Five stars for Spencer's Butte! It's absolutely breathtaking up there. Steep enough to get your…read moreheart racing and leave you glistening, but mercifully short so you don't drag through miles of misery. Winding through lush greens, the trail gifts you sweeping panoramas at every turn. And that summit, oh, it's postcard perfect, three sixty bliss that'll recharge your soul. Towering peaks hug you tight, like nature's own fortress, yet its spitting distance from Eugene urban escape turned wilderness wonderland. If panoramic payoffs without epic treks are your jam, this spot delivers pure gold.

Well, I'm an idiot and I took my 8 and 11 year olds up the hard way because they were so full of…read moreenergy. TERRIBLE mistake. It was slippery and way too dangerous for kids. That's on me. I would say that on a dryer day, that level of excitement would be perfect for someone younger than 40, but older than 15. It was beautiful. I just wish there had been more of a warning.

Hiked the lower and upper Mossy Maple trail. The combine distance, round trip, was 5.95 miles and…read moreabout 825 elevation gain. Parking lot is new and large. Restroom facilities. There were 20 cars on the Friday morning we went In early June. We encountered one bike on the way up and five on the way down. Hats off to the trail crew, excellent condition except for 100-200 yards near the top where it was a little washed out but easily passable. The first 2 miles is a 5' - 6' wide gravel trail, easy for two people to walk side by side. The last mile up was a traditional narrow dirt trail. Trail markers easy to follow. Mountain bikes are permitted but only for the uphill portion of the trail. Bikers use separate trails when traveling downhill. At the "top" of the Upper Mossy Maple trail is a very limited overlook of the valley to the south. The top is a meadow, nowhere to sit and lacks shade. The trail ends at a service road which continues up to a nearby communications tower. What quickly catches your eye is a small grove of maple trees with moss hanging from their limbs. Hence, "Mossy Maple Trail." It took us, a middle aged couple, 70 min to get to the top with two stops to drink.

This hiking trail is beautiful! What used to be a hidden hike known only to locals, this is now an…read moreestablished trail that climbs to the top of the Thurston Hills for some beautiful view points. The first mile and a half is graveled and then it's a dirt trail from there so winter and early spring hikes are muddy and rough. Paralleling the hiking trail is a mountain bike trail that is a fast downhill slalom, it criss-crosses the hiking trail at points and looks super fun. The old trail is still there if you know where to look, it wasn't removed as the new trail and trailhead were built at a different starting point. They have a cute dog washing station at the trailhead, clean bathrooms and I believe a column to work on your bike if needed. This is worth the visit for a nice hike without leaving town.

This park was fun to go walk-through and see all the sites you see the river the bridge definitely…read morerecommend this if you're in the area visiting Eugene's place in Oregon you at the mall the movie, theaters fresh air take off your shoes and socks and walk in the grass and ground yourself. It was pretty nice.

In many other cities, bicyclists settled on bike lanes, this was as far as they thought they could…read morereach, but in Eugene we are blessed to have an entire network of car-exclusive transportation paths. This path system is expansive, well-maintained, and often bordered by beautiful river and creek views. As others have noted, there are some safety concerns as with other city parks, even as a white dude there are parts of this path I would not feel comfortable walking around at night alone. One time I had a dude I had never seen before in my life threaten to kill me on one of the bridges, not sure why, he just wanted to let me know that he could kill me if he wanted to. Weird. Obviously he was having a bad day so I gave him a wide berth. Still though, that doesn't take away what a useful and pretty transportation avenue this is especially during the daytime.

I've been on a mission to try to see all the park Eugene has to offer and this one was a good find…read more I work over in the part of town and was looking for a quick hike. This trail is a less than 2 mile hike that takes you through beautiful trees, a nice grasslands area and some Douglas for trees as well! I used the West Kidgeline Trail and took my time at a leisurely pace since you do go uphill. You can park on the street which is easy. I saw many different birds, some lizards and of course squirrels living among the trees. I didn't see anyone when I was on the trail during the week but maybe the weekend is more popular. What is nice is you can park at either end of this trail!

