After two days of challenging hikes we opted for a recovery outing on Labor Day. We chose Willamette Mission State Park for the short hike since it is less than 30 minutes from Salem, and we could use the annual State Park pass we purchased earlier this year.
Our only other visit to the park was back in 2019. Our hike that day started from the overflow parking area and was just over 7-miles long which was more than we were looking to do today. This time we parked at the Filbert Grove Day Use Area.
There are quite a few trails packed into the park, both paved and natural surface.
We took a paved path past the restrooms and through the disc golf course to the Bike Path.
We turned right on the Bike Path which we had hiked on our previous visit.
Dove and possibly a woodpecker.
Moth mullein
Willamette River
Rabbit on the side of the trail.
Rabbit
We turned off the Bike Path onto the natural surface Mission Trail when it joined from the right.
Orange jewelweed
Barred owl
Viewpoint of the former Willamette Mission site.
The former mission site across Mission Lake.
Female wood duck
After 0.4-miles on the Mission Trail we came to an unsigned fork.
We took the right fork which was a short connector to the Jogging Trail. We quickly took another right onto a fainter path which went to the right of the Mission Lake B picnic shelter.
The trail became more obvious here.
After just a tenth of a mile we turned left at a “T” junction.
The righthand fork is a little longer loop and rejoins the lefthand fork 0.2-miles from this junction.
There were a lot of active squirrels and birds in the park.
Squirrel
Spotted towhee
Egrets
The other end of the loop on the right.
The Jogging Trail passed a horse and group camp on the left and a hiker/biker camp on the right before arriving at the Filbert Grove Day Use Area.
Hiker/Biker Camp
Filbert Grove Day Use Area
We crossed the day use area to return to the car completing the short 2.2-mile loop.
There was almost no elevation gain for this hike.
The hike was exactly what we needed to help keep our muscles from stiffening up too much from the previous day’s hikes without being too strenuous. The Jogging Trail was new to us and there are still a number of trails here that we’ve yet to explore. Given its proximity to Salem, a return trip or two is in order. Happy Trails!
Flickr: Willamette Mission State Park
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