heading left (clockwise).
The woodlands here were full of white flowers including trillium, giant fawn lilies, and giant white wakerobin.
We detoured to the right briefly at a “Pond” sign which led down to a very muddy wet area.
Continuing on the loop the next brief detour was to the left at a pointer for Wilderness Park.
We followed this path a short distance to a small wildflower meadow full of giant blue-eyed mary and rosy plectritis.
As we were returning to the loop trail Heather spotted an animal moving in a meadow below. As we headed toward the meadow on the trail we were excited to find out what was roaming the meadow. As it turned out our first wildlife encounter of the day was a domestic cat.
We were still a week or two early for the bulk of the flowers, especially the camas, but again this meadow had a nice showing of the plectritis and blue-eyed mary.
One of the few open camas blossoms.
The trail passed through the meadow and into an open oak woodland where we detoured to the right to an overlook of a large pond.
At a “High School” pointer in another meadow we left the loop trail again.
This path led past some nice flower displays to a marshy wetland.
The Oregonhiker field guide mentions that this wetland is “one the best areas in the northwest to see Great Camas“. We were too early to see much in the way of camas but we did spot a lone stalk blooming near the far end of the wetland.
On our way back to the loop trail we spotted a hairy woodpecker working on finding its breakfast.
The loop trail descended a set up steps and soon entered a rockier meadow with more flowers including some Oregon saxifrage which was still unfolding.
The trail then led to a viewpoint atop a cliff next to some madrones.
More wildflowers followed before the trail reentered the woods.
We passed a point for the Bridge Trail which headed downhill toward the high school parking lot and came to a viewpoint of Mt. Hood. Well what would have been a view of Mt. Hood on a clearer day anyway.
One final patch of camas awaited before we completed our mile loop here.
For our next stop we headed north on Highway 43 (Willamete Dr.) to Mary S. Young Park. A joint effort between the city of West Linn and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department the park sits on the bank of the Willamette River and offers many activities. We began our hike from the trailhead at the parking lot at the end of the park entrance road.
There were no brochures available with maps so we took a photo of a map off a signboard near the parking lot which turned out to be extremely helpful due to a serious lack of signage along the trails. We set off on the paved Riverside Loop Trail near the northern end of the parking lot. After a few feet we veered left on a wide unpaved path between picnic tables.
The woods here were filled with large trillium flowers of varying color.
After crossing over the Trillium Trail we turned right at a T-shaped junction on the Turkey Creek Trail. This trail led downhill to Turkey Creek.
After about a quarter mile the Turkey Creek Trail ended at the paved Riverside Loop Trail where we turned left. We stayed right at a fork and headed downhill to the Cedar Island Trail.
We veered left onto the muddy Cedar Island Trail even though we knew that the recent heavy rains had swollen the Willamette enough that access to Cedar Island itself would be cut off.
Rabbit hopping into the brush on the left side of the Cedar Island Trail
Cedar Island
After taking a look at Cedar Island we turned around staying right at junctions to pass around a sewer pump station on the Beaver Trail. At the far end of the station we turned left through a fence and dropped back down to the Riverside Loop Trail.
Fringecup and a couple of bleeding heart were blooming in this area.
We headed uphill on the Riverside Loop Trail retracing earlier steps to the junction with the Turkey Creek Trail. We passed that trail and continued uphill on the paved path for approximately 500′ where we veered left to a viewpoint bench overlooking the Willamette.
This 0.1mi path looped back to the Riverside Loop Trail which we followed uphill past a picnic shelter.
The path continued to the southern end of the parking lot where we had started. Here we veered left onto the unpaved Heron Creek Loop Trail.
We followed this trail as it passed the parks ball fields and some busy squirrels.
At the far end of the fields we spotted only the second pointer we had seen along the trails where we stayed on the Heron Creek Loop Trail as it headed back into the woods.
Back in the woods we spotted a pair of woodpeckers in the same area. One appeared to be a hairy woodpecker while the other was a red-breasted sapsucker.
Using the picture of the map on Heather’s phone we stuck to the Heron Creek Loop by staying left at junctions and crossing over both the Trillium Trail and the park entrance road. We stayed right at the next junction opting not to take the short Eagle Scout Loop Trail then stayed straight at a junction with the the Railroad Trail. Beyond that junction the Heron Creek Loop Trail soon began a descent to Heron Creek.
After a second descent and climb past a tributary of the creek the trail leveled out again before arriving at the Turkey Creek Trail where we turned left, crossed Turkey Creek and arrived back at the junction where we had turned onto the Turkey Creek Trial earlier in the morning. We then retraced our earlier steps back to the parking area ending a 3 mile hike through the park.
We then headed for our final stop of the day in Lake Oswego at the Tryon Creek State Natural Area. There are several possible trailheads for the park we chose to start at the large parking area near the Nature Center. (Note the Nature Center and Jackson Shelter are currently closed due to construction but the restrooms are open. No reopening date has been set as of the day of this post.)
