This is not a park with extensive trails, but it is a nice little forested area with a trail that loops up along the north line.
Author Archives: Jim
Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park
Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park includes just short of one and a half miles of riverfront which can be walked.
If you went to Hewlett Point in Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park at the south end of the park, and then either walk or ride along the paved path to the north end of Vancouver Lake Regional Park, you would have over a six mile round trip. Unfortunately over two miles of the trail runs along side fields without much tree cover, which can make for a hot and boring hike on hot days. This trail is much better for bike riding than it is for walking.
There are several places where you can park to start onto the trail. You can park at Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park, or at Vancouver Lake Regional Park, both of which require a $3.00 fee, but have lots of parking spaces and good facilities. Alternatively, you can park at the bend in Lower River Road at Blurock Landing (often fills up), the lot just south of where Lower River Road divides from the road for Vancouver Lake Park, or at a lot just north of there, which is the Frenchman’s Bar Hiking Trail Parking Area.
Fairgrounds Community Park
Fairgrounds Community Park has a paved loop path of about a half mile, but there is also a dirt trail that exits the park on the north side to connect with the Clark County Event Center. The trail runs alongside the fields used for parking at the Event Center, then turns back toward the south to meander south and west through the woods emerging at a field which can be crossed to reach 11th Ave to connect with the trail to Whipple Creek Regional Park. The trail through the forest (just shy of a half mile) is a nice walk on it’s own. The path across the field (just over a quarter mile) is not cleared, which might not be a problem if you are on horseback, but when walking it can take some searching, or some walking through tall grass to find your way. Late summer or early fall, the field was cut, so paths across the field are easier to find.
There is an inconspicuous dirt trail connecting through the woods at the south end of the field. From the park side, go to the western-most curve of the paved path. To the west you will find a trail entering the trees. This path meanders through the wooded area to the field, and then a trail can be followed along the edge of the field up to the northern trail that wanders back through the forest. A complete circuit of these trails is about 1 mile.
Douglas Carter Fisher Neighborhood Park
Douglas Carter Fisher Neighborhood Park
This small park is adjacent to a wetland, the last remnants of what was once a 29 acre lake. The barkdust trail around the wetland is a half mile. When I was there, shortly after rains, the short loop trail around the park was muddy, but the longer loops around the wetland were perfectly fine for walking.
Douglas Carter Fisher Neighborhood Park 
Wetland at Douglas Carter Fisher Neighborhood Park 
Wetland at Douglas Carter Fisher Neighborhood Park
Daybreak Regional Park and Boat Launch
Daybreak Regional Park and Boat Launch
Lewis River at the west end of Daybreak Regional Park. 
Trail at Daybreak Regional Park
The east side of Daybreak road includes a few short trails to visit the river. The west side has a trail along the river about 3/5ths of a mile, plus several (occasionally overgrown) trails to explore to the river.
Chelatchie Prairie Rail With Trail
Chelatchie Prairie Rail With Trail is an out and back 1 mile paved level path that starts at Battle Ground Lake State Park. Note that inside the entrance to Battle Ground Lake State Park Clark County provides three parking spaces marked for the Chelatchie Prairie Trail where you can park without paying the State Park fee or having a Discover Pass. Total round-trip walking distance from the parking spaces, to the end of the trail and back is approximately 2.5 miles.
The roughest part of this trail, is the stretch from the parking area to the trail itself. After rains, this section can be muddy, but you do have the option of just walking out onto the park entrance road to reach the paved trail.
The long term plan is to complete a multi-use trail along the full 33 miles of the Chelatchie Prarie Rail line. This plan is held up by the cost of constructing sections where it passes through some areas of slope that would require costly engineering to complete.
There are options to continue further, or to loop back to the park.
- Where the paved trail crosses 174th Ct and then crosses the railroad tracks, you could instead turn north on 174th Ct and follow it back up to Palmer Rd, where you can turn left and walk on the road with no shoulders about 450ft to a gated access road to enter the park. This connects you to the trails within the park to walk back to your vehicle.
- At the end of the paved path, turn right, and follow the wide dirt trail which parallels the railroad tracks to a meadow. The trail crosses the meadow along the right edge and connects through to 167th Ave. Here you can turn right and follow 167th Ave north to Palmer Rd. Cross Palmer Rd to the horse trailer parking area. Walk up the trail through the meadow into the trails of Battle Ground Lake State Park to return to your vehicle.
- At the end of the paved path, turn left to follow a wide dirt trail that extends to a field next to 229th St. This would be a good spot to turn around and return. The field is wet, so good to ride a horse through but not walking or biking. There is a driveway that connects to 229th St, but it is a private driveway, and would require stepping around the gate that says No Trespassing.
