Trails
Both our Year-Round River Trail and Seasonal Wetland Trail offer visitors opportunities to get up close in nature and experience a variety of habitats. Please note that our Seasonal Wetland Trail, open May 1 through September 30, is closed the rest of the year in order to protect important migratory waterfowl habitat.
Trail Name: River Trail (Year-Round)
Open Season: Open year round. Not open to biking or running.
Length: 1 mile each way (out-and-back trail)
Location of trail: Trail starts next to parking lot, and ends at the Wetland Overlook.
Surface: Cemented ground in the parking lot and surrounding the restroom facilities; the path changes to compacted gravel, and occasionally switches to a natural material or loose gravel at points along the trail.
Difficulty: Easy - moderate (with short sections of steeper grades)
General Information: This path will take visitors through a diversity of habitats, where they can see a variety of plant species and catch a glimpse of wildlife. Visitors can also take advantage of a photography blind (open by reservation only). Please see the photography activity page for further information. This trail is generally flat, except for descending short switchbacks at beginning of trail, near the parking lot. Past the observation deck, please note that the optional side trail to Ridgetop Overlook has steeper grade (20-25%). During the summer, weather conditions can be very hot, but there are a few opportunities to walk in shade or rest on any of our multiple benches. In the wintertime, with increased rain, portions of our trail may become flooded - any alerts or trail closures will be posted to this site. Please call 503-625-5944 with any general or accessibility questions.
Trail Name: Wetland Trail (Seasonal)
Open Season: May 1 – September 30 only; not open to biking or running.
Length: 3 miles
Location of trail: Trail begins next to the main parking lot (main trailhead), or at trailhead next to Visitor Center
Surface: Most of the trail is a service road that is a combination of loose gravel and natural material
Difficulty: Easy - moderate (with short sections of steeper grades)
Information: This trail is open seasonally in order to protect wintering habitat for waterfowl. The seasonal trail takes visitors closer to the wetlands, and offers close-up views of wetland habitat and wildlife, including marsh birds, turtles, and a variety of mammals and other birds. This trail is a service road, and can connect with the river trail (open year-round), or as a separate trail (portion of trail loosely parallels the year-round trail). Visitors can choose to walk the full trail to complete the loop. During the summer, weather conditions can be very hot, and there are limited opportunities to walk in shade and no benches located on this trail.
Other Accessibility Information: Please note that visitors will see a descending short staircase near the trailhead to access the seasonal trail; in order to access this trail by wheelchair via the trailhead, visitors need to utilize a short connector trail from the year-round trail (from trailhead, continue on year-round trail, descend the short switchbacks, and the connector trail is just after the two ponds). Please call 503-625-5944 with any accessibility questions.