Wildwood Recreation Site
Wildwood Recreation Site
4.8
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Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.8
43 reviews
Excellent
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Tansy2015
Michigan423 contributions
May 2024 • Family
What a gem of a park! There is a paved area that loops around many picnic sites we counted 23. It follows the cascade river and has a little stream that forks off and along this stream is a hike called the Cascades stream watch. It is a little hut that has glass panels along the stream so you can watch the fish swim by! Too cool! There are also unpaved trails Throughout the park. The walk is magical and worth hiking even in the pouring rain!
Written May 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
interviewtraveler
Washington687 contributions
Aug 2022
Wildwood Recreation Site is easily accessible off Hwy 26. There is a $5 fee to enter with your car unless you have an annual pass. It is well worth it. Lots of easy, scenic hiking trails. There is also access to a more challenging one, but we didn't go there. There are views of the Salmon River and access the river at certain points. There are lots of woodsy picnic areas. The underwater viewing area was also neat.
Written September 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
aliciaburge
Seymour, IL488 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
We stopped her on our drive along Mt. Hood Scenic Byway and it was well worth it. There are paths you can hike that are not too steep. One follows the River and is a beautiful hike. Another is a boardwalk over wetlands. We greatly enjoyed the stop.
Written August 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fun Journey
California73 contributions
Jul 2020
The trails are covered and protected from the harsh summer sun, so that makes the hiking/trekking much easier. The entire trail is along the Salmon River and is just lovely and quaint. There are bathrooms and lots of picnic tables and water stations next to the tables. I wished we brought picnic food. Be sure to put on bug guards. Those mosquitos are hearless!
Written July 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Illinois_John
Dunedin, FL717 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
My wife and I went here to walk the trails. There is an admittance fee of $5 per car, but a National Parks pass will get you in.
The Cascade Streamwatch Path is all paved. The Wetland Trails circle path has paved path, boardwalk and gravel portions. There are only moderate inclines on the Cascade path. Most of both paths are in the shade. On the Cascade Streamwatch Path, you can go into an underwater viewing area to see the fish and other marine life in the stream. When we were there, we only saw some snails and salmon fingerlings. Given the depth of the water I do not see how there could be full size salmon there, but perhaps the water level is much higher at other times of the year.
The park has many small areas with picnic benches, charcoal grills, and garbage cans for a picnic. There is also at least one large picnic shelter that can accommodate a large group. There are multiple washrooms in the park. There were people wading in the stream as well as tubing. It is a wonderful area for a family day of fun! And there is plenty of parking available. Dogs are allowed on the paths, but must be on leash at all times.
The Cascade Streamwatch Path is all paved. The Wetland Trails circle path has paved path, boardwalk and gravel portions. There are only moderate inclines on the Cascade path. Most of both paths are in the shade. On the Cascade Streamwatch Path, you can go into an underwater viewing area to see the fish and other marine life in the stream. When we were there, we only saw some snails and salmon fingerlings. Given the depth of the water I do not see how there could be full size salmon there, but perhaps the water level is much higher at other times of the year.
The park has many small areas with picnic benches, charcoal grills, and garbage cans for a picnic. There is also at least one large picnic shelter that can accommodate a large group. There are multiple washrooms in the park. There were people wading in the stream as well as tubing. It is a wonderful area for a family day of fun! And there is plenty of parking available. Dogs are allowed on the paths, but must be on leash at all times.
Written August 27, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RSNN
Portland, OR5,771 contributions
Oct 2018 • Solo
It was a nice sunny Autumn day and I felt like getting out of the city and enjoy nature. The leaves changing color. A walk along a forest river. And the peaceful solitude of the forest. So I hopped in my vehicle and drove eat on highway 26 toward Welches, Oregon.
I turned into the entrance to Wildwood Recreational Site and soon encountered a booth where you pay for your stay inside the area. There was nobody at the booth, but signed posted indicated that you pay here. There is an ATM that takes credit cards and gives you a slip you place on your dashboard as proof that you paid for the day. The fee is $5 for a passenger vehicle. $10 for a van. $20 for a buss. Unless you have one of the Annual Passes.
This is a Day Use only park. No Camping. The park closes at 5:30 PM.
I drove around the roads to find the place I wanted to spend my time. Wildwood has several places you can go to. There is a Reserved Group Picnic area that has a shelter, athletic fields, playgrounds, and a picnic kitchen. There is a Family Picnic Area further on with all of its separate family picnic spots complete with tables and a grill you can use while you are here. I parked at the Trailhead Parking for the Cascade Streamwatch Trail head. There are bathroom facilities here and posted information on boards nearby. They had a few fliers about Beers and cougars and even a map of the Wildwood Recreation Site. I took a copy of each and found the map very useful. It is a basic map showing the areas and the trails you can walk.
I started out from the restroom area and walked along the path that followed along the Salmon River I stopped at each display describing fish, nature, and the local environment. There were details and facts. All very informative. I walked by several family picnic spots and admired how nice they were. They looked like great places to gather with friends and family for a day out in the woods. I continued on and looked through the underwater view window. Only saw a few small fish. So I continued on and walked down to the river bank to just enjoy the scenery.
