willamette mission state park

My boyfriend loves to fish here and I hold it as one of my favorite locations for shooting senior pictures. It is gorgeous and hardly ever packed.

We get a yearly state Park pass and visit many times during the year. There are miles of hiking, biking and horse riding paths close to Salem. It's located on the Willamette Rive and has great views of the river. You can see birds, eagles, squirrels and occasionally a deer. There are numerous picnicking tables and roofed group picnicking areas. Make a reservation if you want a shelter. You can often see horses and riders who are usually very friendly and willing to talk about their horses. There is nothing left of the original mission, no concessions and only a couple of signs for information. It has only one centrally located restroom facility.

We were there on a very hot day so didn't stay long and walk as much as we had planned. We walked down to the memorial to the old mission and had a picnic at one of the many tables in the park. Would like to go back and walk more of the trails.

Less than an hour south of Portland is this beautiful park located at the site of the first mission for Native Americans in the west in 1834. There is something for the entire family including hiking, picnicing, fishing, Frisbee golf, horse back riding trails and bike trails. The boat ramp for Mission Lake is part of the park facilities. You can also see the Willamette River but access is not always convenient. Best of all there are clean restrooms and ample parking. Our favorite place is the Filbert Grove Day Use Area where an overgrown, old filbert grove makes a hobbit-like tunnel area.

Not much to see or really hike around the area. Flat land, I guess I was looking for a little more for a hike. Nice area to get away from city.

We spent Father's Day at the park with about 30 of our family members. We rented a covered area with sinks and electricity. We truly had a great time. Many, many paths and trails, ponds, streams, birds and other animals. You feel out in nature and the park is tastefully maintained. It is easy to spend the entire day exploring the park. Highly recommend for family gatherings.

Not amazing in the way of history, but a great place to walk the dog, run or ride bikes. Lots of horse trails and camp, tent camping and bike camp as well. Right on the Willamette River, but not great access. Best access is on the north end of the park. Wheatland ferry, day use area and boat ramp are there.

My wife and I love to ride our bikes in this park. Lots of biking trails and we love the scenery. We also have kayaked in the lake which has easy access to by the boat ramp. This is a historic place where Jason Lee, the founder of Salem, built his first house. A skeleton frame house now marks the location of this site. If the weather is nice, this is a great place to come, picnic, relax, enjoy the scenery and all your avian friends.

History of Oregon settlement here is very interesting. Quiet laid back park, beautiful trees, lovely trails. Great cycling.

This park is the site of the original Willamette Mission, which eventually became Willamette University. You can see steel frame outlines of the former mission buildings. The park is full of walnut, chestnut and hazelnut trees, which you can pick up if you are so inclined in fall. There's a trail from the generous dog park down to the ferry which is lined with tasty blackberries in summer, and you can swim near the ferry when the water is warm and slow in summer. Ospreys reside here in several places, and in winter it's not unusual to see some flooding. Sometimes the flooding is extensive enough to close the ferry. If you are a horse lover, there is a large horse area and horse trails. I've seen civil war reenactments, Society for Creative Anachronism gatherings, and lots of families on bikes and picnics in this park. Aside from the old mission, it's claim to fame is the largest cottonwood tree, easily viewed from trails or the dog park. There are fishing spots, but the lake is a messy bog in summer. On the way in, there are lovely berry, hops, nursury and other farms in action.

Although the park is not very far from actual "downtown" Salem it feels like way out in the country. The park has many trails & the river is nice down there. The Wheatland ferry crossing is always fun to watch!

Lots of average for camping, horse riding, many bike paths, clean restrooms, and many covered areas for picnics or group activities.

Nice day hike if you are in need of just getting out of the house, you can see the Wheatland ferry while your there, watch out for bikes (they don't watch for you) its more of a walk than a hike so don't expect to see a lot of wild life, to many people

Willamette Mission is a day use state park with many assets. Information boards on pathways telling the story of early settlement in the area. A river, a slough, trees, paths. Bring a bicycle, bring a horse, bring hiking shoes. World's largest cottonwood tree is in the park. Ready to see local agriculture? Blueberries and corn growing in fields as you enter the park.When did you last ride a ferry? The Wheatland ferry crosses the river and has an alternative entrance to the park for walkers and bicyclists. Are you a volkswalker? There's a 10 km map guided year round event for this park.Picnic areas - big and shaded. Bathrooms - clean. Water available. Horseshoe pits with the horseshoes provided. Three osprey nests in the park! Look up! Had a wonderful day hiking on my own and then a big picnic with friends. I think there are camping sites for horse riders and bicyclists. And it's on the state park river route for canoeists and kayakers. This is one of the Oregon State Parks that gets forgotten away from the north Willamette valley

Really pretty. Great place for walking, bike rides even for taking your horses.