Exploring in and around Oregon

Category: Nature Park

Nature Parks

Crawford Oaks Trailhead

Crawford Oaks Trailhead is a very large nature trail park in Lyle, Washington in the Columbia River Gorge very close to The Dalles, Oregon. It is a part of Columbia Hills Historical State Park.

This park is a trailhead that connects to a large network of trails that go around the Columbia Hills State Park area. This park features a semi-desert like environment mixed with beautiful rolling hills, and a small forested area flanking Eightmile Creek, a creek along part of the trail that ends in a waterfall that can be seen from the trailhead.

There is a parking lot at the entrance and a public restroom. A Columbia Hills State Park Pass is required to park here. Day passes can be purchased at the self-pay kiosk in the parking lot for $10, and not only cover Crawford Oaks, but also cover day use for many other places in the Columbia Hills State Park.

The trail starts at Entry Road Trail, which goes up into the hills next to a small waterfall at the end of Eightmile Creek. It starts in a rocky and desert-like environment that can often have wildflower blooms in the spring. Once you get up on the hill, it quickly turns into rolling green hills and a strip of forest along the creek that runs parallel to a part of the path.

Eventually, Entry Road Trail leads to a fork – if you go north, you will reach another fork – one direction that goes to Eightmile Alt Trail, and another that goes to Military Road Trail.

Going south from the Entry Road Trail fork leads to Vista Loop Trail, which will can eventually loop back to Military Road Trail, or continue further. There are many more trails within the park that are connected to these aforementioned trails.

There are many historically significant places within the Columbia Hills State Park, and Crawford Oaks is no exception. These trails were used for thousands of years by Native Americans and more recently by soldiers and settlers.

There are large power lines that run through part of the Vista Loop Trail, but besides that and some distant houses, there are mostly rolling green smooth and rocky hills.

The large expanse, big sky, and nearby vantage of the Columbia River are enough reasons to come and check this place out. If you need another reason, it is because it is a great place to check out wildflower blooms during the spring.

Crawford Oaks Trailhead is a gorgeous place to walk during the right time of year. It has a decent amount of incline to get from the parking lot into the hills, but after that, it is largely easy walking. Some of these trails go on for several miles, so you may need to plan your route accordingly. There is not a lot of shade, so make sure to bring some sun protection.

Due to the fact that there is no major city around, there are not usually a lot of people, although that may change at peak wildflower season. There is a small city nearby – The Dalles, Oregon, so it is not completely isolated.

There are many worthwhile places to visit within the Columbia River Gorge, and Crawford Oaks Trailhead is one of them.

April 15, 2025
Horsethief Butte

Horsethief Butte is a large nature park with historical significance in Lyle, Washington in the Columbia River Gorge very close to The Dalles, Oregon. It is a part of Columbia Hills Historical State Park.

This park consists of a trail that goes around and through the titular Horsethief Butte. Visitors are also allowed to climb and cross over Horsethief Butte, but are recommended to proceed with caution in doing so.

There is a decent-sized parking lot at the entrance as well as a public restroom. A Columbia Hills State Park Pass is required to park here. A day pass can be purchased at the self-pay kiosk in the parking lot for $10, and not only covers Horsethief Butte, but also covers day use for many other places that are within the Columbia Hills State Park.

Like the nearby petroglyphs site, there are also petroglyphs on and near Horsethief Butte itself. Visitors may need to climb up the butte to see the petroglyphs. Like any historical site, it is important to respect and preserve these places.

The Columbia River Gorge is a place of beautiful and dramatic views, and Horsethief Butte is no exception. The large rocky faces paired with the river provide stunning and dramatic views of the landscape. Come during the spring season to see wildflowers blooming everywhere around the rocky and windswept surface.

The main path of the park is a flat trail that goes around the butte, and takes you right next to the Columbia River. It can be very windy here, so take extra care that hats or other items do not blow away. There is also an entrance to climb over the butte on this side.

The riverside part of the trail does not go too far, and does not at this time go around the entire Butte, as the trail is blocked off after a certain point.

