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The Good Hearted Woman

Home Cooking & Cozy Living

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Camassia Nature Preserve: Wildflowers & Family-friendly Hiking

May 15 By Renée 3 Comments

The Camassia Nature Preserve is a 26-acre natural area known for its beautiful wildflowers, abundant wildlife, and easy, family-friendly trails. [West Linn, Oregon]

Short, easy, family-friendly wildflower hike - Camassia Nature Preserve {West Linn, Oregon} | The Good Hearted Woman

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

For a few brief weeks every spring, wildflower fields along the Columbia River burst forth in a rhapsody of blue.

It is Camas Season.

Though it closely resembles a lily, the Camas plant (“Camassia quamash”) is actually a member of the asparagus family. It was unknown to science before Lewis and Clark made their Voyage of Discovery. The flowers grow in clearings along the Columbia River, and were once so abundant in the Pacific Northwest that that non-indigenous travelers would mistake the blue covered fields for distant lakes.

The quamash is now in blume and from the colour of its bloom at a short distance it resembles lakes of fine clear water, so complete is this deseption that on first sight I could I could have sworn it was water.

~ Meriwether Lewis, Personal Journal, 1806

Short, easy, family-friendly wildflower hike - Camassia Nature Preserve {West Linn, Oregon} | The Good Hearted Woman

It’s becoming more difficult to find those wide blue meadows in these modern times. Many are secreted away in elusive alpine meadows along the Columbia River Gorge, and you must do the work to find them. (And by work, I mean Hike, with a capital H, as in up-Hill.) 

There is, however, at least one place you can go to easily experience the camas lilies in bloom, along with a host of other wildflowers, native plants, and animals – at the Camassia Nature Preserve in West Linn, Oregon.

Wavy Line

The Camassia Nature Preserve is a 26-acre natural area owned and maintained by the Nature Conservancy. The nature area is renown for its beautiful wildflowers, abundant wildlife, and easy, family-friendly trails.

Named for the common blue camas that blanket its meadows each spring, the preserve holds something for visitors to experience year-round.

DID YOU KNOW? Camas was an important food source for the indigenousness peoples of Northwest. Bulbs could be fire-roasted and provided a nutritious, sweet-tasting, high-protein staple.  

Short, easy, family-friendly wildflower hike - Camassia Nature Preserve {West Linn, Oregon} | The Good Hearted Woman

The rocky plateau upon which the nature area sits was originally formed by ice-age, glacier-fueled floods. It now provides a habitat for more than three-hundred plants, and is home to a myriad of meadow, tree, and pond dwellers as well; including deer, raccoons, skunks, hummingbirds, wood ducks, raptors, newts, osprey, salamanders, and a choir of songbirds.

I managed to get a super-short clip of a little red-headed woodpecker in action. ⬇️ (You’ll see him right under the arrow is when you hit Start.)

https://thegoodheartedwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/20190505_130006.mp4

The 1 1/2 mile loop trail is well-maintained and family-friendly. Most of the trail is covered with bark chips, and some potentially muddy stretches are also lined with a composite boardwalk. Hikers are asked to stay on the trails to protect and preserve the wildlife.

If you are planning to hike the park with little ones, be aware that there are a couple of places where you are going to want to be extra vigilant, particularly on the short stretch of the trail that overlooks the river: there is a wide berth between the edge and the trail, but there are no guard rails. Also, while we’re discussing cautions, be sure to watch out for poison oak at the trail edges. We didn’t see any on our visit, but there are warnings about it all over the preserve.

Short, easy, family-friendly wildflower hike - Camassia Nature Preserve {West Linn, Oregon} | The Good Hearted Woman

When we visited, we saw hikers as young as two and as old as eighty. Despite the warning about the “big hill up ahead!” that we received form one particularly helpful five-year old as we passed her on the trail, there were only a few very slight uphill climbs, but nothing remotely demanding. (Note that while the hike rates an “Easy” in my book, the trail is not wheelchair accessible.)

The park os located directly across the Willamette River from downtown Oregon City, behind West Linn High School. The Conservancy partners with high school ecology students, who use the nature area as an outdoor classroom and help keep it litter-free.

Short, easy, family-friendly wildflower hike - Camassia Nature Preserve {West Linn, Oregon} | The Good Hearted Woman

More family-friendly hikes can be found on our Pacific NW Hikes page. (Always check trail conditions before going out in the PNW. Things change quickly sometimes.)

Short, easy, family-friendly wildflower hike - Camassia Nature Preserve {West Linn, Oregon} | The Good Hearted Woman

Short, easy, family-friendly wildflower hike - Camassia Nature Preserve {West Linn, Oregon} | The Good Hearted Woman

Short, easy, family-friendly wildflower hike - Camassia Nature Preserve {West Linn, Oregon} | The Good Hearted Woman

Did you happen to notice the cool lens-ball image at the top of this post? I bought an inexpensive photo-sphere last fall, and since then I’ve been have been having so much fun with it! 

A photo sphere / lens ball is one of the most inexpensive, easy-to-use photo hacks around, and the results are just so cool!

Camassia Nature Preserve

Check out how the photo sphere magnifies and highlights the flowers in the field in this image.

Glass Photo Sphere | Lens Ball Tips

blankWhen you take a picture through a glass sphere (i.e., lens ball), the image will appear inverted, much like the image you see when looking at yourself in a spoon.

Many times, fixing this is as easy as simply rotating the whole image upside-down, as I did in the first image in this post. (You probably didn’t notice it, but all of the background foliage in the title image is upside-down! )

Other images require a bit more finessing. For example, this small image is the original shot for the image above. Note how the ground inside the sphere appears to be at the top of the sphere, which looks weird no matter how you turn it.

