Fall is a fantastic time to explore your Land Trust Preserves! While volunteer-led Land Trust walks and hikes are winding down, you can lace up your shoes, get outside, and explore your protected lands on your own. Here are four ideas to get you out of your home and into the natural beauty of your Land Trust Preserves:

 

Enjoy scenic views at Indian Ford Meadow Preserve. If it's not muddy, you can follow a 1 mile trail through the meadow for fantastic views of the Three Sisters, Mt. Washington, Black Butte, Mt. Jefferson, and Indian Ford Creek. See the mountains start to get covered in snow as storms roll in, and take in the autumnal colors of willows and rabbitbrush. Find driving directions and more detailed Preserve information.

 

 

Watch for wildlife at Camp Polk Meadow Preserve. Take a quiet moment and watch wildlife this fall. Camp Polk Meadow Preserve is home to deer, cougar, otters, elk, and many species of birds (~160 species observed). See the Preserve's bird list for help identifying birds that have been observed in the fall. Find driving directions and more detailed Preserve information.

 

 

 

Get some exercise at the Metolius Preserve. With more than 10 miles of hiking and biking trails, the Metolius Preserve is a great place to spend the day outside. Start at the North Trailhead to catch views of golden larch and red vine maples. Check out the South Trailhead if you'd like to see brilliant yellow bracken fern and listen to the soothing sounds of Lake Creek. Find driving directions, trail maps, and more detailed Preserve information.

 

 

 

 

 

Explore the high desert at Whychus Canyon Preserve. With more than seven miles of hiking trails, Whychus Canyon Preserve is a great place to explore what our high desert looks like in the fall. Enjoy scenic viewpoints, the rushing cold waters of Whychus Creek, changing fall colors lining the creek, and a walk along the historic Santiam Wagon Road. Find driving directions, trail maps, and more detailed Preserve information.