Audubon Sanctuaries Loop Hike

Overview

The Portland Audubon Society maintains a bird sanctuary along Balch Creek and the slopes above it. Two loops, one in the Pittock Sanctuary abutting Macleay Park, and the other in the Collins and Uhtoff Sanctuaries across Cornell Road, cover the ground for this hike. There are many short trails here; the routes described take the outer trails. Also described is an optional spur, which leads up from the Collins Sanctuary, to one of Oregon's most obscure state parks, at the Willamette Stone. Obscure though it may be, the parking area for the Willamette Stone is actually the highest point within the City of Portland at 1,180 feet. The trail into the Pittock Bird Sanctuary leads down stone steps between the main building, with its gift shop and meeting rooms, and the Wildlife Care Center, where Audubon cares for injured creatures that have been brought in by the citizenry. Pass two shaded cages, one the home of Aristophanes, Audubon's star raven, and the other lodging Ruby the turkey vulture. On this trail, you may run into Audubon volunteers taking injured raptors, such as hawks and owls, for an outing. Switchback and head down under an overhanging yew to Balch Creek. Cross the creek on a footbridge, passing a wildlife sign and come to the junction for the Jay Trail, going right. Walk up the Jay Trail to a junction. Head left here (right is to the sanctuary fence) and come to another junction; left is to a lookout shelter over the pond; right is eight yards to the Woodpecker Trail, where you go right again. The trail rises gently under big-leaf maple, alder, Douglas-fir, western red-cedar, hemlock, and some grand fir with an Oregon grape, sword fern, ivy, and blackberry understory. At a junction, go right on the Jay Trail and cross a footbridge at a large Douglas-fir. At a junction, left leads down to a platform around another big fir. Go right up along a fallen cedar riddled with pileated woodpecker borings. At the junction with the Wren Trail, keep right on the Jay Trail and head up past a spring spouting out of

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