Trails: (unnamed)
Hike Location: Willamette Park
Geographic Location: south side of Corvallis, OR (44.55047, -123.25160)
Length: 2.1 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: July 2021
Overview: A nearly flat loop partly along the banks of the Willamette River.
Park Information:
https://www.corvallisoregon.gov/parksrec/page/willamette-park-natural-area
Hike Route Map:
https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=880660Photo Highlight:
Directions to the trailhead: From downtown Corvallis, take SR 99W south 1.1 miles to Crystal Lake Drive; there is a traffic light at this intersection. Turn left on Crystal Lake Dr. Take Crystal Lake Dr. east 0.5 miles to Fischer Lane and turn left on Fischer Ln. Fischer Ln. deadends at Willamette Park's boat ramp; park in the parking lot beside the boat ramp.
The hike: Consisting of 287 acres on the west bank of the Willamette River, Willamette Park is the largest park and crown jewel in the City of Corvallis' park system. The park's most popular amenities are the Crystal Lake Sports Fields, which offer a seemingly uncountable number of soccer and baseball fields, and the Willamette Boat Landing. A disc golf course lies at the park's south end, and the fact that most of the park has been designated an off-leash dog area makes the park puppy friendly.
Fortunately for hikers, most of the park's riverfront acreage remains in its natural state. The park has trailheads at both the north and south ends of the heavily wooded riparian area, and several routes are possible through the park's trail system. This hike starts from the park's north trailhead, goes south through the natural area, and returns by going past the athletic fields, thus sampling all the park has to offer.
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| North Trailhead |
The parking area at the north trailhead is also the parking area for the Willamette Boat Landing. Many trails depart from the information kiosk and vehicle gate here, but I started with the dirt trail that angles softly left and heads into the woods. Note that none of the trails at this park are marked, so you may want to take a picture of the trail map at the information kiosk for reference later in this hike. Quickly you cross a wide dirt trail and reach the Willamette River's gravelly bank. Despite your close proximity to Corvallis, the view is surprisingly free of man-made objects, and the river's clear waters beckon you or your dog to wade in.
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| Willamette River |
To continue the hike, retrace your steps to the wide dirt trail and turn left to begin heading south with the river through the trees on the left. The trail heads through dense forest that features a large number of cottonwood trees. Where side trails exit right or left, continue straight on the widest trail. |
| Southbound near the river |
At 0.75 miles, the wide dirt trail ends at another gravel river beach. I shared this beach with a couple of anglers, but again signs of man-made intrusions are minimal. After enjoying the second beach, retrace your steps to the previous side trail intersection and turn left to continue heading south on a narrower trail.
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| Second gravel river beach |
The trail climbs slightly to leave the river's floodplain, and at 1.2 miles you reach the park's south trailhead near the park's disc golf course. As with the north trailhead, many trails converge here, and thus you have many options for getting back to your car. You could choose the narrower dirt trail going right that stays in the riverside natural area, or you could choose a dirt trail going left that goes close to the park's west boundary and hence the residential area beyond. For the shortest route back to the north trailhead, I chose the asphalt trail that goes through the middle of the park.
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| Asphalt return trail |
The asphalt trail starts in the woods, but soon it enters the park's sunny athletic fields. Some nice views of the Coast Mountains' foothills open up across the soccer fields to the west. Just past 2 miles, you return to the north trailhead by the park's boat ramp to complete the hike.
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