Willamette Mission State Park

Path to Ghost Mission closed for spraying toxic substances. A lot of trails but mostly farmland and orchards. I can think of better ways to spend $ 5.

We came here to do the Willamette Vision Educational Trail (2 ½ miles for hiking) which includes a view of the nation’s largest Black Cottonwood tree.
The tree was awesome. It’s 265+ years old, over 26 feet in circumference, and over 155 feet tall. If you start the trail at the first turn-​off after the pay kiosk, the tree will be about ½ way through the hike (it’s a loop).
Other than the tree, I wasn’t super impressed with the hike. I found it in a hiking book, and it was rated a ⁷⁄₁₀ for how scenic it is supposed to be, and I would say it was more like a 5 (3 if the tree wasn’t there). The trail wasn’t maintained very well; it also looked like they had some piles of mulch that they intended to spread out over the trail at some point, but the piles had been there for so long that they had mushrooms growing out of them.
The hike was pretty flat, and it took us about an hour to complete. As it was an «educational trail,» there were some signs pointing out different species of flora along the path. They weren’t spaced out too evenly — they pretty much were around the half mile before /​after the big tree. Also when you were at the big tree, they were like 10 picnic tables all bunched around like they were there for storage; it was a little odd. It was nice, though, that there were a few park benches along the path if you wanted to rest or just take a minute to appreciate nature.
There was a lot of parking available, but I was surprised how few people were there. It was raining off and on, so maybe that’s what kept the crowds away.
$ 5 charge for the car for the day. There were some real bathrooms and some of those vault toilets. Boat ramp, bicycle paths (4 miles), horse trails (7 miles), and a jogging loop (1 mile). We also drove around a bit afterward the hike and saw some picnic shelters and volleyball nets around the area, and there were some good places for a picnic.
If I lived closer, this would be a nice place to visit occasionally, but it’s not anything to write home about.

Willamette Mission. not so bad. There’s about ten miles or so of paved trails around the park, 3 miles along the river. Price is $ 5 to use the place. Usually it is not busy at all. There’s times I’ll hike through with my dog and not see a single soul. Other then hiking the river side, the scenery is mostly wetland brush. All of it is flat, there is no elevation gains. There is also a sizable horse trail network in the area. I believe they also have overnight horse camping allowed, complete with pens and room to stretch. Unlike my parents, I do not like creatures that have the brains of a 6 month old, weigh a ton, and have the ability to kill me, so that’s the extent of my horse advice.
If you live on the western side of the Willamette, park your car along the river bank. You can save yourself $ 4 and just walk onto the ferry, including canines. Just wait for all the cars to pile on, then step on board. Free to pedestrians. If you have a bicycle, your SOL. They will charge you.
This isn’t a huge tourist spot that will WOW you like Silver Falls, but it is serene enough and doesn’t bring in the crowds. That’s why I go.

This is really a great park that offers a lot– no matter what your preference. There are some great trails for walking/​running/​hiking/​horse riding, areas for bird and wildlife watching, blackberry picking, fishing, picnicking, and parking for the Wheatland Ferry.
Depending on the weather, water levels can cause mud and flooding. Entry fee is $ 5.

Mosquitoes.