Columbia Botanical Gardens — Attraction in Saint Helens

I think the botanical gardens part was more wishful thinking back in 1975. There is a plaque indicating that it was donated (I'm guessing to escape the costs of restoration from it being a quarry). Perhaps somebody had grand ideas of replicating Butchart Gardens, I don't know.

The place was basically left to go wild and in that regard it's not a bad spot for a hike, assuming the water level isn't up. Several borrow pits lap at the edge of the main trail and could use a bit of the ample rock and gravel that remain in various parts of the old quarry moved to them as riprap.

There were lots of salmonberry in bloom (most likely thanks to birds) and a mix of invasive species and natives reclaiming to quarry. There appears to be some maintenance, probably a crew that goes through once or twice a year to keep the trail passable.

If you live nearby, it's a nice municipal-level nature trail, but I wouldn't go too far out of your...

Pros: Easy-medium difficulty walking paths with tons of gorgeous nature all around. Lots of wildlife; frogs, birds galore, deer, and so much more.

Cons: Over run with poison oak. Lots of mosquitoes and/or biting flies in the warm months. The paths are rather narrow, not much room for parties passing one another and very likely impassible for those who are physically disabled.

Overall, it's a nice area. Make sure to apply bug spray, wear long pants to guard against poison oak, and bring...

Calling this a botanical garden is laughable. It's a wild space with a slightly overgrown trail and is nearly overrun with invasive species like ivy and Scotch broom. It's also a very rocky and uneven trail so it wasn't ideal for my 81 year-old mom. It is a cool spot and I wouldn't mind exploring it more. My guess is it's a parcel of land that was donated to the City of St Helens (tax write-off?) but the city doesn't have any funding or interest to do...