We stopped by the closed Nature Center to pick up a paper map and also consulted the map on a signboard to plot out our hike. The number of trails and multiple junctions allowed for numerous possibilities. We settled on a loop utilizing the North Horse Loop, Lewis & Clark, Middle Creek, Cedar, Red Fox, and Old Main Trails.
From the Nature Center we followed a brick path right (north) to another map.
We stayed straight for a tenth of a mile passing the Maple Ridge Trail on the left just before a junction with the North Horse Loop.
This wide path led through a green forest with violets and trillium.
After .2 miles we stayed left ignoring the right hand route leading to a bicycle path and then quickly veered right when the North Horse Loop split creating two loop options.
This right hand path swung north another .4 miles to a junction with the Lewis and Clark Trail.
We followed pointers for the Lewis and Clark Trail and Terry Riley Bridge. The trail descended along a hillside above East Fork Tryon Creek to the small suspension bridge which passed over a side stream.
On our way down we passed a stump hosting a pair of snails. We actually spotted quite a few in the park.
Beyond the suspension bridge .2 miles we rejoined the equestrian trail and crossed over Tryon Creek on High Bridge.
The trail split on the far side of High Bridge where we opted to go left on the hiker only Middle Creek Trail.
We followed this path for .2 miles across a boardwalk and along Tryon Creek to another trail junction.
At this junction we left the Middle Creek Trail crossing over the West Horse Loop and headed up the Cedar Trail.
We followed the Cedar Trail through the woods, crossing the West Horse Loop again at the .2 mile mark, then crossing Park Creek on Bunk Bridge, passing a small pond and finally crossing Paget Creek on another bridge before arriving at the Red Fox Trail a mile from the start of the Cedar Trail.
looking back at Bunk Bridge
Bridge over Paget Creek
Red Fox Trail junction.
We turned left onto the Red Fox Trail and in just over a tenth of a mile crossed Tryon Creek on Red Fox Bridge.
The trail made a brief but steep climb up to a three way junction with the Big Fir and Old Main Trail. We opted for the slightly shorter (but less crowded) Old Main Trail and turned right for .3 miles back to the Nature Center. Our route came in at 3.5 miles.
Although there were a lot of people in the park it never really felt all that crowded which was nice. There are still some trails left too so a return trip may be in order sometime in the future when the Nature Center is back open.
In all we covered 7.5 miles between the three stops and saw quite a few different flowers and a decent amount of wildlife. It had been another nice set of urban hikes. As much as we are looking forward to getting back up into the mountains once the snow melts we’re finding that these types of hikes have a lot to offer. Happy Trails!
Flickr: Camassia Natural Area, Mary S. Young Park, and Tryon Creek
Snow queen and violets
Trillium
October 2015
April 2019
Trail pointer at the Mink Path junction. We appreciated the fact that all of the junctions were signed and those signs were easy to read but placed in such a way that they were unobtrusive.
Can you see the deer?
How about now?
Beaverton Creek
The osprey and the squirrel (upper right hand corner).
Wren signing along the trail
Battle Ax Creek – 2014
Mt. Jefferson from Russell Lake – 2016
Drift Creek – 2010
Mt. Washington from the Pacific Crest Trail – 2015
The Three Sisters – 2014
Three Arch Rocks from Cape Meares – 2018
Triple Falls – 2012
Mt. Hood – 2015
Bandon Islands – 2018
Twin Pillars – 2011
Howlock Mountain and Mt. Thielsen – 2014
Table Rock – 2015
Frustration Falls – 2018
Trapper Creek – 2014
View from Fuji Mountain – 2013
Serene Lake – 2013
Badger Creek Wilderness – 2014
Donaca Lake – 2014
Emerald Pool – 2018
View from Boccard Point – 2015
Red Buttes – 2015
Oregon Badlands Wilderness – 2016
Vulcan Lake – 2016
Rooster Rock – 2016
Glacier Lake – 2016
View from Aspen Butte – 2016
Mt. McLoughlin from Freye Lake – 2016
White River – 2016
Rock Creek – 2017
Hedgehog Cactus – 2017
Bridge Creek Wilderness – 2017
Hanging Rock – 2017
View from Grassy Knob – 2017
Big Bottom – 2017
Baldy Lake – 2017
Cummins Ridge Trail – 2017
Hummingbird Meadows – 2018
View along the Pine Creek Trail – 2018
Slide Lake – 2018
Barklow Mountain Trail – 2018
The route we came up.
A short section of railroad grade.
The logs we came across.
The rock after having crossed.
Heather finishing her crossing on the way back.