Like many riverside and gorge habitats, this area has lots of different birds. The most prominent birds are often ravens, vultures, eagles, and the very audible canyon wrens. Due to the high amount of wind, visitors can often see many birds – especially Ravens swooping and flying all around in a dramatic fashion as if they were surfing the wind.

On the north side of the Butte, there are trails as well. You can follow the dry fields on the western side, but the trail eventually ends as well instead of looping around the whole butte. You can also access the butte to climb over from this side.

Horsethief Butte is a great place for an easy and beautiful riverside walk. There is also a more challenging option of climbing over the Butte. This place has ancient native petroglyphs, lots of avian wildlife, and is often covered in wildflowers in the spring season.

This park is typically very lightly populated due to the fact that it is near no major city. It is a very short drive from The Dalles, a smaller city in Oregon along the Columbia River. The close location to The Dalles, its beauty, and cultural significance do attract a small amount of visitors.

If you are in the Columbia River Gorge near The Dalles, and you want a unique natural place to check out that is also historically significant, do not skip visiting Horsethief Butte.

April 10, 2025
Gabbert Butte Natural Area

Gabbert Butte Natural Area is a nature park in Gresham, Oregon. It is part of the range of extinct volcanoes within the ‘East Buttes’ in the east end of the Portland Metro Area.

The park consists of a single loop trail, Gabbert Loop, which circles back to the entrance. The trail has a consistent amount of incline, and can vary from a wide gravel trail to a much more narrow dirt trail.

The entrance to this park is located on a neighborhood street. There is no parking lot, but there is a decent amount of street parking adjacent to the park. Entrance is free. There are no restrooms at this location.

Unfortunately, no dogs are allowed at Gabbert Butte for various reasons including wildlife preservation and restoration.

The trail starts on a very wide gravel path that has a decent incline to it. This part of the trail goes on for a few bends before you reach the water tower.

The wide gravel portion of the trail ends at a tall green water tower, which is fenced off. From there, you can take a left and see the entrance to the next portion of the trail.

The next portion of Gabbert Loop goes downhill and switches to a dirt trail. Some parts of this trail can be deceptively steep – there may be a lot of mud on the trail during the rainy seasons, and you will want to watch your step as you descend.

Eventually there is a fork on the trail – one direction leads to an alternate entrance/exit, and the other continues the loop back towards the main entrance.

Like the other extinct volcanoes in the East Buttes range, Gabbert Butte does not really resemble a volcano besides the fact that it is elevated. This park is heavily forested – full of trees with thick moss covering them. The forest floor is densely dotted with ferns.

A variety of common Oregon woodland creatures can be seen here including deer, squirrels, coyotes, ravens, crows, woodpeckers, jays, robins, and other common Oregon birds.

After the main descent, the path starts to flatten out and narrow. At some points, the trail almost disappears underneath the ferns. There may also be a fair amount of mud in this portion during the rainy seasons.

This portion of the path leads to the area behind the neighborhood at the entrance of the park. The trail goes behind the fences of a row of houses and ends at the main entrance.

This park is typically very peaceful, and typically does not see very many people. This is due to the fact that the park is hidden away in a neighborhood in Gresham with limited parking, no dogs allowed, and no amenities. It is just one loop trail that goes through the forest.

If you are looking for a beautiful natural area that is a great place for a relatively easy and short hike with a fair amount of incline, visit Gabbert Butte Natural Area.

March 27, 2025
Powell Butte Nature Park

Powell Butte Nature Park is a very large park in Portland, Oregon. It is one of several extinct volcanoes within the ‘East Buttes’ in the eastern end of the Portland Metro Area.

It consists of a large open area in the center with a small grove of trees at the top, as well as miles of trails circling the center. There are miles of forest trails deeper in the park, as well.

Powell Butte Nature Park has a lot of space. There are various trails, many of which are mixed-use for walking, bikes, and or horses. Make sure to stay on marked trails, and pay attention to the signs, as some of the park is closed seasonally.

This park is great for an easy to medium-difficulty walk, hike, or bike ride in a large peaceful area. The park contains many different interconnecting trails with varying inclines. There are no serious inclines, but there may be long stretches of incline that can be difficult for some.

