Nature In The City

Audubon Society of Portland

Audubon Society of Portland

143 acre wildlife nature sanctuary and 4.5 miles of maintained trails takes visitors through a mixed coniferous forest, streams, ponds and native vegetation, all within minutes of downtown Portland. Audubon House features an interpretive center, nature store with products for wildlife and nature viewing as well as products from local artists. Facilities have restrooms, are wheelchair accessible (not the trails) and are free. Facilities are open 10-5 daily. No pets.

www.audubonportland.org
5151 NW Cornell Road, Portland, Oregon
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Tualatin Hills Nature Park

Tualatin Hills Nature Park photo WadeMedia

200 acres of marshes, meadows, ponds, creeks and forested wetlands are what makes up this urban greenspace. The facilities include an interpretive center, reference library and nature store and restrooms. Facilities and paved paths are wheelchair accessible. Trails are open dawn to dusk and are free. No pets.

www.thprd.org/parks/thnp.cfm
15655 SW Millikan Way Blvd. Beaverton, Oregon
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Tryon Creek State Park

Trees

14 miles of trails under a mixed forest canopy, along streams and iconic spring flowers known as trilliums are some of the highlights of this urban park. Nature Center has interpretive displays, restrooms . Some trails are wheelchair accessible. Free and pets are allowed on leashes.

www.oregonstateparks.org/park_144.php
11321 SW Terwilliger Blvd. Portland, Oregon
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Oxbow Regional Park

1200 acre park and wildlife areas just 20 miles east of Portland. This natural area features beautiful scenery and old growth forest and access to the Sandy River and many recreational opportunities. Interpretive Center offers natural history and environmental education programs, restrooms. Wheelchair accessibility: boat ramp, fishing platform and some paved trails. Entrance fees are $6/bus. No pets.

www.metro-region.org/article.cfm?articleid=150
3010 SE Oxbow Pkwy, Gresham, Oregon
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Scappoose Bay Kayaking Center

Kayaking

The bay offers paddlers a wetlands / watershed area rich in cultural history and home to a variety of migratory birds, bank beaver, heron and eagles. It's a naturalists hideaway where few boats travel and a secluded waterway awaits discovery. Center is wheelchair accessible with restrooms, food/beverages and interpretive displays.

www.scappoosebaykayaking.com
57420 Old Portland Road, Warren, Oregon
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Jackson Bottom Wetland Preserve

Great Blue Heron

650 acre wildlife preserve features expansive wetlands and an abundance of wildlife viewing opportunities. Community center has restrooms and interpretive displays. Wildlife viewing platform is wheelchair accessible. Additional trails. Free and open from dawn to dusk.

www.jacksonbottom.org
2600 SW Hillsboro Hwy
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Powell Butte Nature Park

600 acre park is the site of an extinct volcano with extensive bird and wildlife viewing opportunities. Visitor information kiosk is near the main parking lot and provides information along with trail maps. Park has restroom and picnic areas.Wheelchair accessibility on Mountain View Trail only. Restricted hours early and late but park is open year round from 10 am - 6 pm.


www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder
16160 SE Powell Blvd 
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Leach Botanical Gardens

Plants in Bloom photo WadeMedia

9 acre botanical garden specialize in preserving the original Leach Collection as well as Northwest native plants. The collection boasts over 2,000 species, hybrids and cultivars. The garden has an interpretive center, restrooms, trails and wildlife viewing areas. Limited wheelchair accessibility and limited hours. No Pets.


www.leachgarden.org
6704 SE 122nd Ave.
3 blocks south of SE Foster Road, Portland, Oregon
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Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

Rhododendrons in bloom photo WadeMedia

7 acres of grounds boast an outstanding collection of rare species and hybrid rhododendrons, azaleas, deciduous and coniferous trees. Formal landscapes and more natural areas along the springs provide plenty of birding, especially during spring and winter months when huge flocks of waterfowl and gulls congregate on the artificial pond. There is no indoor center but kiosks provide interpretive brochures. Restrooms are available and the paved trails are wheelchair accessible. Modest entrance fee. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are free.

www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder
SE 28th Ave & Woodstock Blvd , Portland, Oregon
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Whitaker Ponds

