3 min
Overview
In 1843, Thomas Dove Keizur and members of his family departed for Oregon as part of the Jesse Applegate wagon party. The Keizurs forged on ahead and looked to stake claims on the Willamette upon their arrival. The small rapids here marked a shallow spot in the river, and Thomas Keizur was able to haul his wagons across to the east bank. However, not finding suitable land, he returned to the west bank and staked a claim, as did his son, John B. Keizur. The plots that the Keizurs and others staked out were measured as part of the first cadastral survey in the entire Oregon Territory. The land remained underused, however, due to the frequent flooding of the river, and it wasn’t until much later that the actual town of Keizer (the family spelled its name many different ways) was established. The park here includes land leased from the state as well as property purchased from local families. It is split into a northern, forested section and a more developed area with volleyball courts, picnic tables, an off-leash dog park, an amphitheater, and a playground. The hike as described begins in the woods, which also serve as a venue for a disc golf course. Take the trail behind the sign at the parking pullout. The network of trails here serves the disc golf course, but keep to the right close to the park boundary. You may notice a couple of sternwheeler paddles sitting on the adjacent private property. These once belonged to the the sternwheeler Jean, which plied the Willamette from the mid-1930s to the mid-50s and now (2017) lies moored across from Sauvie Island in Burlington (see the Wapato Greenway Loop Hike). The Jean languished as a potential attraction in Lewiston, Idaho, for a while and was then sold and then resold. The paddles may become part of a play structure/exhibit in Keizer Rapids Park. Keep right where the trail splits and pass basket #10 to reach the tee pad for hole #11. Go right from this tee, and take a set of steps down to the grassy open expanse of the Beardsley Bar. Pass a pond on your left and
Trail Stats
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16 m
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Photos
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400px-KeizerRapidsMap
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400px-Pond%2C_Beardsley_Bar%2C_Keizer_Rapids_Park