Wildwood Recreation Site

Wildwood Recreation Site is a Day-use facility located 40 miles east of Portland, along the wild and beautiful Salmon River. Ideal location for summer adventures! Hiking and swimming in the same place

After checking the weather and seeing 88 °F for that day, we decided to revisit the Wildwood Recreation Site.

Located about a little more than one hour from home, it was the ideal adventure for a hot summer day (not so typical in Portland Area). Also, we had daddy with us taking a day off from work, making this trip an unforgettable and so unique for years to come.

Activities

First of all, we were so happy to come back to Mt. Hood territory! Just driving seeing Oregon’s tallest mountain, makes the trip worth it.

Add to that experience, a beautiful summer day, family trip, and a spectacular location like Wildwood Recreation Site, and you can guess this was an extraordinary adventure for us.

Wildwood is situated along the Mount Hood Scenic Byway near the town of Welches, Oregon. The first time we visited it, we found it by luck since the somewhat hidden off of Highway 26.

This natural place offers hiking trails (ADA-accessible), beautiful picnic areas, and access to the wild and gorgeous Salmon River.

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Particularly on this visit, we stayed most of the time by the river (and we swam in the cold but beautiful water); in other words, we didn’t explore the trails so much. We did just a short walk in the Cascade Streamwatch trail, a 3/4-mile paved loop that features educational displays, views of the Salmon River, and a fish viewing window below stream level that my kids loved!

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Consequently, since we didn’t visit all trails, we have the perfect excuse to come back to this site!

Another paths you can walk in there are the Wetlands Trail (accessible, 3/4-mile loop) and the challenging Boulder Ridge Trail (4.7-mile hike up the steep slopes of Huckleberry Mountain into the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness).

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The entire natural setting of this place is magical! The forest, the sound of the water, the birds chirping, and the amenities make this site a peaceful and unique retreat.

Stay safe, happy hike and summer adventures!

Main features/Amenities

• Hiking trails.
• River access.
• Picnic tables, fire rings, and grills are available at each site.
• Flush toilets (closed now due to social distancing regulations) and drinking water.
• For larger groups or events, there is additional infrastructure available (facility’s shelters and picnic kitchens remain closed).

Important information

• Location: 65670 US-26, Welches, OR 97067.
• Web site.
• Fee: Daily use fees vary from $5 (under 9 people), $10 van (over 10 people) and $20 bus (over 20 people). For shelter reservations fees, check here. You can pay at the entrance with debit and credit card.
• Open from March to November. Please exit the park 30 minutes before the posted sunset time.
• There is NO Amplified Music Allowed!
• Bikes are allowed on all trails except on the Wetland Boardwalk.
• We visited this place on a weekday early in the morning, so social distancing was possible. However, during the afternoon and weekend, this site can be pretty busy. Keep that in mind.