Minto-Brown Island Loop Hike

Overview

Isaac “Whiskey” Brown and John Minto were settlers who homesteaded here, and the "islands," now connected to the mainland, have been drained, farmed and used for landfill and gravel quarries. After settlement, the Great Willamette Flood of 1861 altered the river's course and forced the natural merger of Minto and Brown Islands. They are now given over to city and county parks and a wildlife refuge to protect wintering dusky Canada geese. Vegetable crops, corn, and wheat are still grown here. The city park/refuge was established in 1970, on 899 acres, which are bordered to the northwest by the 60-acre county park at Eola Bend. The latter was added after the 1996 winter floods inundated a landfill site; an extensive reforestation project has taken place here. There are many options for hikers, dog walkers, joggers, and bike riders, with both bark chip and paved trails and a generous off-leash area. This is a big playground for residents of Oregon's capital, so expect crowds on nice weekends. The route described leaves from Parking Lot 1, near the entrance to the park, but you can also begin in the middle of things at Parking Lot 3, which offers access to dry trails at times of high water. Minto-Brown's trail system also connects with Salem's Riverfront Park via the Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge (see the Salem Riverfront Hike). At Parking Lot 1, take the paved path by the port-a-potties, passing through a thicket of Armenian blackberry, wild rose, crab apple, and Oregon ash. Cross over a wooden bridge to a road and make a sharp right. This paved path (Path C on the map) heads down to a field with an ash-lined slough on the right. Reed canary-grass provides a dense verge. At a junction, take a spur to the right through a swale of ash, cottonwoods, willow and red osier dogwood. This leads to a viewing platform, cut off by water in winter and spring, over the Willamette Slough. Return to the main trail and bear right at the garbage can. The path continues around the edge of a field, passing a stand of young cot

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