Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve

Located minutes of downtown Hillsboro, Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve is a 635 acres natural sanctuary for wildlife and people.

Finally coming back to this amazing place! I don’t know why I waited for so long. The last time I was there was three years ago when I still carried my daughter on my back. Beautiful memories!

This time I visited Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve with both of my kids. We felt in love with the variety of birds and wildflowers. It was a day we’ll not forget since Spring in Nature is amazing: a lot of babies!

Despite the season if you are a Nature-lover (especially bird lover) you will find this place a paradise.

Activities

Jackson Bottom is a 635 acre complex of wetlands and uplands. It’s a great place for hiking, bird watching, viewing wildlife and enjoying beautiful wildflowers.

Moreover, in case you like Nature photography like me, you’ll want to stay there forever! For instance, it was the first time my camera memory card was full!

This place is located minutes of downtown Hillsboro. We traveled from Portland and after parking at the Jackson Bottom Trail-head, we walked straight to the entrance where you can find an Information kiosk with maps and data about what you can discover there (including a bird species checklist).

Before heading out to the trails it’s a good idea to visit the Nature Wetland Center where you can find exhibits with the history and all related information of the natural habitats and wildlife of the preserve. Sadly it’s currently closed due to COVID-19 precautions. Saving it for next time!

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Additionally Jackson Bottom offers different learning programs and community activities during the entire year. Volunteering initiatives are available too.

The hike

You can start your hike from different points (all trails start at the main parking lot), in our case, we decided to begin with the Nature Center and the Upland trail. Immediately we started to spot birds and wildlife. It was a beautiful experience for us, especially when we saw a nest with babies waiting to be fed. The cutest thing ever!

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The second part of our hike included the river trail and all the wetlands trails. We saw so many magnificent birds, to mention some highlights we admired the Great Egret, Blue Heron, a nest with baby Ospreys, geese, ducks, and more.

River Trail

Wetlands

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It is worth highlighting that all trails are well signed and several of them include interpretive signs.

This preserve won a special place in our hearts. My son told me at the end of our walk, that this was the best hike ever!

We are so spoiled with so many amazing Natural Areas and Urban Forests close to home. A real blessing.

Summarizing this is a destination to slow down and admire the beauty of Nature, and being thankful to the visionaries that saved this place for future generations and all the people that work hard to preserve it.

If you love natural areas, wildlife refuges and preserves, you will really enjoy some or all of these options.

Stay safe and happy hiking!

Main features/Amenities

• 635 acres natural preserve that is home of over 211 species of birds, deer, otters, beavers, and thousands of other species.
• 4 miles of trail.
• Nature Center: with changing interactive exhibits.
• Accessible Restrooms:  vault toilet and porta potties in the main parking lot. Flush toilets inside the Education Center. Note: vault toilet was out of order during our visit.
• Benches along the trails, and viewing blinds.
• Parking lot (including accessible parking). There is a main parking area close to the Nature Center and another one at the north end of the park.

Important information

• Location: 2600 SW Hillsboro Hwy Hillsboro, OR 97123.
• Website: https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov/departments/parks-recreation/attractions
• Hours: Trails open daily, dawn to dusk. Nature Center open 10 am to 4 pm daily (closed holidays). Note: Nature Center is temporarily closed in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.
• Fees: Free but with a suggested donation of $2 for ages 10+.
• Dogs not allowed.
• Bicycles not permitted.
• Some of the trails could become flooded during the rainy season.