Oxbow Regional Park
Encyclopedia
Oxbow Regional Park is a 1200 acres (4.9 km²) natural area park located ten miles (16 km) southeast of Troutdale
along the Sandy River
in the U.S. state
of Oregon
. Owned and operated by Metro
regional government, it hosts a yearly festival celebrating salmon.
, the park's managing body, leads ancient forest walks, animal tracking workshops, and wildflower and mushroom identification classes. Year-round camping is available in the park's 67-site developed campground.
Oxbow also offers opportunities to see wildlife and animal tracks. The area’s natural habitat makes an ideal home for wildlife such as mink
, beaver
, raccoon
, fox
, deer
, osprey
, elk
, black bear
, and cougar. In order to avoid confrontation with wildlife, pets are not allowed in the park.
while educating the public about the importance of intact, functional aquatic ecosystems, protection of native salmon and their habitat, and how fully functioning aquatic ecosystems can have a positive and important influence on human quality of life. One of the longest running and most recognized salmon festivals on the West Coast, the Oxbow Salmon Festival has evolved into a popular conservation educational event. The two-day event draws up to 10,000 visitors who can see spawning salmon; enjoy music, food, art, storytelling, and a fish maze; and encounter a variety of traditional activities and cultural exhibits at Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum village hosted by the fishing tribes of the Columbia Basin
, including the Nez Perce, Umatilla
, Yakama
, and Warm Springs
tribes.
Troutdale, Oregon
Troutdale is a city in Multnomah County, Oregon, north of Gresham and east of Wood Village. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,962....
along the Sandy River
Sandy River (Oregon)
The Sandy River is a tributary of the Columbia River in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Measured by a United States Geological Survey gauge downstream of the Sandy's confluence with the Bull Run River, from the mouth, the river's average discharge is . The maximum daily recorded flow...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Owned and operated by Metro
Metro (Oregon regional government)
Metro, formerly known as Metropolitan Service District, is the regional governmental agency for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area...
regional government, it hosts a yearly festival celebrating salmon.
Recreation
The park offers a wide variety of activities, including swimming, boating, fishing, horseback riding, and hiking. Fifteen miles of hiking trails lead through an ancient forest with centuries-old trees and ridges and ravines carved by volcanic and glacial flows. MetroMetro (Oregon regional government)
Metro, formerly known as Metropolitan Service District, is the regional governmental agency for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area...
, the park's managing body, leads ancient forest walks, animal tracking workshops, and wildflower and mushroom identification classes. Year-round camping is available in the park's 67-site developed campground.
Oxbow also offers opportunities to see wildlife and animal tracks. The area’s natural habitat makes an ideal home for wildlife such as mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
, deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, and cougar. In order to avoid confrontation with wildlife, pets are not allowed in the park.
Salmon Festival
Oxbow Regional Park hosts the annual Salmon Festival, celebrating the return of the Chinook salmonChinook salmon
The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
while educating the public about the importance of intact, functional aquatic ecosystems, protection of native salmon and their habitat, and how fully functioning aquatic ecosystems can have a positive and important influence on human quality of life. One of the longest running and most recognized salmon festivals on the West Coast, the Oxbow Salmon Festival has evolved into a popular conservation educational event. The two-day event draws up to 10,000 visitors who can see spawning salmon; enjoy music, food, art, storytelling, and a fish maze; and encounter a variety of traditional activities and cultural exhibits at Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum village hosted by the fishing tribes of the Columbia Basin
Columbia Basin
The Columbia Basin, the drainage basin of the Columbia River, occupies a large area–about —of the Pacific Northwest region of North America. In common usage, the term often refers to a smaller area, generally the portion of the drainage basin that lies within eastern Washington.Usage of the term...
, including the Nez Perce, Umatilla
Umatilla
Umatilla may refer to:Oregon-related*Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, a Native American tribal entity in the U.S. state of Oregon*Umatilla Chemical Depot, a U.S...
, Yakama
Yakama
The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, or simply Yakama Nation , is a Native American group with nearly 10,000 enrolled members, living in Washington. Their reservation, along the Yakima River, covers an area of approximately 1.2 million acres...
, and Warm Springs
Warm Springs (tribe)
The Warm Springs tribes are several Sahaptin Native American tribes of northern Oregon. They were also known as the Walla Walla . The Warm Springs tribes are the Upper Deschutes , the Lower Deschutes , the Tenino, and the John Day...
tribes.