PLEASE NOTE: Due to flooding and a downed power line, Oxbow Park is closed. Salmon Homecoming has been canceled.
Nothing says “Pacific Northwest” like the annual return from the ocean of salmon, fighting upstream to spawn and die in the rivers of their birth. In October, witness this ancient, iconic phenomenon at Oxbow Regional Park along the Sandy River, one of the nation’s designated Wild and Scenic rivers. Naturalists are on hand to help you spot the salmon and explore other parts of the park’s 1,000 acres of old-growth forest, hiking and equestrian trails and river beaches. In collaboration with the Native American community, Salmon Homecoming will feature cultural activities including indigenous drum groups, a salmon bake and storytelling.
Dates: Sat. Oct. 21 and Sun. Oct. 22
Costs: $5/car, $7/bus; no registration required
Difficulty: easy
View salmon
Sat. Oct. 21 and Sun. Oct. 22
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Join naturalists at the river’s edge. They’ll help you spot spawning salmon and tell you about the salmon’s behavior and life cycle. Borrow a pair of polarized fish-viewing glasses.
Ages: all ages
Campfire and hot drinks
Sat. Oct. 21 and Sun. Oct. 22
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or cider around the campfire. Guaranteed to take the chill off and lift your spirits for a walk in the autumn woods. First-come, first-served.
Ages: all ages
Explore a salmon restoration site
Sat. Oct. 21
Meet at 1:45 p.m., program 2 to 4 p.m.
Alder shelter
How do young salmon find food and refuge from floods and predators? Join the Sandy River Basin Watershed Council to learn the science behind a side channel restoration project at Oxbow’s Happy Creek. Restoring habitat lost in a 1960s road-building project, the project created deep pools, bubbling riffles and hiding places for Chinook, coho and steelhead. Learn the characteristics of good habitat and tips on native plants and salmon-friendly practices you can incorporate into your life.
Ages: 8 and older
Mushrooms at Oxbow
Sun. Oct. 22
1 to 3 p.m.
Meet at Beaver shelter
Explore the incredible diversity of fungi in Oxbow’s ancient forest. In this hands-on, beginners class, learn the basics of mushrooms and other fungi. This is not an edible mushroom class.
Ages: 8 and older
Pets policy: To protect plants, wildlife and people, Metro does not allow pets at most regional parks and natural areas. Pets can damage sensitive habitat and threaten wildlife the region has worked to protect. In natural areas where pets are not allowed, people see more wildlife and get closer to it. Seeing-eye dogs or other service animals are allowed. Please bring cleanup materials.