To correct this visual dissonance, I cut out the original sphere image using a circle frame, flipped it 180°, and layered it back onto the original image.

The result is a complete image in which everything appears right-side up. This little trick doesn’t require any special skill, knowledge, or expensive software – I skipped Photoshop this time and just flipped it on PicMonkey.  

Short, easy, family-friendly wildflower hike - Camassia Nature Preserve {West Linn, Oregon} | The Good Hearted Woman

Camassia Nature Preserve

5000 Walnut Street
West Linn, OR 97068
Map

  • There are several entrances to the nature area. The main trailhead is located in a small neighborhood parking area at the end of Walnut Street. There is also an entrance at West Linn High School, and another entrance in a nearby neighborhood.
  • Parking is limited to a small lot at the trail entrance at the end of Walnut Street. This can be very congested at peak times of the year.
  • During the spring and summer, volunteers lead guided hikes and teach visitors about the ecology of the preserve.
  • Hikers are required to stay on the trails in order to avoid disturbing the wildlife.
  • Dogs, bicycles, horses, camping, hunting, littering, fires, and motorized vehicles are prohibited on the preserve.

Wildflower season: Mid-April through early May.

Additional locations where you may find camas fields seasonally in bloom include: 

  • Round Lake Trail in Lacamas Park, Camas Washington
  • Bush’s Pasture Park, Salem Oregon 

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of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

Short, easy, family-friendly wildflower hike - Camassia Nature Preserve {West Linn, Oregon} | The Good Hearted Woman    Short, easy, family-friendly wildflower hike - Camassia Nature Preserve {West Linn, Oregon} | The Good Hearted WomanWavy Line

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Filed Under: Hikes, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Travel Tagged With: family fun, flowers, Oregon, Pacific NW

Spring Getaway to Orcas Island [San Juan Islands, Washington State]

March 29 By Renée 18 Comments

An early spring getaway to Orcas Island [San Juan Islands, Washington State] may be the most relaxing vacation you’ll ever take.

Why Orcas Island May Be the Most Relaxing Vacation Spot in the Pacific NW | The Good Hearted Woman

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Orcas Island is the largest of the San Juan Islands, located off the northern coast of Washington State. Just over an hour by ferry from the mainland city of Anacortes, Orcas is a Pacific Northwest vacation paradise. 

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5 Reasons Orcas Island is the PNW’s Most Relaxing Spring Vacation

[1] The Journey There

When you vacation on an island, getting there is half the fun, and you’re sure to see some wonderful sights along the way.

The easiest way to get to Orcas Island is to take the Washington State Ferry from Anacortes, Washington. (If you’re feeling spunky, you can do what I do and pretend it’s a mini-cruise.)

If you go by ferry, be sure to plan a few hours to stroll Historic Downtown Anacortes before you catch your ferry. 

Once you’re on board, take a seat and enjoy the beautiful Puget Sound scenery from the inside passenger area, or take a walk out on the deck and enjoy the clean, crisp marine air. 

Cormorants on the Orcas Island Ferry Pier | The Good Hearted Woman

These two cormorants were part of the meet-n-greet committee at the Orcas Island Ferry Pier.

[2] The Artisan Community

Orcas Island has a thriving community of artisans that throws open doors of welcome to visitors in studios, shops and galleries all over the island. 

We especially enjoy all beautiful, functional art at Orcas Island Pottery. You can spend hours just looking at (or in my case, touching…or trying not to touch, as the situation warrants) these unique, hand-created pieces.

Orcas Island Pottery | The Good Hearted Woman

A picnic table loaded with Steamer Pots at Orcas Island Pottery.

[3] The Food

The folks on Orcas Island do not mess around when it comes to creating beautiful, delicious food. We ate often and well.

Read about our experiences at two excellent Orcas Island restaurants:

  • Deer Harbor Restaurant: Slow Food at Its Best
  • New Leaf Cafe: Unpretentious Elegance

We were thrilled when Chef Steve Debaste of Orcas Island’s New Leaf Café generously shared his recipe for Grilled Halibut over Local Salad Greens with Verjus White Truffle Vinaigrette with us. 

Pan-seared Alaskan Scallops at the New Leaf Cafe |The Good Hearted Woman

Pan-seared Alaskan Scallops at the New Leaf Cafe

[4] The Active Life

Orcas Island offers a multitude of outdoor sports for the active vacationers.

Generally, the San Juans are still a little too chilly in the springtime for swimming; but lots of other activities are definitely accessible, including camping, boating, climbing, hiking, bicycling, and our favorite – kayaking.

You can bring your own gear, or borrow from one of a handful of rental places that freckle the island. Day tours are available through several local companies as well.

From Ship Peak on Turtle Mountain | The Good Hearted Woman

[5] The Peace & Quiet

Above all else, it was the tranquility of the island experience that captured our hearts. The landscape is idyllic and inspiring, with open fields and farmhouses inland, wooded countryside, and amazing, sweeping vistas. It is, in a word, bliss.

The quiet, remote, revitalizing peace of Orcas Island in the springtime may just be one of the island’s best kept secrets.

From Ship Peak on Turtle Mountain | The Good Hearted Woman

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Planning a trip to Orcas Island? Be sure to check out our Orcas Island Vacation Guide!

Orcas Island Vacation Guide | The Good Hearted Woman

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THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

Orcas Island
Wavy Line

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Filed Under: Orcas Island, Pacific Northwest, Travel Tagged With: Pacific NW, Washington

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Hello! We’re so glad you’re here! | The Good Hearted Woman {& Mr B}

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