Ecological Interest

This park has great Trillium beds in the spring, a flowing creek year-round, a forested one-mile and 1/2 mile trail loop with bridge crossings, and several micro-environments that are worth exploring. Picnic tables, drinking fountains and a "mushroom house" add flavor to this park. Because it is adjacent to the McMinnville Municipal Airport, park visitors can catch a glimpse of local airplanes taking off and landing on nearby runways. Portable restroom at trailhead. Dogs must remain leashed.

Elk Rock Island is a part of an ancient volcano that erupted about 40 million years ago and can only be accessed via a land bridge when the river is low enough.

Overlooking the Tualatin River Valley, the 230-acre Cooper Mountain Nature Park offers visitors 3½ miles of trails that traverse the park and pass through each of its distinct habitats - from conifer forest to prairie to oak woodlands.

The park has always been an undiscovered gem, tucked away among the other open spaces, pockets of housing, and the industrial uses that are scattered in the lowlands next to the Columbia River. After a burst of activity in the 1970s and 80s, use of the site decreased though it continued to be the place where area residents visited as a place of quiet and respite. With increasing development in the area, the arboretum was bought to be preserved as a park.

This small area of undeveloped Willamette River shoreline with natural surface paths, along the Willamette Greenway, is a good example of the natural environment of the river. The park is deciduous woodland planted for butterflies and insects; it was named 'butterfly' for its importance as a habitat for butterflies. Vegetation includes native grasses, wildflowers, and dogwood. Butterfly species include mourning cloaks and orange sulphurs. The park is frequented by various birds including cedar waxwings, killdeer, orioles, and chickadees.