Whitaker Ponds used with permission

13 acres of greenspace featuring a black cottonwood forest, ponds and plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities in Northeast Portland. An interpretive center offers brochures and maps and restrooms. No fee but hours for visiting are restricted.

www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder
7040 NE 47th Ave. Portland, Oregon
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Hoyt Arboretum

Hoyt Arboretum photo WadeMedia

214 acres of hilly terrain showcases over 800 species of trees and shrubs, including the largest collection of conifers from around the world. Nearly every tree has an interpretive sign and additional information is found at the Interpretive Center. The center has items for sale, restrooms, maps and brochures. Some of the paved trails are wheelchair accessible.

www.hoytarboretum.org
4000 SW Fairview Blvd. Portland, Oregon
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Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge

bird

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge is a place to discover an ever-changing panorama of wildlife. As the seasons change, so do the wildlife viewing opportunites. Located on the Pacific Flyway, the Refuge is an important stopover where migrating waterfowl, songbirds, and shorebirds stop to rest, refuel, and raise their young.

www.fws.gov/tualatinriver/recreation
19255 SW Pacific Highway, Sherwood, OR
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John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center

Environmental Learning Center

The John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center is a 5-acre site located on the Clackamas Community College campus. Offers a shared space for wildlife habitat and environmental education for children, families and adults. Primarily self-guided, but group tours or programs can be arranged. Trails, ponds, workshops, restroom facilities. Also houses the Haggart Astronomical Observatory, the only public observatory in western Oregon. Open daily dawn to dusk. $2 donation is suggested.

http://depts.clackamas.edu/elc/
Clackamas Community College, 19600 Molalla Avenue, Oregon City
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Hopkins Memorial Tree Farm

Trees with path photo WadeMedia

140 acre demonstration forest with 3-miles of trails, interpretive exhibits, covered picnic areas, drinking water, amphitheater, restroom facilities. Miles of trails lead hikers to a variety of habitats and forestry demonstrations, including the Watershed Interpretive Trail to learn how we protect water quality and the riparian habitat along Little Buckner Creek. Activities include free 90-minute guided tours, geo-caches and letterboxes clues, educational programs, "Wildlife and Aquatic Study Vests" with equipment to help you explore, community events and volunteer projects. Open daily year-round during daylight hours.

www.forestsforever-or.org
16750 S Brockway Road, Oregon City.
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Milo McIver State Park

Situated along the scenic Clackamas River, McIver State Park is only 45 minutes from Portland. This beautiful park provides a variety of outstanding recreational opportunities. Within this little-known gem, you can spend a day or a week exploring the river, forest and fields. Interpretive programs in the summer, hiking and equestrian trails, restroom facilities, Frisbee disc golf course. Milo McIver Bat Trail is a self-guided nature trail, brochures are available at the park.


www.oregonstateparks.org/park_142.php
24101 S. Entrance Road, Estacada.
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Rosse Posse Acres Elk Farm

Rosse Posse Acres Elk Farm photo used with permission

A working Elk Farm with a guided interpretation tour, Petting Zoo, Gift Shop, and Bed & Breakfast, restroom facilities. Open to the public for tours that are very informative, educational, and entertaining: informative as they describe how the ranch works and interesting facts learned along the way about elk; educational as they present on antler growth, ivory teeth, and other facts about elk; and entertaining as they spice up the tour with anecdotes about calving, antler removal, and the rut. Selling quality, farm-raised Wapiti. "Come See Our Racks"!

www.rosseposseacres.com
32690 S. Mathias Road, Molalla.
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Cascade Streamwatch at Wildwood Recreation Site

Cascade Streamwatch

Cascade Streamwatch is located in the Wildwood Recreation Site, a BLM park off Hwy 26 near Welches, just 39 miles from Portland. Offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore natural stream and wetland ecosystems from barrier-free boardwalks and interpretive trails. From the Cascade Streamwatch Trail, visitors can see young salmon and steelhead in a natural stream from an in-stream viewing window. The Wetlands Trail leads visitors along a boardwalk suspended over ponds, marshes, and bogs. Open May-October, self-guided tours, restroom facilities, BLM park usage fee.

www.cooperativeconservationamerica.org/
off Hwy 26, Welches, Mt. Hood.
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