Beautiful trail through nature anytime of the year, but absolutely stellar mid to late April and…read moreMay when the field's namesake, the blue camas, are in bloom and and along with other wildflowers, blanket the fields I'm soft shades of blue, pink, purple and yellow. It's spectacular! There are lots of other wildflowers, too, so keep your eyes out for the many tiny varieties. There's pink sea blush, western yellow buttercup, Oregon grape, pink purslane, trillium (even plum colored ones,) saxifrages and more. I even spotted a handful of white camas amongst the thousands of blue. It's a gorgeous walk, immersed in nature, with birds chirping, bees doing their pollinating thing, butterflies, squirrels, hummingbirds, and even turkey vultures flying above. There are also osprey. Its's an easy trail, .8 miles if you stay in the main loop. With just slight elevation in a few places and sometimes narrow areas, the vast majority of people, including kids, will find it an easy, pleasant walk. The trail itself is dirt and wood chips, and definitely some rocks and basalt in places, with wooden planks guiding you through the pastel wildflower prairies. However, if you require a cane or walker, this trail can be challenging in some parts. I'm using a cane due to labral tear, and the few places where there were slightly steep rocky paths, I waited until a passerby came by and asked for assistance. Fortunately fellow hikers were kind and happy to lend a hand or shoulder. There was a group of four with walkers and canes and they only made it a third of the way and had to turn back. In some parts the path is too narrow or too steep for a walker. The nature reserve is at the end of a neighborhood street so on a weekend in April or May when wildflowers are in bloom, parking is challenging. Definitely go on a weekday if your schedule permits. There is a porta potty on site. And a volunteer on the path should you have any questions about the wildlife and plants you encounter. Dogs are not allowed.

I love this hidden gem of a nature park! My family has come here to see the spring camas and…read moreseablush show a few times now, and we have a great time. Need to know: One-way trail, loop but connects to the high school and wilderness trail too Steep incline at beginning Can be muddy fall to spring Great signage Lots of Oregon natives Sensitive habitat, so stay on trail! Great views Yakima basalt formations Parking is extremely limited, and the reason I removed one star

Burnside Park is a nature park set aside for hiking, river access, and wildlife viewing in West…read moreLinn. It is located along the Willamette River. You can walk along the main Willamette Greenway Trail, cross a bridge over Bolton creek and eventually enter into the adjacent Maddax Woods Park. There are also views of Goat Island in the Willamette where an important Great Blue Heron nesting area is located. There are actually several entrances to the park. The easiest access is at the Edgewater Court Trailhead. The next easiest trailhead would be at the end of Holmes Street. This trail has nice views, and some fairly steep steps that lead down to the Greenway Trail. Many Trillium flowers can be seen along here in March and early April. A third trailhead leads down from the end of Buck Street. The Buck Street trail is a dirt trail that is steep in parts. I have seen Bald Eagles, Red Tailed Hawks, and Hummingbird nests along this trail. The trail is scenic but it can be slippery when wet. Traction shoes and/or hiking poles would be good to have here. Basic park rules are: 1) Dogs are allowed, but must be on a leash at all times. (Leash law strictly enforced) . There is a dog park at nearby Mary S Young Park. 2) No fires allowed anywhere in Park. 3) Park closes at dusk 4) No littering 5) No removal of native plants and trees. The trees have all been rescued from invasive English Ivy at least once by wonderful volunteers. If you wish to join a Burnside Park volunteer group you can sign up at solveoregon.org . This nature park was set aside many years ago by Mrs. Caufield to preserve and protect it in a city park. It is a natural little paradise which has been preserved for future generations.

Burnside Park is connected to Maddox Woods Park along the Willamette River on the Willamette River…read moreGreenway Trail. It is common for hikers to start their trip in one park and then walk through the other over the connecting bridge. I should note that this park has two entrances in the local neighborhood. If you enter the park on Buck Street, your hike will start with quite a steep downhill path, so it definitely is not the place to start for those with mobility issues or any concerns about rolling ankles. Or if you have a dog that tends to pull you down trails. The entrance off of Edgewater Court would be a better bet. This is a 10-acre nature park ideal for wildlife viewing and hiking along the lovely Willamette River under a nice canopy of trees. No play structures or amenities.

Oregon is such a beautiful state. Newell Creek Canyon Nature Park is a lovely park in Oregon City…read more On a recent holiday weekend, the parking spaces were somewhat occupied but with plenty of spaces available. There is a map and public restrooms in front of the park. There was also a map at the point where certain trails split off. The hubby and I did not get too far along the trail we were walking along because I was actually was not wearing proper shoes. Other walkers/hikers ahead of us were either families or couples. I did not see any homeless folks as another review had mentioned. But, again we did not venture too far. Although it was a warm summer day, the tall beautiful trees provided plenty of shade. Flowers along the paths were lovely as well. If I visit Oregon City again, I would likely be back to hike far enough to see the waterfall. 4 stars.

I'm gonna start with the bad cause I like to get that out of the way, there is on-site parking and…read morerestrooms and accessible picnic area and benches upon arrival, but unfortunately those spaces were occupied by people who were living in the park, sleeping on the benches, using the bathroom on the ground, and these are spaces where smaller children obviously would be spending their time. It was not a clean or safe area that I would recommend for anybody who is not here to actually hike a trail.......now that that's out-of-the-way let's talk about the trails! The trails are in good condition, the trees are beautiful of course, and all the lush greenery is so gorgeous, we saw some snakes, bunnies, so many different types of birds and fungi, there are very sturdy benches throughout and some parts of the trails can get pretty narrow. There is no actual view of the canyon It's just all gorgeous greenery which for me it's not disappointing in anyway, but if you are expecting a view, there is not one. Be mindful that if you are hiking down, you have to hike up on your way out I would definitely come back here again, but this is not a place I would suggest for a solo hike or with anyone who needs any type of attention or assistance. Bring a friend and remember there are no pets allowed at all.

