Find yourself on The Intertwine today
Gresham has over a half dozen buttes that are part of the broader Boring Lava Dome complex created from eruptions 100,000 to six million years ago. Most of these buttes are clustered south of downtown and gently drain to the north by the main stem of Johnson Creek. Take a hike through Forest Park East and discover the forested buttes that rise above Gresham.
Spring is the perfect time to visit Tryon Creek State Natural Area, when the forest comes alive with white trillium blooms (usually mid-March to mid-April). The beautiful triangular-shaped flower is synonymous with spring at the park and is celebrated at the annual Trillium Festival at the end of March.
Oregon White Oak is also called Garry Oak (Quercus garryana). Its range is from southwest British Columbia to southern California. In the Willamette Valley, oak savannas were created as native peoples used fire as a management tool to harvest certain plants, remove undergrowth in oak groves to make acorns more visible, and improve deer and elk habitat.
My family and I visited for the first time recently, and it has officially been added to the ever-growing list of places we can’t believe we somehow overlooked, but will now visit frequently.
Spring abounds! Come along with the resident naturalist of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge for a lesson in the plants and animals to look for during spring along the Springwater.