Southwood Park
Wooded and open area with trail.
Wooded and open area with trail.
Walking, biking, or driving along the south shore of Vancouver Lake makes for a peaceful day of bird watching. Birding is best from early fall through late spring when the wintering species congregate here. Some of the better spots should be avoided during hunting season but this activity also causes the birds to move in mass to the no hunting areas where they can easily be viewed. Vancouver Lake can be reached from the I-5 Freeway by taking Exit 1-D to 4th Plain Blvd. and traveling west. This road leads directly to the lake and the starting point.
At nearly 2,000 acres, Metro’s Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area is the largest protected wetlands within an American city. This beautiful natural area is one of the region’s best-kept secrets.
Thousands of visitors along the Historic Columbia River Highway visit this beautiful spot, with its roaring waterfall cascading down steep cliffs into Youngs Creek and out to the Columbia River far below.
Sellwood Riverfront Park is at the southern edge of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge and provides access to the Springwater Trail. The park provides water access for swimming (but no beach) and fishing, a boat dock and canoe launch, a dog off-leash area, natural surface and paved paths, and picnic tables.
Access Trails provides detailed accessibility information, including elevation changes along the route; video of the trail; and photos showing trail characteristics, signage & wayfinding, and more.
The park features numerous picnic areas, two boat launching facilities, a fully stocked lake for fishing, and more than 15 miles of hiking and or biking trails.
A completed section of the future Westside regional trail, nice long (but steep) trail section.