NEWS HOME

North Tualatin Mountains Natural Area

Hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders will have access to a new recreational area beginning in the fall of 2017. The Burlington Creek portion of the planned North Tualatin Mountains Natural Area will be the first site open to the public, followed by three other parcels as the areas are restored and developed.

Just north of Forest Park, the Burlington Creek Forest site is expected to have over six miles of trails for mountain bikers, with three of those miles off-road. There will be areas appropriate for both beginners and intermediate bikers, which is welcome news to the Portland bike community, which has been asking for places to ride that are closer in to town. Old logging roads will be developed as mixed-use trails for both walkers and bikers, and there will be approximately two miles of new hiking trails that will wander through the Forest Park Conservancy’s Ancient Forest Preserve.

While there is some opposition to this plan, from neighbors who fear that the noise and activity on bike trails would disrupt the local elk population and damage the ecosystem, Metro says they have taken seriously the need to balance preservation of habitat along with recreational use. They state that, “with careful planning, it’s possible to create opportunities for people to enjoy nature while also protecting it.”

The entire natural area is composed of four separate parcels: Burlington Creek Forest, McCarthy Creek Forest, Ennis Creek Forest and North Abbey Creek, for a total of 1300 acres. Metro has protected these properties by drawing on voter-approved bond measures, including the Parks and Natural Areas Operating Levy in 2013, which allows for large-scale restoration. Invasive species will be removed and replaced with native plants, with the long-term goal of recreating original habitat in an area that has previously been used for logging. Metro intends the North Tualatin Mountains Natural Area to become another spectacular resource alongside Forest Park.

Over the past year, Metro has conducted four community forums, asking for input on the land use from the various stakeholders. Balancing the needs for recreation and natural resource management of this delicate area, Metro is planning to take all inputs and create a development plan to be implemented during 2016. Based on the information that has come out of the public meetings, Metro is putting together a comprehensive plan for the parcels that is should be completed and submitted for approval to the Council by spring of 2016, with work beginning on improvements thereafter.

In addition to the trail system, other improvements will include the development of viewing spots, to allow visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. The Burlington Creek Forest has views of Sauvie Island and the Columbia River, while from the McCarthy Creek Forest, there are vistas of the Tualatin Valley over to the Chehalem Ridge across the Coast Range.

Burlington Creek will be accessible via NW McNamee Rd, with a parking lot that will accommodate 15 cars, and McCarthy Creek will have a similar-sized parking lot off of NW Skyline Drive.

A grand opening is planned for fall of 2017. As more information becomes available, we will keep you updated on what promises to be one more beautiful reason to live in Cedar Mill.

Previous article

NEWS HOME