I returned the way I had come, back to the restroom facilities and from there crossed the bridge spanning the Salmon River that takes you to the Wetland Trail and board walk. It is a one mile loop on a boardwalk that takes you to a marsh area. I saw many dragonflies. And the interesting carved wood plaques of animals displayed with brief information about them. Yeah, the various different types of animals you might find in the Wildwood area: Raccoons, Black Bears, Deer, and Herons.
This is a great place to visit and feel more attuned to nature. And a great place to just relax.
I turned into the entrance to Wildwood Recreational Site and soon encountered a booth where you pay for your stay inside the area. There was nobody at the booth, but signed posted indicated that you pay here. There is an ATM that takes credit cards and gives you a slip you place on your dashboard as proof that you paid for the day. The fee is $5 for a passenger vehicle. $10 for a van. $20 for a buss. Unless you have one of the Annual Passes.
This is a Day Use only park. No Camping. The park closes at 5:30 PM.
I drove around the roads to find the place I wanted to spend my time. Wildwood has several places you can go to. There is a Reserved Group Picnic area that has a shelter, athletic fields, playgrounds, and a picnic kitchen. There is a Family Picnic Area further on with all of its separate family picnic spots complete with tables and a grill you can use while you are here. I parked at the Trailhead Parking for the Cascade Streamwatch Trail head. There are bathroom facilities here and posted information on boards nearby. They had a few fliers about Beers and cougars and even a map of the Wildwood Recreation Site. I took a copy of each and found the map very useful. It is a basic map showing the areas and the trails you can walk.
I started out from the restroom area and walked along the path that followed along the Salmon River I stopped at each display describing fish, nature, and the local environment. There were details and facts. All very informative. I walked by several family picnic spots and admired how nice they were. They looked like great places to gather with friends and family for a day out in the woods. I continued on and looked through the underwater view window. Only saw a few small fish. So I continued on and walked down to the river bank to just enjoy the scenery.
I returned the way I had come, back to the restroom facilities and from there crossed the bridge spanning the Salmon River that takes you to the Wetland Trail and board walk. It is a one mile loop on a boardwalk that takes you to a marsh area. I saw many dragonflies. And the interesting carved wood plaques of animals displayed with brief information about them. Yeah, the various different types of animals you might find in the Wildwood area: Raccoons, Black Bears, Deer, and Herons.
This is a great place to visit and feel more attuned to nature. And a great place to just relax.
Written November 11, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Momtraveler2014
San Diego, CA26 contributions
Nov 2017 • Family
We were here in November when it was raining every day. This was a great place to walk even in the rain. The paths are asphalt so even though it was wet, it was still nice. The variety of plants was amazing. Truly a great little getaway right off the highway.
Written December 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
realbigbear
Great Falls, VA653 contributions
Sep 2021
This was a wonderful stop. The site is a temperate rain forest. There are numerous excellent walks in the area, beautiful streams, and old, large trees There also is an underground stream viewing site. We highly recommend.
Written September 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
XLR8Now
Steilacoom, WA16 contributions
Aug 2019
Easy walking along some paved trails. Underwater viewing area of beaver dam. Areas where you can access the river. It’s chilly water but there were people in the water with floating. Water level was low in August but earlier it would be great for rafting. Lots of paths. Good bathroom facilities at the parking lot. Easy access. Beautiful! Paths intersect at various places and are well marked. Take a short stroll or a day-long hike. Just go!
Written September 10, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gdeakins
Des Moines, WA344 contributions
May 2019 • Family
Excellent way to spend a few hours or a day enjoying the great outdoors. Paved paths make the well maintained trails easily negotiable by stroller or wheelchair. Picnic sites, carved benches and informative plaques abound. Multiple trails clean restrooms and ample parking. Day use only, reasonable entry fee.
Written May 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wheelchair accessible ???? how can you find out what trail are wheelchair accessible
Written November 25, 2018
I believe that is a reference to the path from the parking lot up to the viewing area. It was paved and wheelchair accessible. I wouldn't really call it a trail
Written November 25, 2018
tel:503-622-3696 I found this phone number on their web site but saw no info about when/if they close.
Written November 15, 2018
How much cooler in the summer is Wildwood vs downtown Portland? It's it cool enough to bring my dog without over heating him?
Written July 24, 2018
We were there the beginning of June and there was snow on the ground not far up the road from there. But- it's now two months later-so am pretty sure the snow is gone. It was raining when we were there which also cooled the area-so not sure if i can be helpful for you. There are a lot of trees to cool the trails and the river is right there-to also cool things. We have not been in that area this time of year. The cement trails also had water fountains-some had pet water faucets at the bottom-so it is a pet friendly park. It was significantly cooler than Portland two months ago. I would think it might be hotter due to elevation now though.
Written July 24, 2018
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