Visual Education Trail at Willamette Mission Park

I raced here at Willamette Mission Park several times with my high school cross country team years ago, and have only returned a couple of times since then. I don't know why we haven't visited this place more often. It is a beautiful park with several trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. There is even the Wheatland Ferry that you could catch over to West Salem, as an added bonus, especially fun for the kids.

From I-5, take exit 293 toward Brooks. Turn west onto Brooklake Rd., then after 2 miles, take a right onto Wheatland Rd. Travel another 2.5 miles to the park entrance road on your left. Just after passing the information booth, you'll see a parking lot off to your right. This is where you'll find the trailhead for the 2.5 mile Willamette Vision Education Trail. Parking/Day use fee is just $3 or if you have an Oregon State Park annual pass {which I highly recommend}, it will cover this park. For you and your little ones' convenience, there are bathrooms available at trailhead.

This hike is, as the name indicated, very educational, which is perfect for those curious little kids. It starts off with a thorough history display, including pictures and timelines, just as you step out of your car. From here, you'll start down the barkdust trail, and after 0.1, you'll see another informative display where the trail splits. At this point, you can go either way, since it creates a loop, but if you go to the right, you'll encounter accurate mileage markers along the trail. Interspersed throughout the hike are educational botany plaques. We learned about the names and uses of several different trees and shrubs, then after examining them closely, tried to spot more of them along the trail. With the plethora of dandelions around, I also took the opportunity to tell my kids about the fact that dandelions are edible {that information just blew their minds}. Just over a mile in, you'll find the nation's largest black cottonwood tree. It is over 250 years old, and stands over 150 ft tall. About .25 miles farther, you'll cross over the park entrance road. Off to your left, you'll see a pole with an osprey nest at top. You can easily walk closer to get a better look, but even from the trail viewpoint, we were able to spot a baby in it's nest, and hear it calling out for it's mom. The trail then loops around one of the park's "sustainable farm management areas", back over the entrance road, past some grape vines, and concluding at the trailhead.

The hike was beautiful. It wasn't the secluded wilderness trail that is typically my favorite, but the educational aspects at this park made it one of my favorite hikes. We'll be returning to this one again very soon.

Total Distance: 2.5 miles
Trail Type: Loop
Trail Appearance: Barkdust {old & packed down, giving it a very natural appearance}
Trail Elevation: Flat
Atmosphere: Quiet, birds
View: Trees, open field, grape vines, water channels
Extras: Educational plaques, osprey nest, ferry

Difficulty: Easy
My Rating: **** 
Kid Ratings: *****;*****;*****