Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, Pt. 1
UNEXPECTED TREASURE
The Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve was so amazing we’ve been there several times since discovering it!!! Here is the story of our first adventure on August 31. 2019. Enjoy!
SUPPLIES
We (Adam & Amanda) grabbed some necessary items for a perfect day:
*Books
*Unicorns
*Amanda’s camera
*Water bottles
HILLSBORO, OR
Jackson Bottom is filled with a ton to see on the outskirts of town. There’s several trails, multiple wetlands, a nearby creek/stream and tons of birds and wild animals to see. This area is located just outside of downtown Hillsboro, OR. It’s not too far for us to escape to so it’s great we can see it and have plenty of time to enjoy exploring it whenever we go.
RUNNING WATER
As we started our adventure, we traveled along a trail that had a refreshing flow of running water off to our right. Our unicorns urged us to let them sit on the wooden fence so they could pause and enjoy the sights and the sounds.
TRUE RELAXATION
How often do you go off into nature and feel surrounded by city life and distractions? We decided instead to really enjoy plugging in and enjoying our time of exclusion.
BOOKS
We both brought books and found an area perfect to read and enjoy the day. We spent an hour reading before we continued our journey. The sun was just right so the trees gave us just enough shade to provide the perfect temperature for leisure on this warm August day’s hike.
TIME
Some hikes are a little more rushed because we need to be back to the car by sundown. Since this hike never branches too far out from our starting point, we were able to truly enjoy the fresh air without the stress of everyday life.
WOODEN FENCE
When we continued our hike, we came to a spot where the fence gave us a beautiful view if we stood on the bottom wood beam. From that vantage point we could see a beautiful area where the nearby stream curved and the white fluffy clouds in the beautiful blue sky created something an artist can only dream of creating.
We followed this path after our photo session on the wooden fence and it led us to the magical wetland!
THE WETLAND
There are several wetlands at the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve. The first one was the only one we saw on our first visit. Why? Because it was… ridiculous!
GREAT EGRET
There was a large white bird. A Great Egret? Sure. It was hanging out with a Great Blue Heron which had a nest on the left edge of the wetland. Though it was about 50 yards away we were in awe by how beautiful it looked. The trail forms a complete circle around the wetland. The sky was on point. It couldn’t have been more beautiful. We spent a great deal of time with our unicorns circling this wetland about the size of an American football field.
GOLDEN HOUR
We stayed until the sun started to set watching the clouds in awe as we gave out soft gasps at the magical beauty around us. Several birds flew past as the day grew to an end. The glassy surface of the water casted some of the most incredible reflections of the surrounding trees and the fluffy clouds. It was such a memorable day!
RETURN
When we headed back to the car, we were almost to the end of the trail then somehow took a wrong turn at the very end. There’s a large visitor’s center building near the parking lot and we ended up going on the wrong side of the building and wondering where we were. Then 20 steps later we spotted the parking lot.
HUNGER
We had eaten a small snack before starting this hike but realized at this time that we were starving and decided to stop at a local restaurant in Hillsboro for dinner which we took to go. When we got back all we could think about was going there again as soon as possible. What a fun day!
About us: We live by the motto, “My unicorns made me do it.” Subscribe if you like to smile. And. Thanks for reading our blog! ~ by Amanda & Adam