Truly a tranquil experience!…read more We spotted various kinds of wildlife and some are yet to be found. For the most part this is a paved road which can easily be biked, walked or hover boards have been seen. It was helpful finding a map toward the east side of the bridge. I was glad to see folks patrolling the area with their bikes. I believe that is one way the trail is best maintained especially if you are unaware or they come unannounced. Next time I hope I can bike the entire trail using a bike.

The riverfront bike path is probably one of my favorite places in Eugene/Springfield. The path…read morestretches from Island Park in Springfield to past Valley River Center a few miles away. It's great for commuting by bike or just strolling on a nice day. There are some truly great areas with beautiful views of the river and neighborhoods and just good old fashioned people watching. You'd be amazed watching the "wildlife" of Eugene pass by on a hot summer day. The bike path is named for a past mayor of Eugene, Ruth Bascom, who must have spent a lot of time and energy towards making this the amenity that it is. I don't remember her so much as enjoy her namesake path. Half the fun of the bike path is all the bridges that cross it, from the classic football pilgrimage across the Autzen Footbridge, to the Knickerbocker jump-off spot on hot summer days. I've been crisscrossing these places for years and look forward to the continued expansion over time of this classic Eugene asset.

I drive by on W. 1st all the time and would have never known this park was located just a few…read moreblocks away, had it not been for a recent afternoon where I was carting my daughter around with me everywhere on errands and felt like she needed to get some wiggles out! So, I searched for a nearby park and found Sladden. This is a great park with newer playground equipment, a big open field, what looked like a basketball court (?) in the far corner, lots of bench and table seating, and restrooms. Big trees provide some nice shade as well. Will definitely be coming back!

Sladden is terrific, one of the best parks in town.  Few know of it…read more ​ It rests on four acres in the heart of the Rose Garden district just north of Whiteaker and is shaded by a majestic grove of old Douglas firs.  It's restful, covered and offers this:​ ​ -picnic table seating for about fifty​ -a children's playground​ -a tennis court​ -a basketball court​ -frisbee golf course​​ -restrooms with fountain​ -plenty of room to stretch out​ ​ It's half a block fom Maurie Jacobs Park/the Willamette River and a long block fom Eugene's Owen Rose Garden.​ ​ Terrific place for a summer potluck for just you and a few friends or an entire family reunion.​

I love this place it have plenty of space for the dogs to run. It's not muddy like all the other…read moredog parks. The people here are nice and have common sense on how to react when things happen. My dog love it and when she gets closer she always whines in excitement wanting to get out and play. My dog (Riley) is the greeter of the dog park so if you come you will be greeted by a golden lab.

What an amazing beautiful dog park. It's huge, basically 3 parks linked together as one. That…read morebeing said you best keep an eye on your pup. They easily switch from one park to the next out of your view. The center of the dog park is a bit muddy and swampy after a rain so be sure to bring your mud boots and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. There is a path for humans but if you stay on it you will definitely not be able to keep up with your pup. There is also a box for sticks that pups can play with. My pupper loves to find the hugest sticks and run begging for them to be thrown. The rest of the park is awesome too. There are turkeys that roam the property and trails that surround the park. It's definitely something that dog lovers should check out.

This place is so beautiful! Great birding spot! One of the best in Oregon. Lots of flat trails with…read moregreat views. Viewing platforms give you some elevation to see the vastness of the wildlife area. Plenty of habitat that humans can't access but still see from viewing areas. Several different access points to reach your desired location. Managed by ODFW. It is also a popular waterfowl hunting spots.

Head to Orchard Point Marina. Parked not in the main parking lot. No fee. Picnic area and play area…read morefor kids. Plenty of space for your pup to run around. Beautiful views at sunset, great for a picnic or social distancing get together.