Watch Wildlife & Birds

Five habitat types in a 25-acre park in Lake Oswego? You'll find it at Bryant Woods Nature Park on the Lake Oswego canal. Oregon ash and Oregon white oak ring a wet meadow edged with camas and dotted with seasonal ponds where red-legged frogs thrive. A larger excavated pond, fed by natural springs, provides homes for wood duck and mallards. Douglas fir and big-leaf maple dominate in the upland forest. From the small parking area, the main trail follows the route of the former Canal Road along the edge of the meadow. This gravel road bed is passable all year.

Also called Brookhaven Woods Natural Area, the trails along the creek here connect to the wooded Lowami Hart Woods Park. These two parks are part of a string of protected natural areas along Beaverton's Johnson Creek.

Beautiful Bridal Veil Falls is an elegant and graceful lady that can be fully appreciated from the deck of a viewing platform rebuilt in 1996. The creek hustles down from the top of nearby Larch Mountain, tumbles over the cliff and eventually flows into the mighty Columbia River. No visit to the Columbia Gorge should be considered complete without a tour of the area of Bridal Veil and a visit to Bridal Veil Falls State Park. The park offers a nice parking area, picnic tables and restrooms all within easy walking distance from the parking area.

If you want to get off the beaten path, Bonnie Lure State Park along Eagle Creek provides a refreshing getaway. You may catch a rare glimpse of a pileated woodpecker or hook an elusive steelhead trout on its way back to the hatchery. This park is a great day-trip destination.

Take a Ride -- Read more about Bonnie Lure from Be Portland.

Bethany Lake is a popular destination for fishing, bird watching, and picnicking at tables set along the park's path. The open fields can be used for Frisbee or tag, there is a community garden, and dogs are allowed on-leash. There is even a small waterfall at the west end of the lake, a soothing sound for quiet contemplation. The half-mile trail through Bethany Lake Park is part of the Rock Creek Greenway trail.