- The final option available, is to continue along the railroad. I followed the trail (#2 above) to 167th Ave, then turned left and at the corner of 167th and 230th followed a trail straight ahead connecting to the railroad. This stretch of railroad to Battle Ground is a nice walk, but be warned, 1) it is not a trail, so watch your step, 2) it is still a functional railroad line so be alert in case a train approaches. If you walk this route, it would be best to return the same way. Walking the roads to Battle Ground State Park is a difficult task, since many sections have no shoulder, and vehicles passing at 50+MPH.
Chelatchie Praire Railroad Trail 
Chelatchie Praire Railroad Trail 
Chelatchie Praire Railroad
Captain William Clark Regional Park at Cottonwood Beach
Captain William Clark Regional Park at Cottonwood Beach
A great place for either a dike top paved walk or a beach walk, or both.
From the parking along Index Street, you could walk west to Steamboat Landing Park, or east to Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge. Note that while you can ride your bike or walk your dog on the dike trail, you cannot take either into the Wildlife Refuge.
When I was there this summer, there was a sign warning of a cougar siting in the area, but that sign has since been removed. Cougars roam a large area, so it is not surprising that one might be seen in an area and later not be found there.
Bosco Farm Neighborhood Park
This little neighborhood park includes a nice looped path for a short walk.
A good option here, is to park on NE 39th St, walk through Bosco Farm Neighborhood Park down the path to NE Petticoat Lane, then continue west on Petticoat Lane to St. Johns Blvd where you can follow the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail either northwest or southeast.
Bratton Canyon Park
Bratton Canyon Park was transferred to the county from the state Department of Natural Resources in 2011 and seems to be a neglected park. It has a wooded campgrounds, but last time I looked around the park, the campgrounds were not well maintained. Overnight camping is currently not allowed (except by special permit) and is day use parking is only allowed April 15 through October 15.
The camp ground access road is less than 200ft east of NW 14th Ave. When the access road is closed, there is not much space to park.
A short distance west, across from NW 18th Ave, is another gated road. This is a logging road which crosses onto privately owned land, and connects through to NW 29th Ave. Following 29th Ave to 389th St for the return makes a 2 mile loop, but these roads have no sidewalks or much shoulder to walk on. Also, be aware that if you walk the logging roads and connecting trails, you will be crossing onto private property, so be considerate of the property owners.
Whipple Creek Regional Park
This is a great area to hike or ride a horse or a bike. Numerous trails allow for new experiences when revisiting multiple times. Be ready though for muddy conditions unless visiting in the summer after a period of no rain and no dew in the mornings.
These trails are frequently used by horse riders, and the land was donated for it to be an equestrian park, so if you are biking or hiking, be ready and courteous. I will add that I have hiked on some trails frequented by horse riders that were so destroyed that I never wanted to hike them again, but the trails in this park are in very good shape, and the manure is easy to avoid as long as you watch your step. At the entrance on 21st from 179th there is a nice explanatory statement about how to be considerate of horse riders to minimize any chance of spooking the horses by accident.
There is a large growth of English Ivy in areas of the park, and miles of trails to maintain, so the volunteers who maintain the park would be glad to have more helping hands. Visit: https://www.facebook.com/WhippleCreekPark/
There are four entrances that can be used to access the park. The main entrance, with the most parking, is reached from 179th Street by turning south onto 21st. The other three locations have very limited parking available. Click the objects in the map below for details.
Note that the trail that exits the park to the east to 11th Ave, crosses the field on the east side of 11th Ave and connects with a trail to the Clark County Fairgrounds and Fairgrounds Community Park. Crossing the field though, does not have a clear trail. You often just need to find your way through the tall grass to the forest where there is a clear trail.
This is also one area where I have seen and heard coyotes.
The mobile app, trailforks, has the trails mapped out. This can be a very handy tool to use, and includes elevation changes along each route.
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Whipple Creek in Whipple Creek Regional Park -
Wide easy trails in Whipple Creek Regional Park -
Whipple Creek Regional Park includes many directional map signs to keep you from getting lost. -
The bridge crossing Whipple Creek at the west end of Whipple Creek Regional Park. -
Trail markers are maintained to keep you on the right path in Whipple Creek Regional Park. -
This crossing over Whipple Creek is also the junction of several trails from all directions. -
Whipple Creek Regional Park walk in the forest. -
Custards Chimney, located near 31st Ave. -
In Whipple Creek Regional Park it is a good idea to look up at the beauty of the forest canopy.
