Calendar

Past Activity

Willow Creek Preserve Loop

  • Start date: 09/04/2023

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 09/04/2023

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

Willow Creek's native grasslands, ash woodlands and perennial streams provide the best remaining example of native wet prairie habitats in the southern Willamette Valley. The property is managed by the Nature Conservancy. More than 200 native plant, 100 bird and 25 butterfly species have been recorded on the preserve. This biome once occupied much of the Willamette Valley, but today has been reduced it to only a few remnant patches. In the winter and spring the ground is a bog, but dries as hard as rock in summer and fall. Trails are faint to non-existent here so we will need to tred lightly stayign to the edges of fields; this trip is exploratory for the hike leader. We will go in a big loop starting and ending on 18th Avenue and should be finished by 11am. This hike is exploratory for the trip leader.

Directions:
- Travel west on 18th Avenue through the Bailey Hill Road traffic lights.
- Continue past the Bertelsen Road stop sign for 0.3 miles.
- Park on the right side of the road, adjacent to where the east fork of the Willow Creek River flows under West 18th Avenue. The preserve is on your left, to the south.

  • Event Leader: Hougardy Mark

  • Assistant Leader:

  • Event category: Trips

  • Area Type: Urban

  • Departure Location: See Trip Description

  • Rating: Easy

  • Roundtrip total drive miles:

  • Season: 2023

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required:

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 2.5

  • Member Fees: —

  • Elevation Gain: 55

  • Non-Member Fees: 2

  • Committee: Trips

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

Our group followed a mowed pathway around the perimeter (from 18th Avenue in west Eugene) to the south end of the preserve. The area was quiet and there were pleasant views of the nearby hills. The trip leader took a spill on the trail. Walking to the east we attempted to cross a little creek but poison oak had turned seasonally red revealing its abundance. We decided it best not to risk it and returned to our original route back to the cars. Willow Creek's native grasslands, ash woodlands, and perennial streams provide the best remaining example of native wet prairie habitats in the southern Willamette Valley. The property is managed by the Nature Conservancy where more than 200 native plants, 100 birds, and 25 butterfly species have been recorded on the preserve. This biome once occupied much of the Willamette Valley, but today has been reduced to only a few remnant patches.

Members & Guests signed-up & waitlisted

  • Number of spots on trip: 6
  • Number of spots available: 0
No. Status Full name Phone Transportation Needed? Trip Fee # Can Take?
1 Signed-Up Hougardy, Mark 541-206-9532 N —
2 Signed-Up Hougardy, Christiane 541-914-4556 N —
3 Signed-Up Alexander, Joanna 458-209-7798 N —
4 Signed-Up Stewart Smith, Meg 541-913-5464 N —
5 Signed-Up Whalen, Maureen 510-390-4411 N —
6 Signed-Up Predeek, Dave 541-345-5531 N —
7 Signed-Up Nagy, Evelyn 541-514-4110 N —
8 Signed-Up Frank, Nikki 541-954-3050 N —
9 Waitlist Silvestri, Janice 619-554-2412 N —
10 Waitlist Hunton, Kim 541-513-5551 N 2