Tualatin Hills Nature Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tualatin Hills Nature Park |
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An aerial view of the park, 1998
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| Type | Public |
| Location | Beaverton, Washington County, Oregon, United States |
| Area | 222 acres (90 hectares) |
| Created | c. 1984 |
| Operated by | Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District |
| Status | Open |
| Website | Tualatin Hills Nature Park |
The Tualatin Hills Nature Park is a special place in Beaverton, Oregon, where you can explore nature. It's a big park, about 222 acres, and it's protected to keep wildlife safe. The Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD) takes care of it. This park is one of two nature parks managed by THPRD.
Inside the park, you'll find about 5 miles (8 kilometers) of trails. Some trails are paved, making them easy for everyone to use, while others are unpaved dirt paths. The park has many different types of plants and animals. You can see evergreen trees, trees that lose their leaves in fall, creeks, wet areas called wetlands, ponds, and open grassy meadows.
At the main entrance, you'll find the Tualatin Hills Nature Center. This is the park's office and a great place to learn more about nature. Its name was changed in 2014 to be shorter and easier to remember.
Park History: How it Began
Before it became the Tualatin Hills Nature Park, this area was known as St. Mary's Woods. It was a large, undeveloped piece of land.
In 1981, local voters decided to help buy the land. They approved a special tax that raised $5.5 million. This money allowed THPRD to buy the land from the Archdiocese of Portland.
By 1984, the park was officially named the Tualatin Hills Nature Park. That year, people could start taking tours of the park, even though it was still mostly wild. This was the first time the public could regularly visit this amazing natural area.
Getting to the Park: Access Points
The Tualatin Hills Nature Center on Millikan Way is the main way to enter the park. However, there are other ways to get in too!
You can find two more trail entrances along S.W. 170th Avenue. There's also an entrance right next to the Merlo Rd/SW 158th Ave MAX Station, which is great if you're using public transport.
The Westside Trail, another path managed by THPRD, runs along the east side of the park. THPRD also plans to connect the park to downtown Beaverton using the Beaverton Creek Trail in the future.
