Whether you’re looking for a quiet retreat or a fun family outing, Graham Oaks Nature Park offers plenty for everybody. The 246-acre nature park sits in southwest Wilsonville, a short distance from Interstate 5, and attracts both neighbors and visitors from throughout the region.
Families in the Field: Pollinators of Graham Oaks Nature Park
On July 13, join a naturalist for a hands-on program for the whole family. Explore the wonders of a white oak woodland at Graham Oaks Nature Park through the eyes of a pollinator and your child. Details and registration
There are many ways to explore the park’s signature oak prairies or the forests and wetlands:
Walk: The park’s three miles of trails connect wetland, oak woodland and savanna to neighborhoods. Start the walking tour near the parking lot where the main Ice Age Tonquin Trail is surrounded on both sides by tall golden grass; an oak prairie where all is light and expanse. Don’t miss the Legacy Creek Trail, where the temperature drops and the birdsong intensifies as you wander through the deep green understory of a towering fir and maple forest.
Cycle: Get on your bike and cruise up and down the gentle inclines of the paved Ice Age Tonquin Trail. Watch swallows swoop and dive above the tall grass, dragonflies glint and whirr, and bumblebees heavy with pollen take off from wildflowers. Bikes must stay on the paved, main trail, but you can follow a six-mile bike loop for a tour of surrounding streets and greenways.
Sit: Take a seat at Elder Oak Plaza near the grand Oregon white oak whose distinctive shape is visible from every direction. It’s thought to be between 150 and 200 years old. Or watch the wind in the grass from one of the park’s many other benches. Enjoy a picnic at the tables under the shelter and gaze out on a vista that includes Mount Hood, ancient fir trees and newly planted oaks.
Look: The wetland overlook is a great place to spot birds. Raptors circle in the distance, or closer in, you might spot a western bluebird or white-breasted nuthatch. In the summer, butterflies and bumblebees settle fleetingly on pink meadow checkermallow and other wildflowers. Don’t forget the camera, sketch pad and field guides for identification and closer observation.
Learn: Are you familiar with the geology of the Wilsonville area? Or the history of the Kalapuyan people who lived here before the area was settled? Do you know what a wasp gall is and where to find one? Can you identify a Willamette Valley ponderosa pine? Did you know that its bark smells like vanilla? Do you know the favorite food of the western gray squirrel? Answers can be found on the interpretive signs at the park or in a self-guided audio walking tour.