Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area — Attraction in Portland

Beautiful nature preserve, especially this time of year with all the vibrant fall colors! 🍁

I found the grounds to be very clean and in excellent condition. There are tons of side trails to vere off onto from the paved main trails where you will find mushrooms galore right now, along with interesting little critters such as centipedes and fuzzy bear caterpillars! 😊

If you like to bike, this is a 40-mile loop trail with so much to see! Being on foot hiking, I only got so much ground covered today, not arriving until late afternoon, but I still had an awesome time here! I will need to come back soon because I know I missed so much.

If you have not been here, come check it out before all the...

If you have your bike this place is perfect for you! It offers a 40 miles bike loop and nice pavement. I did not have my bike with me last weekend so just a quick hike out to the overlook to stare at wildlife. The park offers a nice parking area, a clean environment, and a peaceful hiking path. Enjoyed our afternoon hike out to the wetland. It was Sunday and the place is not too busy. Most of the time you will be the only one who is on the trail. Lots of beautiful trees and noisy little bugs. Strolling along the path, you will hear blue jay and chick a dee singing. At the end of the lookout, there are a bunch of Egrets and Blue Herons patiently hanging out for...

The scenery? Gorgeous. The sounds of birds and the occasional frog? Delightful. The map? Did not think to check it well enough.

There are two ways to explore this place: the bike path and the footpath. Pro tip: know which one you’re on before committing. The bike path is smooth, wide, and suspiciously inviting until a cyclist whizzes by. The footpath, meanwhile, is quaint, winding, and occasionally feels like it might lead you straight into the marsh where the herons would probably judge you.

I tried both because I clearly thrive on chaos. On the bike path, I saw some trains and cool graffiti, and on the footpath, we saw a heron. It was...