Last Saturday, June 7th, The Forest Park Conservancy and REI celebrated National Trails Day with 58 volunteers in Forest Park. Volunteers met bright and early at trailheads along NW 53rd Drive and in just three hours made long-lasting contributions to the trails.
National Trails Day Accomplishments
- Cleared 1.3 miles of trail corridor
- Constructed 250 feet of new trail (Alder Trail reroute)
- Armored 180 feet of Wildwood Trail with rock
Trail Corridor ClearingDuring the spring and summer months, Forest Park plants grow quickly into the trails, which are like avenues of sunshine in an otherwise shady forest. To help keep trails and sight lines clear, Forest Park Conservancy volunteers seasonally cut back vegetation that has creeped into the trail corridor.Alder Trail Reroute
Ever hike that steep stretch of Alder Trail that connects to Wildwood? Steep trails like that one serve as water slides when it rains and cause severe erosion. Forest Park Conservancy volunteers are working to reroute Alder Trail along the hill’s contour so that water can drain more slowly downslope and trail users can experience a more gradual elevation change. The new trail is expected to open later this summer, at which time the old trail will be decommissioned and reclaimed by the forest.
Rock Work
Forest Park Conservancy uses rock to restore eroded sections of trail back to their proper levels. This work improves water drainage and provides a pleasant walking/running surface for park users and their ankles.
In the weeks leading up to National Trails Day, Forest Park Conservancy staff and volunteers built a series of rock retaining walls along Wildwood Trail between Lower Macleay Trail and Holman Lane. On National Trails Day, volunteers hauled wheelbarrows full of crushed rock to fill in behind the walls and level the trail surface. Future volunteers will seal these projects will a smooth, compacted gravel layer, which feels great underfoot.
The Forest Park Conservancy could not complete this valuable work without the help of our volunteers and the generous support of our members. Special thanks to REI for donating the snacks, T-shirts, and prizes, to Portland Parks & Recreation for providing additional leadership and material support, and to all our volunteer crew leaders for making each individual project run smoothly.
Volunteer opportunities like these will continue through the summer. Click here to get involved!