Photo by Adam Sawyer
Photo by Adam Sawyer
Tryon Creek State Park is one of the more well-known outdoor spots in Portland. If you haven’t been already, it’s probably on your radar. The 670-acre natural area is Oregon’s only state park within a major metropolitan area. Thanks in large part to Friends of Tryon Creek (FOTC), there are a number of attractions and activities that make a family trip worthwhile.
Tryon Creek has a staffed Nature Center that houses a classroom, reference library, and a gift store. The park offers more year-round programs, classes, camps, and guided nature hikes than you can shake a stick at. As an added bonus, the Family Games and Activities page of the FOTC website has a number of printable documents that are blast for the kids. Games like tree matching, animal tracker, and plant detective are just a few of the activities available.
In terms of trails, the justifiably popular park is a favorite among runners and provides specific paths for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Though the Ruth Pennington Trillium Trail is the only official barrier-free path, most will find the trails in the vicinity of the Nature Center navigable.
While many consider winter to be a time when vegetation dies or enters a state of torpidity, it is prime season for one of Portland’s most intense color displays. Mosses, lichens, and ferns come alive and adorn the forests of the Pacific Northwest in an array of greens. Tryon Creek is a particularly good place to observe this fluorescent coloration. A number of trees are decked out, but the Bigleaf Maple sports the thickest coat of cold-weather growth. Kids love the tactile smorgasbord that hangs from tree limbs and wraps around trunks. There’s a lot to learn as well. Ask the kids, “Can you tell the difference between mosses and lichens?” “Which are softer?” “Are the brightest greens lichens or mosses?”
Tryon Creek State Park has year-round free guided nature walks that vary by season. Through February, the walks are designed to help visitors identify mosses and lichens, as well as the trees in winter. Walks are family-friendly and the naturalists are great with kids. Check their online calendar for dates and times.
-Adam Sawyer
Photo by Adam Sawyer
Photo by Adam Sawyer