Entrance to this park is free. There is free and abundant parking as well as public restrooms at this location. This park has a large parking lot, but on holidays and weekends, the parking lot may be full.

Though Powell Butte is an extinct volcano, it doesn’t bear much resemblance, other than it is elevated with a large open area in the center. It is very green and surrounded with forests.

Powell Butte is home to a wide variety of wild animals including coyotes, squirrels, rabbits, deer, and birds like crows, ravens, juncos, kestrels, chickadees, hawks, jays, eagles, and more.

One of the most prominent features of Powell Butte is the grove at the top. There are a few dozen trees that create a beautiful grove that you can walk through at the center of the park.

From the grove, you can go onto Summit Lane trail, which circles around the center of a large open area of the park. From there, you can often get a good view of Mt. Hood, the surrounding city, and the rolling clouds and hills.

During Spring and Summer, there are many blooms at Powell Butte. During these blooms, you can see sprawling fields of a variety of flowers covering parts of the landscape.

Besides the large open area near the top, there are miles of forest paths on the western side of the park further from the main entrance. Most of these are mixed-use trails as well, and interconnect with each other.

This part of the park is less frequented by other people, and is where you are more likely to encounter wildlife.

There is a trail that is only open during part of the year, called Reservoir Lane. If you come at the right time, you can walk down Reservoir Lane and get a good view of the surrounding landscape.

During certain times of the year, you can see killdeer and bluebirds in and around the open field area.

Typically this park does not have many people in it, although with its location and prominence in the area, it will always have at least a few people. On weekends and holidays, the park can get quite full, and finding parking can be an issue.

The park’s size and various trails means that even if there are a lot of people at the park, there are places further in you can go to for a more peaceful walk.

If you want to go on a long walk in a gorgeous nature park with some light incline and equal amount of open views and forested areas, visit Powell Butte Nature Park.

March 20, 2025
L.L. Stub Stewart State Park

L.L. Stub Stewart State Park is a very large state park in northwestern Oregon – west of the Portland, Oregon Metro Area, and close to the town of Buxton.

L.L. Stub Stewart State Park has a lot of space. There are various trails, many of which are mixed-use for walking, bikes, and or horses.

Like the majority of the surrounding area, this park is forested and very green. There are several long trails that interconnect throughout the park, and even connect to the Banks-Vernonia State Trail which passes by the west side of the park.

You have to pay to enter this park, or use a state park pass that lists this location. There are a few different parking and restrooms around the park. There is a fenced dog park near the Hilltop Day-Use Area. There are also campsites and cabins that you can rent.

You can find Rough-Skinned Newts at this park. Make sure to watch your step, especially near the creeks and ponds, as there may be newts on the path that are somewhat camouflaged. These guys are cute and harmless, as long as you don’t try to eat them. It would not be nice to step on them.

Rough-Skinned Newts are deadly toxic if consumed. Consider exercising precaution when traveling this park with a dog. Keep an eye on them and make sure they do not try to eat one. Where there is one, there may be several more just out of sight.

There are many different ponds and creeks at L.L. Stub Stewart State Park. This contributes to the large amount of moss and other greenery blanketing the area.

Many of the trails and places in this park can be found connecting with the Banks-Vernonia State Trail. This trail goes on for a very long time in both directions past Stub Stewart.

If you walk along the part of the park that intersects with the Banks-Vernonia Trail, you will encounter a fair amount of cyclists.

There are many different long trails, and this park is considerably large. One day is certainly not enough to explore the majority of it.

This park has a decent amount of visitors – definitely not empty, but with all of the space in the park, it is easy to be alone when you are walking on a trail.

If you want to go to very large state park with various hiking and mixed-use paths, campsites, and cabins in a gorgeous mossy forest environment where you can go on long peaceful walks/bike rides, check out L.L. Stub Stewart State Park.

March 13, 2025
Rooster Rock State Park

Rooster Rock State Park is a large state park in the Columbia River Gorge area just east of the Portland Metro Area. It is a river and forest park situated right next to the Columbia River near Corbett, Oregon.

Rooster Rock has a lot to offer – whether you want to go on a nice long walk by the river, or hike in the woods, or have a nice day out in nature in general.