On a sunny day this not so hidden gem is a refuge from the bustling city although it's in the…read moremiddle of an upscale neighborhood in west Linn you can't tell it's quiet secluded and a pleasant experience to indulge in nature or read a book. I've seen lots of wildlife here from eagles to deer and much more

'Tis the season to enjoy Maddax Woods Park…read more Like many parks in West Linn, a group of volunteers aid the city with seasonal displays and activities to make each public park a little unique. At Maddox Woods that means this is the 10th year of the Lighting of Maddax Woods, a seasonal light display and a wildlife scavenger hunt for the kids. There are 36 animals (woodcuts) throughout this 7 acre park along the Willamette River to try to find during your visit. This is a natural park and nature trail that is part of the Willamette Greenway Trail and when you head up the hill and cross the bridge that trail connects you to Burnside Park. Thanks to land donations to the city by early West Linn families there is a lot of open space along the river to enjoy with your human and canine companions. This location is also a prime spot for birders to view one of the largest heron rookeries in our area, that is across the river on Goat Island. This park is pretty hidden and I only discovered it a couple of years ago when you head downhill from the West Linn Public Library. It is more of a nature preserve and walking park without a playground or other amenities. There is a handicapped accessible porta-potty near the entrance. The volunteers sell Christmas trees for $20 to help fund their activities throughout the year. They also have a monthly work party to help maintain the space. You can contact the Friends of Maddax Woods here: http://westlinnoregon.gov/parksrec/friends-maddax-woods. ---- The Lighting of Maddax Woods - 4-9 pm November 16 - December 31, 2013.

Great little park with paved and dirt trails along the river. There is a pond you can walk up to…read morethat is very pleasant. A decent parking lot to park your car and then explore. There are a bunch of benches placed around the park to have a seat and relax. Very nice ferns and trees on the path, my dog loved it on our Thanksgiving walk with family.

Pepperoni. That is the secret to good crawdading. And this park is our favorite spot. We used to…read morelive in the neighborhood until our recent move, so we could just walk down the hill, put a little pepperoni on a hook and reel them in (see photo). My husband was actually very ambitious and constructed a crawdad trap, but I think the hook works just as well. My youngest boy is obsessed with fishing so this provided hours of entertainment and a nice outing for father and son. This is a very natural park that was created in a flood plane. No playgrounds here. Just a park with wetlands and a prairie with natural grass for walking your dog, jogging, fishing or launching your canoe or kayak from the pier. Great birdwatching as well. The city was able to buy up a lot of riverfront property (due to said flood plane) so over the past five years the park has continued to expand. It was a very smart move since the Tualatin River flooded the banks at least four times in the ten years I lived in the neighborhood and water would extend all the way to (or across) Nyberg Lane. This park is also the site of a wonderful arts camp for kids, Willowbrook, in the summer months and Alder Creek operates a canoe and kayak rental from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Don't forget your pepperoni!

Great relatively flat walking loop, about 20 minutes. Lots of shade and different walking grounds.read more

This is a rather small wooded area that dodged at least one proposal to convert it to soccer…read morefields, and has been set aside as a nature park. The trails are basically in a large loop, with a long, medium and short loop possible. Some trails will be quite muddy after rain. Nature buffs (not including naturists in the buff) will enjoy the birds, especially spring and summer. All in all, it's a nice little spot for those in the area -- I'm not sure it's worth the effort to visit if you live on the other side of PDX.

It's so beautiful here I cannot believe this is in our "backyard"…read more Such an amazing learning opportunity for my kids on respect of nature and what critters call this place home. I did wish that others respected nature as much as my kids and I threw away a bag of trash we found exploring the creek.

Sweet little pocket park in SW Portland that's actually much bigger than it seems - if you're…read morewilling to poke around the edges. I'm a fan of this heavily wooded little gem because it's not that easy to find unless you live in the area, which keeps the few trails relatively uncrowded (except on summer weekends). Tryon Creek runs through the bottom of the shady park, and there's a small clearing with a playground and a couple of picnic tables if you want to enjoy the water view - though be warned the creek becomes just barely a trickle come summertime. There are some pretty good hills throughout and the trails, which include several bridges, are fairly well maintained so you can put together a couple of decent, if short, hikes here. Things do get pretty muddy in winter though. Venture across Boones Ferry road and you can even hook up with the larger trail network at nearby Tryon Creek State Park to string together a more challenging stroll. Parking is pretty limited in the small areas on either side of the park, but that's usually not a problem.

Fun place in SE PDX to bring your dog and let them roam off leash since NO ONE knows this place…read moreexists. Missing 1 star because occasionally you may stumble upon a bum camp but just keep moving, they don't want to see you either. Excellent assortment of wild game birds everywhere that my English Springers love to flush out!

Awesome place to find rare white oaks. Entrance is by the Clackamas Aquatic Park- NOTE- do not…read morefollow Yelp's directions. I agree with the earlier reviewer. The small homeless camp set up under a canopy of trees near one of the three creeks concerned my kids- and me. I am so grateful that they preserved this area from development.