Snow queen – McDonald Forest, February
Arnica
Larkspur
Fiddleneck
Lupine
Prairie star
Balsamroot
Unknown
Large-flower triteleia
Giant head clover
Broomrape
Fairybells
Hound’s tongue
Dogwood
Ballhead waterleaf
Chocolate lily
Kittentails
Grass widow
Penstemon
Fawn lily
Fairy slippers
Wood violet
A saxifrage
Red-flowering currant
Skunk cabbage
Glacier lily
Iris – Washington Park
Anemone – Lookout Creek Trail
Trillium – Carpenter Mountain
Buckwheat – White River Falls State Park
Thistle along the Deschutes River
Western prairie-clover along the Deschutes River
Clustered broomrape along the Deschutes River
Bitterroot – Rimrock Springs
Bluebells along Muir Creek
Gooseberry along Muir Creek
Iris along Muir Creek
White lupine along Muir Creek
Pea? along Muir Creek
Violets along Muir Creek
Bleeding heart along the Muir Creek Trail
Tall mountain bluebells – Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness
Jacob’s ladder – Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness
Marsh marigolds – Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness
Avalanche lilies – Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness
Spring Beauty – Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness
Western stoneseed – Black Butte
Bunchberry – Salmon River Trail
Anemone – Salmon River Trail
Star flowers – Salmon River Trail
Valerian – Salmon River Trail
Rhododendron – Salmon River Trail
Spotted coralroot – Salmon River Trail
Cats ear lily – Salmon River Trail
Filed chickweed – Salmon River Trail
Stonecrop – Salmon River Trail
unknown – Salmon River Trail
Paintbrush and plectritis – Salmon River Trail
Blue head gilia – Salmon River Trail
Candy sticks – Salmon River Trail
Salmonberry – Salmon River Trail
Showy milkweed along the Deschutes River
Chicory (non-native) along the Deschutes River
Blanket flower along the Deschutes River
Bindweed along the Deschutes River
Dwarf monkeyflower – Diamond Craters
Wild onion – Jordan Craters
Sagebrush mariposa lily – Leslie Gulch
Dusty maiden – Leslie Gulch
Clarkia – Leslie Gulch
Evening Primerose – Three Forks
Salsify – Three Forks
Grand collomia – Three Forks
Stream orchid – Three Forks
Mariposa lily – Three Forks
unknown – Three Forks
Tufted primrose – Chalk Basin
Orange globe mallow – Chalk Basin
unknown – Chalk Basin
Smooth stemmed blazing star – Chalk Basin
Threadleaf phacelia – Chalk Basin
Penstemon – Alvord Desert
Yarrow – Pike Creek
Geranium – Myrtle Creek
Scarlet gilia – Myrtle Creek
Yelow and red paintbrush – Myrtle Creek
Skull cap – Myrtle Creek
Checkermallow – Myrtle Creek
Death camas – Myrtle Creek
Hedgenettle – Saddle Mountain
Beardstongue – Saddle Mountain
Twin flower – Saddle Mountain
Columbine – Saddle Mountain
Larkspur – Saddle Mountain
Wildflowers on Saddle Mountain
Old man’s whiskers – Saddle Mountain
Wallflower – Saddle Mountain
Featherbells – Saddle Mountain
Inside out flower – Saddle Mountain
Foxglove (non-native) – Soapstone Lake
Fireweed – Elk Lake Creek
Spreading dogbane – Elk Lake Creek
Scouler’s bluebells – Elk Lake Creek
Washington lilies – Elk Lake Creek
Prince’s pine – Elk Lake Creek
Coralroot – Elk Lake Creek
Pearly everlasting – Elk Lake Creek
Wild ginger – Browder Ridge
Tiger lily – Browder Ridge
Larkspur and paintbrush – Browder Ridge
Vanilla leaf – Browder Ridge
Sagebrush false dandelions and cat’s ear lilies – Browder Ridge
Oregon sunshine? – Browder Ridge
Spirea – Browder Ridge
Shooting stars – Heart Lake
Owls clover – Browder Ridge
Lewis Flax – Browder Ridge
Northern phlox – Horsepasture Mountain
Foam flower – Horsepasture Mountain
Lousewort – Horsepasture Mountain
Beargrass – Horsepasture Mountain
Coneflower – Horsepasture Mountain
A fleabane – Horsepasture Mountain
Catchfly – Horsepasture Mountain
False hellebore – Opal Creek Wilderness
Monkeyflower – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Streambed globe mallow – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Mountain coyote mint – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Low Jacob’s ladder – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Nuttall’s linanthus – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Bog orchids – Wildcat Spring
Elephants head – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Louewort – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Yellow paintbrush – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Rockfringe willowherb – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Small wildflower meadow in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Wild rose – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Penstemon – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Hyssop, yellow paintbrush and unknown yellow flowers in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Pussypaws – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Gentians – Mt. Jefferson Wilderness