You can find many interconnected riverside and forested trails that go throughout the park, large open green areas with picnic tables, and even river beaches. The stunning view of the Columbia River as well as Sandy Island and the Washington side of the river is one of the main attractions. There is also an area in this park that is a ‘clothing optional’ beach.

You have to pay to enter this park, or use a state park pass that lists this location. There is a very large parking lot. There are several picnic tables as well as a restroom at this location.

This park’s trails are relatively easy, but not as easy as a city park or small nature park. There is some incline in some areas, and some trail/areas are less accessible at different times of the year due to water levels.

There are several parts of the riverside paths that can and will be flooded, especially in the late Winter or early Spring. Make sure to bring some good boots if you want to walk around the riverside area in the wet seasons.

There is a forest loop trail within Rooster Rock that you can walk – it has some slight incline, but should be considered relatively easy as a hike. The forest, being right next to the river, is incredibly green and usually quite peaceful.

You can often see robins and woodpeckers as well as other common Oregon birds in the forest here.

The forest loop is incredibly mossy, and depending on the time of year, you can find large amounts of mushrooms popping up, especially along parts of the trail.

At the halfway point of the forest loop in Rooster Rock, there is a viewpoint with a bench where you can look over at the river, the highway, and Sandy Island.

From this point, you can choose to continue down the forest loop trail back, or you can descend down and to the left into the riverside path area. Be careful taking the riverside path area, as water level and erosion might block off parts of the path making it difficult to loop back.

From the riverside path area, you can get an up-close view of the Columbia river and the dunes on Sandy Island.

Along the riverside, you can see a variety of birds including ducks, geese, swans, herons, kingfishers, gulls, eagles, hawks, as well as other common Oregon birds.

There are not usually many people at this park. Due to its location just outside of the Portland Metro Area, and its large size, there are always some people, but it rarely has a high density of traffic.

This is a dog-friendly park.

If you want to go to a large state park just east of Portland with stunning river views, lush green forest paths, and without a ton of other people around, check out Rooster Rock State Park.

March 11, 2025
Scouter’s Mountain Nature Park

Scouter’s Mountain Nature Park is located in Happy Valley, Oregon, and is situated around an extinct volcano. Scouter’s mountain is one of several extinct volcanoes within the ‘East Buttes’ in the eastern end of the Portland Metro Area.

This park’s trails are perfect for someone looking for an easy hike with some light incline. Most of the trails are very short – with the exception of the Boomer Trail, which circles around the entire park, though it is also not very long at only one mile.

Entrance to the park and parking are free. There are two parking lots, as well as a shelter with picnic tables and a bathroom at this location. One of the parking lots is right next to the road near the entrance, and the other is at the top of the mountain at the end of the road leading in.

The park features three main trails:

First is the Shelter Trail, which starts from the parking lot on the top and leads to the Scouter’s Mountain Shelter, which includes picnic tables and a restroom, and is surrounded by a small field.

The second trail is the Lava Dome Trail, which circles the field around the Scouter’s Mountain Shelter. Some parts of this trail have clearings where you can look out into the surrounding area below. The other two trails can be accessed from this one.

The third trail, the Boomer Trail, is by far the longest. Though it is the longest trail in the park, it is only about one mile long. It circles the entire mountain and has some light incline but should be considered an easy trail. Boomer trail can be started from either parking lot, or from the Lava Dome Trail.

Like the other extinct volcanoes in this area, Scouter’s Mountain bears little resemblance to an active volcano. It is heavily forested – covered with ferns and other vegetation.

As far as animals, you can expect to see many of the usual suspects of a hill/mountain habitat in the Portland Area – squirrels, deer, banana slugs, coyotes, and a variety of birds. You might even see a Bald Eagle or two flying around the top.

Being tucked away in Happy Valley at one of the corners of the Portland Metro Area, there are not usually many people there. You may see a few cars parked at peak hours, but for the most part, this park is incredibly peaceful and quiet, except for the occasional bird call.

If you want to go to on a relatively easy hike around a small extinct volcano with lots of trees and not a lot of people, check out Scouter’s Mountain Nature Park.

February 27, 2025