March began with a couple of weeks of wet weather including several days with snow mixed in with the rain. Things finally changed this week and by the weekend temperatures in the Willamette Valley were entering the low 70’s which meant it was time for our March hike. Dorris Ranch had been on the schedule for March 2024 since 2022 following a February hike by my parents there. They’d been a little too early for any flowers, so March seemed like a good time for us to give the ranch a try.
The 268-acre Dorris Ranch (est. 1892) is located in Springfield, OR and is recognized as the first commercial filbert (hazelnut) orchard in the United States. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is reported that over 50% of the commercial filbert trees growing in the U.S. today originated from the Ranch’s nursery stock.
Trails crisscross the ranch ranging from the paved Middle Fork Path to gravel and natural surface paths. We parked at the Middle Fork Path Trailhead at Dorris Ranch. Our plan was to begin by hiking through the orchards to the confluence of the Coast Fork and Middle Fork Willamette Rivers then continue on to the Middle Fork Path and follow it to its end at Clearwater Park and then return to the trailhead via the Middle Fork Path.
Signboard at the trailhead.
Map of the trails at Dorris Ranch.
Map of the Middle Fork Path (red) and Mill Race Path (yellow).
Before heading for the rivers we visited the Living History Village. Replicas of the 1850’s buildings built by the Masterson family built prior to selling the land to the Dorris family are located along a short loop and is used for school field trips.
The Masterson cabin replica. They were a family of ten when they moved out.
After checking out the Living History Village we headed downhill to the Dorris Ranch Barn.
These cedar doors were installed earlier this month replacing a broken door.
Plaque on the barn.
From the barn we took a wide gravel path past a gate to the orchards.
A January 16th ice storm hit the area hard and damaged a number of trees at the ranch and along the Middle Fork Path.
Some signs of the ice storm damage.
Large trees around the pump house and packing shed.
An American kestrel with an unlucky frog atop a tall tree.
Oregon grape near the packing shed.
Old oak tree along the path.
Purple deadnettle beneath the old oak.
Black walnut orchard just past the oak tree.
At the black walnut orchard the gravel gave way to a natural surface trail.
Violet
Violet
The trail arrived at a bench overlooking the confluence of the Coast Fork and Middle Fork Willamette Rivers.
The confluence.
Middle Fork Willamette River
From the confluence the trail turned left passing through a forest before arriving at the Middle Fork Path after half a mile.
Mallards
Hooded mergansers
Slender toothwort
Someone had left some seeds and nuts on this tree. While it’s not LNT compliant it was attracting a variety of wildlife.
Chipmunk and squirrel
Chipmunk and white-breasted nuthatch
Giant White Wakerobin, Trillium albidum
The paved Middle Fork Path dead ahead.
We turned right onto the Middle Fork Path and followed it for three and a quarter mile to the parking lot at Clearwater Park.
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Wren
Middle Fork Willamette River
Double-breasted cormorant
Pacific hound’s tongue
Ring-necked ducks
Goose
Arriving at the Quarry Creek picnic area.
Looking back at Spencer Butte (post).
A goose and a couple of common mergansers in the river.
Common merganser drake
Approximately 2.75-miles from Dorris Ranch we came to the junction with the 3-mile-long Mill Race Path. An adventure for another day.
There were plenty of benches along the path.
Larkspur starting to bloom.
Springfield Mill Race
Mt. Pisgah (post) through the trees across the Middle Fork Willamette.
Disc golf course at Clearwater Park.
Nearing the parking lot at Clearwater Park.
Map of the trails at Clearwater Park.
We weren’t aware of the informal trails shown on the map at Clearwater Park, but the prospect of seeing a couple of ponds piqued our interest so we crossed the park entrance road and followed a narrow gravel path into the woods.
Turkey vultures. We’d seen our first turkey vulture of the year a little earlier on the Middle Fork Path. I’d been on the lookout for one of these scavengers for the last couple of weeks knowing that their arrival in the Willamette Valley coincides with the onset of Spring.
We didn’t get far on the informal trails before ice storm damage turned us back.
We backtracked and took a different informal path to the parking area near the boat launch and then followed a dirt path back to the Middle Fork Path.
Turkey vulture enjoying the sunshine.
Arriving at the boat launch area.
Heading back to the Middle Fork Path.
We followed the Middle Fork Path back to Dorris Ranch, sticking to the paved trail all the way back to the trailhead.
Back at Dorris Ranch. The trail we’d taken earlier that morning is to the left just before the bench.
Western bluebirds
I believe this is a Cooper’s hawk.
Western buttercups
Daffodils
While we saw a few more flowers than my parents had in February we were still a week or two early, but at least we did see a few of the early bloomers. There was abundant wildlife though and the fairly level trails made for a relaxing hike. Our GPS units both showed this as a 9.2-mile hike which was just right for our feet this time of year given we were primarily on paved trails.
After the hike we met up with our Son for lunch at Ubon Thai Kitchen before heading back to Salem. As to close a perfect late Winter hike as you can get. Happy Trails!
Flickr: Middle Fork Path
wanderingyuncks 