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.