Really pretty and lots of parking, walking distance of the main street, but bring bug spray!!read more

When I went to Willamette Park for the first time two days ago, I was blown away (figuratively…read morespeaking). There were plants, trees and flowers as far as the eye could see. For one thing, the trees sure were beautiful to look at. Their leaves reminded me about the beauty of the color green and how it can be cool and friendly (and they still do, as a matter of fact). Also, whenever I looked at the flowers and plants, I smiled when I took notice of how awesome they looked (and still are). As I took pictures of the nature I saw, I was then reminded of Susie Salmon in the 2009 film "The Lovely Bones" and her saying that she liked how a photo could capture a moment before it was gone. Even now, I know what she meant. And when it came to the nature in the green of the plants, the beauty in the flowers and the wonder in the trees, there was something special they all had that nature photographers are able to find. Finally, I highly recommend Willamette Park for all the nature lovers and photographers out there, and I give it five stars as well (although ten stars would be even better).

I love this park especially in the summer. There is a good size parking lot, the restrooms are…read moreclean and it is just off the beaten path. There is a nice playground, basketball court and baseball field. I like the loop walking trail along the river that has signage so that you learn about the things that are cool to the area. Like the meteorite. It was a rainy day today but there were still a few people enjoying the walking trail.

A beautiful little oasis, with a slice of Main Street USA.....This lovely small park rests between…read moreWillamette Falls Dr and the Tualatin River. There are little league fields, a place to fish or watch the water, trails to walk your dog, neighborhood garden..what else could you possibly want? Pay a visit, if even for 15 minutes, to transport yourself into a small town park

Nice small park. Two structures for toddlers and school aged kids…read more Plenty of parking. Bathrooms. A nice little nature trail leads to more open fields good for soccer or frisbee.

I love this sweet little park. It pops up on the trolley trail and has the cutest bridge you have…read moreever seen. Has a playground for small kids and "family park" describes it well. A real gem.

Beautiful trail through nature anytime of the year, but absolutely stellar mid to late April and…read moreMay when the field's namesake, the blue camas, are in bloom and and along with other wildflowers, blanket the fields I'm soft shades of blue, pink, purple and yellow. It's spectacular! There are lots of other wildflowers, too, so keep your eyes out for the many tiny varieties. There's pink sea blush, western yellow buttercup, Oregon grape, pink purslane, trillium (even plum colored ones,) saxifrages and more. I even spotted a handful of white camas amongst the thousands of blue. It's a gorgeous walk, immersed in nature, with birds chirping, bees doing their pollinating thing, butterflies, squirrels, hummingbirds, and even turkey vultures flying above. There are also osprey. Its's an easy trail, .8 miles if you stay in the main loop. With just slight elevation in a few places and sometimes narrow areas, the vast majority of people, including kids, will find it an easy, pleasant walk. The trail itself is dirt and wood chips, and definitely some rocks and basalt in places, with wooden planks guiding you through the pastel wildflower prairies. However, if you require a cane or walker, this trail can be challenging in some parts. I'm using a cane due to labral tear, and the few places where there were slightly steep rocky paths, I waited until a passerby came by and asked for assistance. Fortunately fellow hikers were kind and happy to lend a hand or shoulder. There was a group of four with walkers and canes and they only made it a third of the way and had to turn back. In some parts the path is too narrow or too steep for a walker. The nature reserve is at the end of a neighborhood street so on a weekend in April or May when wildflowers are in bloom, parking is challenging. Definitely go on a weekday if your schedule permits. There is a porta potty on site. And a volunteer on the path should you have any questions about the wildlife and plants you encounter. Dogs are not allowed.

I love this hidden gem of a nature park! My family has come here to see the spring camas and…read moreseablush show a few times now, and we have a great time. Need to know: One-way trail, loop but connects to the high school and wilderness trail too Steep incline at beginning Can be muddy fall to spring Great signage Lots of Oregon natives Sensitive habitat, so stay on trail! Great views Yakima basalt formations Parking is extremely limited, and the reason I removed one star

It's so beautiful here I cannot believe this is in our "backyard"…read more Such an amazing learning opportunity for my kids on respect of nature and what critters call this place home. I did wish that others respected nature as much as my kids and I threw away a bag of trash we found exploring the creek.

