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Tag: Gresham, Oregon

Location in or near to Gresham, Oregon

  • Hogan Butte Nature Park

    Hogan Butte stone circle

    Hogan Butte Nature Park is a small park in Gresham, Oregon. It is part of the ‘East Buttes’, a range of extinct volcanoes in the east side of the Portland Metro Area.

    This is a smaller city park tucked away in a neighborhood in Gresham. It has a paved trail that goes around the main field in the center, and past a large water reservoir structure that overlooks the park.

    Hogan Butte info board

    There is a small parking lot with a few spaces at the bottom of the park. Parking and entrance are free. You can drive up to the top area, where the actual park is, but parking up there specifically is for buses and ADA only. There is a restroom at this location.

    After the main parking lot, the way up is a paved road that leads to the park area and the ADA/Bus parking lot. There is a fair amount of incline up this road, but it is relatively short.

    Hogan Butte entrance ramp
    Hogan Butte main park area entrance

    This park is surrounded by wooded areas, but there are no forest paths at this park. This park is based around a green field area at the top of the butte, and is much more like a city park with benches, paved paths, and many different informational and educational plaques about Hogan Butte and the surrounding area.

    Hogan Butte main park area

    Besides the initial incline, this park is a very short and easy walk. This is not a nature trail, but a nice place to go to for a picnic, short walk, birdwatching, or other peaceful park activities.

    Like its other siblings in the East Buttes, Hogan Butte does not resemble a volcano – it is very green and surrounded by forests. The only giveaway is the elevation.

    Hogan Butte main park area

    The town and the surrounding area can easily be seen from Hogan Butte. It is definitely a place to go for a great view of the landscape.

    Hogan Butte main park area

    This park does not usually have many people in it. Due to the fact that it is hidden away in a neighborhood in Gresham, and the size of the park and the small parking lot, there are never many people. It is typically a very quiet place to go to for a short walk and a nice view.

    If you want to take a short but pretty walk around a hill park that is actually a small extinct volcano where you can get a nice view of the surrounding area, check out Hogan Butte Nature Park.

  • Gabbert Butte Natural Area

    Gabbert Butte entrance

    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.

    Gabbert Butte entrance sign

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

    Gabbert Butte no dogs sign

    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.

    Gabbert Butte gravel path
    Gabbert Butte gravel path
    Gabbert Butte gravel path

    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.

    Gabbert Butte water tower

    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.

    Gabbert Butte downhill path entrance

    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.

    Gabbert Butte trail fork

    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.

    Gabbert Butte trees
    Gabbert Butte trees
    Gabbert Butte forest

    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.

    Gabbert Butte narrow path
    Gabbert Butte narrow path

    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.