Yellow monkeyflower – Mt. Jefferson Wilderness
Aster – Elkhorns
Orange agoseris – Elkhorns
Mountain heather – Twin Lakes
unknown – Twin Lakes
Bistort – Elkhorns
Groundsel? – Waldo Lake
Western pasque flower – Mt. Jefferson Wilderness
unknown – South Climb Route, Mt. Jefferson
Moth mullen – Cape Perpetua
Seals in Nehalem Bay
Tree frog – Patterson Mountain
Garter snake on Patterson Mountain
Crab spider – Lookout Creek Trail
Beetle – Carpenter Mountain
Pale crescent near Macks Canyon
Gopher snake near Macks Canyon
Beetles on thistle near Mack’s Canyon
Caterpillar along the Black Butte Trail
Green tailed towhee on Black Butte
Rock pigeon – Deschutes River
Merganser family – Deschutes River
Dragon Fly – Deschutes River
Sagebrush Lizard – Deschutes River
Pronghorn – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Yellow headed blackbird – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Horned grebes – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Great horned owl – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Lewis’s woodpecker – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
White faced ibis – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Yellow warbler – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Western meadowlark – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Bullock’s oriole – Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Rabbit – Jordan Craters
Marmot – Jordan Craters
Chukar – Leslie Gulch
Cricket – Leslie Gulch
Viceroy- Leslie Gulch
Swallow tail – Leslie Gulch
Cicada – Leslie Gulch
Burrowing owl near Leslie Gulch
Dragon fly – Three Forks
Fritillary butterfly – Three Forks
Pheasant – Pillars of Rome
Side blotched lizard – Chalk Basin
Collard lizard – Chalk Basin
Sandhill Cranes near Steens Mountain
jack rabbit – Borax Hot Springs
Desert horned lizard – Alvord Desert
Long nosed leopard lizard – Alvord Desert
Western Fence Lizard – Pike Creek
Swallow tail – Myrtle Creek
Sheridan’s hairstreak – Myrtle Creek
Orange-tip butterfly – Myrtle Creek
Western kingbird – Cove Palisades State Park
Cascade toad – Browder Ridge
Gray jay – Browder Ridge
Rufous hummingbird – Horsepasture Mountain
Grouse – Horsepasture Mountain
Wren – French Creek Ridge
Checkerspot butterfly – French Creek Ridge
Chipmunk near Hidden Forest Cave
Pygmy short horned lizard near Pictograph Cave
Caterpillars – Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Trout – Little Strawberry Lake
Doe – Slide Lake
Megarhyssa nortoni
Great blue heron – Newport Bay
Sharp-tailed snake – Newport Bay
Osprey – South Beach
Pika – Mt. Jefferson Wilderness
Northern goshawk – Elkhorns
Red tailed hawk – Elkhorns
Mountain goats – Elkhorns
Mountain Goat – Elkhorns
Golden mantled ground squirrel – Elkhorns
Mourning cloak – Elkhorns
Beetle – Summit Lake
Bumble bee – Crawfish Lake
Finch – Crawfish Lake
Bald Eagle – Waldo Lake
Hairy woodpecker – Rigdon Lakes
Blue copper – Rockpile Lake
Tortoiseshell butterfly – Carl Lake
Varied thrush – Carl Lake
Frogs – Table Lake
Clarks nutcracker – Mt. Jefferson Wilderness
Ouzel – Pamelia Lake
Junco – Pamelia Lake
Frog – Taylor Lake
Sanderlings – John Dellenback Beach
Douglas squirrel – John Dellenback Dunes Trail
Great egret – Mud Lake
Wilson’s snipe – Mud Lake
Elk on the way to Barklow Mt.
Starfish – Bandon, Oregon
Crab – Bandon, Oregon
Anemones – Bandon, Oregon
Turkey Vulture – Bandon, Oregon
Seagull and a marbled godwit in the Coquile River
Black turnstones – North Jetty, Bandon, Oregon
Brown pelicans – Bullards Beach State Park
Mink – Sprague River
White pelicans – Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Snowy egret – Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Stellar’s jay – Fish Lake
Muskrat – Lake of the Woods
Dragon fly – Lake of the Woods
Canada geese – Lake of the Woods
Caterpillar – Lake of the Woods
Cormorants – Link River
American coots – Link River
Mallards – Pond near Lake Ewauna
Northern shoveler – Pond near Lake Ewauna
Northern flicker – Link River Trail
Scrub jay – Link River Trail
Western grebe – Link River
Hooded mergansers – Link River
Buffleheads – Siltcoos Lake
Rough skinned newt – Jessie M. Honeyman State Park
Sparrow – Jessie M. Honeyman State Park
Anna’s hummingbird – Jessie M. Honeyman State Park
Ring-necked ducks – Jessie M. Honeyman State Park
Spotted towhee – Jessie M. Honeyman State Park