Sweet little pocket park in SW Portland that's actually much bigger than it seems - if you're…read morewilling to poke around the edges. I'm a fan of this heavily wooded little gem because it's not that easy to find unless you live in the area, which keeps the few trails relatively uncrowded (except on summer weekends). Tryon Creek runs through the bottom of the shady park, and there's a small clearing with a playground and a couple of picnic tables if you want to enjoy the water view - though be warned the creek becomes just barely a trickle come summertime. There are some pretty good hills throughout and the trails, which include several bridges, are fairly well maintained so you can put together a couple of decent, if short, hikes here. Things do get pretty muddy in winter though. Venture across Boones Ferry road and you can even hook up with the larger trail network at nearby Tryon Creek State Park to string together a more challenging stroll. Parking is pretty limited in the small areas on either side of the park, but that's usually not a problem.

Lake Oswego is a classy lady and this park is one of the jewels in her crown. A few years ago the…read moredowntown area went through a massive renovation which included improvements to this park along with the creation of the Lake View Village retail complex. My favorite time to visit is on a Saturday morning in the summer when the Farmer's Market is open, but it is a gorgeous spot year round. You can pick up a pastry from St. Honoré Boulangerie or a latte from Peet's and enjoy it on the park benches overlooking the lake. Bliss. There are two levels. An upper plaza, complete with a fire pit, grassy area and old growth trees, next to the shops and restaurants of the village. There is a pergola, with kitchen, you can rent for private parties. This area is also used for many festivals and outdoor concerts throughout the year. The lower plaza is at lake level and has a water feature for the kids in the summer months under the wings of Fortuna (see photo). In fact, there is wonderful public art throughout Lake Oswego, with at least ten pieces in this location. Pick up an art walk map from one of the shops and take a walking tour of the city's 'gallery without walls.' Pioneer Square is Portland's living room. Millennium Plaza is Lake Oswego's great room.

It's a park... made from concrete? Definitely more of a plaza than a park. I could make all sorts…read moreof judgmental commentary about the fact that a suburb has a concrete park, but that's really beside the point. As far as an open space that allows for public use (unlike the private lake right next door) Millennium Plaza Park probably serves some good purposes. It has bathrooms, and some covered areas, and a fountain. And a whole bunch of open space. Open concrete space. The photo on the website shows a bunch of people laying on blankets on the concrete - likely to watch a movie in the park or something. Not sure how comfortable that would be. I definitely wouldn't bring my crew here to post up on the grass and play Frisbee or have a picnic or anything. But I can't say I wouldn't take advantage of a park bench and maybe the longing view of the lake that you can't swim in without permission. _________________________ Update - After reading Jen K's review, it seems I only visited 1/2 of this park. There is a grassy area! I'll have to check it out next time I am in the area!

Oregon is such a beautiful state. Newell Creek Canyon Nature Park is a lovely park in Oregon City…read more On a recent holiday weekend, the parking spaces were somewhat occupied but with plenty of spaces available. There is a map and public restrooms in front of the park. There was also a map at the point where certain trails split off. The hubby and I did not get too far along the trail we were walking along because I was actually was not wearing proper shoes. Other walkers/hikers ahead of us were either families or couples. I did not see any homeless folks as another review had mentioned. But, again we did not venture too far. Although it was a warm summer day, the tall beautiful trees provided plenty of shade. Flowers along the paths were lovely as well. If I visit Oregon City again, I would likely be back to hike far enough to see the waterfall. 4 stars.

I'm gonna start with the bad cause I like to get that out of the way, there is on-site parking and…read morerestrooms and accessible picnic area and benches upon arrival, but unfortunately those spaces were occupied by people who were living in the park, sleeping on the benches, using the bathroom on the ground, and these are spaces where smaller children obviously would be spending their time. It was not a clean or safe area that I would recommend for anybody who is not here to actually hike a trail.......now that that's out-of-the-way let's talk about the trails! The trails are in good condition, the trees are beautiful of course, and all the lush greenery is so gorgeous, we saw some snakes, bunnies, so many different types of birds and fungi, there are very sturdy benches throughout and some parts of the trails can get pretty narrow. There is no actual view of the canyon It's just all gorgeous greenery which for me it's not disappointing in anyway, but if you are expecting a view, there is not one. Be mindful that if you are hiking down, you have to hike up on your way out I would definitely come back here again, but this is not a place I would suggest for a solo hike or with anyone who needs any type of attention or assistance. Bring a friend and remember there are no pets allowed at all.

Great neighborhood park with shade, two play structures, basketball court, tennis court and swings…read more For a neighborhood park, this is pretty large and very beautiful scenery up in the hill.