7 min
Overview
The 17-acre Maricara Natural Area has been recently refurbished by local volunteers, with invasive Armenian blackberry, Irish ivy and English holly being plucked from the understory of this Douglas-fir/big-leaf maple woodland. Springs feed a small creek that descends the slope to Arnold Creek. In spring, there's a forest understory of blooming Indian plum as well as an assortment of forest floor plants (trillium, violet, fringe-cup, etc.) in flower. You may notice a few little fairy houses tucked just off the trail as well! There are also walks through the neighborhood via Jackson Middle School that can extend your outing (See the map). From the trailhead, head downhill from the entrance kiosk in an understory of Indian plum, Oregon grape, and sword fern. Go left at the first junction and keep right at a spur to 29th Avenue. Cross a small wetland just below a spring and walk gently up to a junction, where you keep left. Keep right at two spurs leading out to 25th Avenue and enter a hazel thicket. The trail turns a corner at a rooty alder. Head uphill and keep left at a junction with a cutoff trail. Drop to a footbridge over a small creek and then rise again in a carpet of waterleaf and fringe-cup. At the next junction, close the loop and turn left to exit to 30th Avenue.
Trail Stats
0.0 km
33 m
0 m
0 m
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Photos
500px-MaricaraLoopMap
500px-MaricaraLoopMap
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250px-Trilliums%2C_Maricara_Natural_Area
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250px-Maple-sedge_bottomland%2C_Maricara_Natural_Area
400px-Fairy_house%2C_Maricara_Natural_Area
400px-Fairy_house%2C_Maricara_Natural_Area