Take a walk along Luckiamute State Natural Area's (LSNA) North Unit loop trail for a self-guided tour of this beautiful and unique part of the Oregon State Park system. A printable brochure is available to download and print, that shows six waypoints along the North Unit loop trail. Each of these points is meant as an invitation to learn more about LSNA, its cultural and ecological importance, and some ways you can contribute to protecting and enhancing the health of the watershed. The six waypoints listed on the brochure are listed below, and you can also click here to download and print the pdf version of the brochure. Make sure to scan the QR codes included on the brochure (or click on the links below) to get more information about each station topic!

The loop trail is flat, easy to navigate, and a little more than 2 miles long. If you'd like to take the optional spur trail that goes to the boat-in campground along the Willamette River, you would add about 2 miles (there and back) to the hike.

For a version of the brochure with website links instead of QR codes, click here.

​A big thank you goes to Willamette Habitat Restoration Fund and Benton Soil & Water Conservation District for providing the funding for this self-guided tour! 

Click here to download a pdf version of the full brochure.

LSNA Self-Guided Tour Stations

Station 1: Floodplain Restoration at LSNA

Luckiamute State Natural Area is a special place. Located at the confluence of the Luckiamute, Santiam, and Willamette Rivers, the LSNA encompasses the largest contiguous tract of floodplain forest along the Willamette. It includes critical habitats for a variety of species throughout the seasons. Since 2011, restoration efforts have been designed to enhance these habitats across 621 acres. To learn more about why the LSNA is so special, why restoration is important in this location, and the restoration projects implemented over the years, click here.

Station 2: Native Plants, Pollinators and You

​Stop, look around you, take a deep breath, and listen quietly. What do you see, smell and hear? Chances are you hear some insects buzzing nearby. Some of these insects are pollinators hard at work providing a crucial service to the ecosystem. Bees, moths, butterflies, solitary wasps, and even some species of flies and beetles help us by pollinating native plants and crops that we grow for food and fiber. We can help them too by providing food, shelter, and nesting sites. Click here to learn more!

Station 3: Birds and Riparian Habitat

​The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and partners are collecting data on birds at LSNA to determine how different species are responding to riparian (streamside) restoration. Since riparian vegetation that provides habitat for birds also provides essential habitat for fish and other wildlife, monitoring LSNA’s bird diversity can help us better understand the benefits of restoration efforts here. To learn more about this research, click here. 

Station 4: This is Kalapuyan Land

The area where you are standing now is part of the traditional homelands of the Kalapuya (Calapooia) tribe. The Kalapuya have lived here for over 14,000 years, and originally occupied over a million acres in the Willamette and the Umpqua valleys. For the past 200 years, however, they have endured enormous changes to their traditional life-ways. Kalapuyan land management practices include setting annual fires, which clears the land of excess vegetation, deposits nutrients in the soil, and creates habitat for culturally important plant and animal species. Today, many Kalapuyan descendants are members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. Click here to learn more about the Kalapuya, their culture, and view an online exhibit curated by a Kalapuyan descendant.

Station 5: The River Around You

​Did you know you are standing in a river? The footprint of a river includes its floodplain, which is the low lying land that surrounds a waterway. Periodic flooding leaves behind rich topsoil which provides essential nutrients for plants, fish, and wildlife. This area is also a seasonal wetland ecosystem which is dry in the summer, but then acts like a giant sponge in the wetter months, soaking up floodwater and slowly releasing it back into the river. Oregon wetlands and floodplains need our protection. To learn more about them, click here. 

Station 6: Dispelling the "Green Blur"

​The LWC has planted hundreds of thousands of native plants in its work to restore LSNA. Each species is a unique and important part of the landscape but until you get acquainted with what makes one plant different from another, it may just look like a wild “green blur” of plant growth! The world comes alive when you are able to recognize the incredible diversity that surrounds us every day, and when each plant presents itself as a unique component of an ecosystem. Click here to view and download a locally-focused Plant ID Primer that will help you learn the basics of plant taxonomy and identification.

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