Tice Woods Loop Hike

Overview

The Rotary Nature Preserve at Tice Woods is a parcel of slope forest and wetland on Baker Creek at the northern fringes of McMinnville. In 1979, the property was purchased from George Tice, who passed away in 1988; the trail system was developed by the McMinnville Rotary Club and opened in 2005. Trail signs were contributed by Boy Scout Troop 260 in November, 2009. The trails wind through a mix of conifers and deciduous trees as well as thickets of hazel and hawthorn. You can expect to see several species of perching birds in addition to woodpeckers; herons will station themselves on the ponds. Deer are also frequent visitors to the property. Note that dogs are not permitted in this park. From the parking area, take the paved trail down and, at a junction, go left under Douglas-firs, grand firs, and oaks. At the next switchback, make a left on a gravel trail under a Douglas-fir, hemlock, and hazel canopy. Cross a footbridge and pass an oak tree. After a second footbridge, head up to the bent-to-the-ground Rainbow Tree, an Oregon white oak. Interpretive signs explain the ecosystem here. Ivy, blackberry, wood fern, and holly form the understory. At a junction, a spur leads down steps to a platform overlooking Heron Pond, an oxbow formed from Baker Creek. Search around quietly for geese, ducks, and great blue herons. Next, ascend the hill from the junction. The trail heads up the top of the ridge after passing a couple of junctions and arrives at an overlook jutting out over the hillside and looking down to Baker Creek. Descend steeply to join the South Loop and reach pond level again. Enter a riparian zone with the creek running to the left. At a junction, make a left on the Pond Loop. Cross a boardwalk and pass over old drainpipes used to drain the pond. At a junction, turn left on a spur to the creek. Make a left and and then another left to do the North Loop, with several spurs leading to the creek. Hike under mossy yews, Douglas-firs, hawthorns and willows. Complete the loop and head back to the junction,

Trail Stats

Photos

300px-TiceWoodsMap

300px-TiceWoodsMap

250px-Boardwalk%2C_Tice_Woods

250px-Boardwalk%2C_Tice_Woods

250px-Blacktail%2C_Tice_Woods

250px-Blacktail%2C_Tice_Woods

400px-Overlook_of_Baker_Creek%2C_Tice_Woods

400px-Overlook_of_Baker_Creek%2C_Tice_Woods

Tags