Lowami-Hart Woods
Lowami-Hart Woods Natural Area is a relatively recent addition to the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District's empire of natural areas. Ran as a daycamp location by Campfire Columbia until 1994. The 28-acre property was bought by THPRD soon thereafter and lay dormant for almost a decade until THPRD added trails and bridges to make it navigable to the public (without twisting ankles on downed branches), and re-opened in 2004.
The Main trail through Lowami-
Hart Woods pictured in April,
2015. This location is near the
exit, where visitors must leave
the forest, before re-entereing
nearby in Brookhaven Woods
Natural Area.
I visited the park years ago, with a spirit of adventure, but the park struck me on my first visit as rather tame. The park can only be explored from trails: off-trail travel is not allowed. It reminds me of an amusement park ride:
"welcome aboard the Lowami-Hart Express. Please keep your head, hands, arms, and legs on the trail at all times."
I understand why they do this: in most of their woodlands, THPRD prioritizes the natural ecosystem over human recreation. In order to do so, they have designated trails, and forbid visitors from wandering off of these. Maintaining a healthy ecosystem in a suburban city of 80,000 people is very difficult if those 80,000 people are running every which way through the forest. Then there are the interpretive signs: the park is riddled with them, interrupting your private stroll through the forest to ask you what you smell, or what you hear, or asking other questions. They have always felt restrictive. Simply experiencing the park isn't enough: they need you to experience it their way.
One of the interpretive signs in
the forest. The signs are gaudy
and bright, but they do make you
think about where you are.
The entrance to the park is right off of SW Hart, on a paved path: tame and mild. No sooner had I entered the park then a sign asked how many animal homes I found. Such technical language I thought, as I made a left turn. I had only gone about fifty feet before another sign crossed my path, this one asking me to close my eyes and listen. I ignored it as well, and abandoned that path entirely when I encountered a moped, mysteriously parked on the trail.
After descending the trail, I found the flagpole, the gathering spot where girls had once met for their campfire day camps. It's silent now, but THPRD retained the flagpole as a nod to the woodland's heritage, and their own day-camps continue to meet here. Another sign was located nearby shaped, and colored like a salmon:
What did you see today that surprised you? Too early to tell...and stop asking me questions!
Up to this point, I had done my best to ignore these signs, and try to focus instead on the forest itself. My scorn however, soon turned to weariness, and when I encountered yet another sign, I gave up fighting.
How many plants and trees can you see?
One of the bridges in Brookhaven
Woods Natural Area. The Trail
passes briefly through a wetland
before re-entering the forest, just
beyond this bridge
I shrugged, and looked around me. Well 5...8... at least 10. I'd never actually given it a lot of thought. I had seen them--could identify many--but I had never actually stopped to count. After passing another sign asking me to stop look and listen, (which I did) the path left the park for a block or so.
Lowami-Hart Woods
Lowami-Hart Woods Natural Area is a relatively recent addition to the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District's empire of natural areas. Ran as a daycamp location by Campfire Columbia until 1994. The 28-acre property was bought by THPRD soon thereafter and lay dormant for almost a decade until THPRD added trails and bridges to make it navigable to the public (without twisting ankles on downed branches), and re-opened in 2004. |
| The Main trail through Lowami- Hart Woods pictured in April, 2015. This location is near the exit, where visitors must leave the forest, before re-entereing nearby in Brookhaven Woods Natural Area. |
"welcome aboard the Lowami-Hart Express. Please keep your head, hands, arms, and legs on the trail at all times."
