If you want a quick jaunt outdoors without having to plan excessively, this short trip is just for you. Featuring a 1/2-mile walking trail, this getaway in Portland is just what you need to escape from your daily stress and reconnect with the natural world around you.
Whitaker Ponds Nature Area is located at 7040 NE 47 Avenue, about a 1/2 mile north of Columbia Boulevard.
At this time of year though, spotting the wildlife that makes the park home is most common. Rabbits, beavers, osprey, otters and wood ducks all live in this hidden away location.
The 1/2 mile loop is easy and something you can do again and again. If you come back in late winter, you can even catch the magical sight of grey owlets in the great horned owl's nest high in the bare cottonwood trees.