Hi! I’m Natalie and a place that’s special to me is Tryon Creek State Natural Area in Portland, Oregon.

These 645 acres of protected forested area make up the only state park in Oregon to be located in a major metropolitan area. As it’s a 7 minute drive from my house, I’ve been visiting Tryon Creek since I was a kid, both as a visiting hiker and as a camp goer. The Tryon day camps were centered around nature education and appreciation and respect for the land, and these values very much stuck with me during my formative years. I am very familiar with the trails and landscape of this area, and I’ve always appreciated the accessibility and varying difficulties of the different trails.

 

 

Besides being very familiar, Tryon Creek feels special to me because it’s like a patch of real, untouched land surrounded by concrete and heavily manicured lawns. It’s a lovely place to step away and spend some time in the forest. I also love how diverse the foliage and wildlife are. It makes me wonder what could’ve been if the rest of the neighborhood hadn’t been developed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A tiny mouse ran in front of me right after this picture was taken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t eat any of these out of caution, but I’m sure I could’ve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This quiet patch of land has been and continues to be very special to me. I’ve been walking here quite often as part of my preparation for our hikes in the Dolomites, which has brought even more significance to this place.