I understand why they do this: in most of their woodlands, THPRD prioritizes the natural ecosystem over human recreation. In order to do so, they have designated trails, and forbid visitors from wandering off of these. Maintaining a healthy ecosystem in a suburban city of 80,000 people is very difficult if those 80,000 people are running every which way through the forest. Then there are the interpretive signs: the park is riddled with them, interrupting your private stroll through the forest to ask you what you smell, or what you hear, or asking other questions. They have always felt restrictive. Simply experiencing the park isn't enough: they need you to experience it their way.
 |
| One of the interpretive signs in the forest. The signs are gaudy and bright, but they do make you think about where you are. |
The entrance to the park is right off of SW Hart, on a paved path: tame and mild. No sooner had I entered the park then a sign asked how many animal homes I found. Such technical language I thought, as I made a left turn. I had only gone about fifty feet before another sign crossed my path, this one asking me to close my eyes and listen. I ignored it as well, and abandoned that path entirely when I encountered a moped, mysteriously parked on the trail.
After descending the trail, I found the flagpole, the gathering spot where girls had once met for their campfire day camps. It's silent now, but THPRD retained the flagpole as a nod to the woodland's heritage, and their own day-camps continue to meet here. Another sign was located nearby shaped, and colored like a salmon:
What did you see today that surprised you? Too early to tell...and stop asking me questions!
Up to this point, I had done my best to ignore these signs, and try to focus instead on the forest itself. My scorn however, soon turned to weariness, and when I encountered yet another sign, I gave up fighting.
How many plants and trees can you see?
 |
| One of the bridges in Brookhaven Woods Natural Area. The Trail passes briefly through a wetland before re-entering the forest, just beyond this bridge |
I shrugged, and looked around me. Well 5...8... at least 10. I'd never actually given it a lot of thought. I had seen them--could identify many--but I had never actually stopped to count. After passing another sign asking me to stop look and listen, (which I did) the path left the park for a block or so.
Brookhaven Woods Natural Area
The forest is legally split into two separate parks, but there are no paths connecting them. This necessitates a brief walk through the neighborhood. The second section is largely woods and wetlands: brown ponds sparkling in the august sunlight, swaying sedges and grass, dead snags, and the smell of fir planks and creosote as the wooden bridges baked in the sun.
I turned around when i couldn’t ignore how tired and dehydrated I was any longer. As I returned, I stopped at each sign, and silently pondered what the sign was trying to point out. What did I hear or see if I actually stopped and listened.
As I returned to the car, I passed the salmon sign again. What did you see today that surprised you? Perhaps its a copout, but what I saw that surprised me was the value in these signs. They are bright and ugly and don't fit in at all, but I can understand why the district put them there. Many people are just out in the woods to get exercise, or socialize...and that’s fine. But the forest has more to offer than that, and these signs coax visitors into paying more attention to their surroundings. Those that do make discoveries that they otherwise might have overlooked. -KP
The salmon-shaped sign near the flagpole.
The question is open-ended: visit the park
yourself, and then post a comment with
your answer :)
Sources: Oregonlive, THPRD
45˚28'04"N, 122˚49'54"W
Like my content? Consider leaving a comment, and/or sharing!
If you would like to receive updates when I write a new article, send an email to kramerpaper@gmail.com, with the subject line: "Subscribe"
I turned around when i couldn’t ignore how tired and dehydrated I was any longer. As I returned, I stopped at each sign, and silently pondered what the sign was trying to point out. What did I hear or see if I actually stopped and listened.
As I returned to the car, I passed the salmon sign again. What did you see today that surprised you? Perhaps its a copout, but what I saw that surprised me was the value in these signs. They are bright and ugly and don't fit in at all, but I can understand why the district put them there. Many people are just out in the woods to get exercise, or socialize...and that’s fine. But the forest has more to offer than that, and these signs coax visitors into paying more attention to their surroundings. Those that do make discoveries that they otherwise might have overlooked. -KP
 |
| The salmon-shaped sign near the flagpole. The question is open-ended: visit the park yourself, and then post a comment with your answer :) |
Sources: Oregonlive, THPRD
45˚28'04"N, 122˚49'54"W
Like my content? Consider leaving a comment, and/or sharing!
If you would like to receive updates when I write a new article, send an email to kramerpaper@gmail.com, with the subject line: "Subscribe"
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