The last day of January was reminiscent of spring with a good dose of sunshine. A great time for a hike in a nearby area. The Tualatin Hills Nature Park lies a few miles west of Portland in the heart of Beaverton. The 222-acre Park surrounds the confluence of Cedar Mill Creek and Beaverton Creek.

I was again impressed with the Nature Park. It is remarkably diverse with wetlands, forests, ponds and streams. There are five miles of trails with about 1.5 miles paved and the rest well-maintained paths with wooden walkways over the marshy areas.

I did a 4.5 mile loop hike. The trails’ names tell the story – – – Oak, Creek, Old Wagon, Vine Maple, Big Fir, Cougar, Chickadee, Cedar Grove, Ash, Serviceberry, Big Pond, Trillium Loop and Ponderosa Loop. The trails were in great shape and led to many fun viewing areas.

I enjoyed the lily ponds, creeks and marshes with their ducks and other waterfowl. The variety of trees was also amazing with mature Ponderosa pines, ash, maple and Doug firs. What a pleasant outing and less than 15 minutes from home.

Western Gray Squirrel on the move

Blackberry Leaves

You can almost smell the fragrance of cedar

Pair of Mallards taking a noon-time snooze

Reflections in a small pond

Wooden pathway over a marshy area

Old wooden fence near the trail