Wild in the Willamette ─ Exploring the Mid-Valley's Parks, Trails, and Natural Areas

Located between the population centers of Portland and Eugene, Oregon's Willamette Valley boasts rich opportunities for outdoor recreation that are too often overlooked.Wild in the Willamette is a guidebook to the natural treasures of the mid-Willamette Valley, extending far beyond the familiar I-5 corridor. Sprinkled with natural history sidebars and infused with essays by notable local authors, it aims to connect residents and visitors with the best hiking, biking, and paddling opportunities the mid-Valley offers.

With a special focus on seven watersheds—the Marys, Calapooia, South Santiam, North Santiam, Luckiamute, Yamhill, and Pudding—as well as the middle portion of the main stem Willamette River, the book describes a range of outings at different levels of challenge. Families with young children, day hikers, long-distance backpackers, kayakers, canoeists, bird watchers, and cyclists alike will find ideas for spending a satisfying afternoon or venturing outside for a multiday trip.

Whether choosing a wheelchair-accessible trail, a rugged hike in a wilderness area, a dip in a rocky swimming hole, a paddle on the broad Willamette, or a bike ride through farmland—whether lifetime residents or week-long visitors—outdoor enthusiasts will benefit from detailed notes on the history and ecology of this special place. Armchair travelers will also find reward in the book's literary and natural history offerings.

Generously illustrated with maps and keys to the area's many attractions, Wild in the Willamette is an essential guide to the natural wonders of Oregon's mid-Willamette Valley.

Lorraine Anderson, a freelance writer and editor with a special interest in connecting people with nature, has lived in the Willamette Valley since 2005. She editedSisters of the Earth: Women’s Prose and Poetry about Nature and Earth and Eros: A Celebration in Words and Photographs; co-editedLiterature and the Environment: A Reader on Nature and Culture and At Home on This Earth: Two Centuries of U.S. Women’s Nature Writing; and co-authoredCooking with Sunshine.

Abby Phillips Metzger grew up near the Willamette River in Corvallis, Oregon, and has never left, except for brief stints in Spain; Bend, Oregon; and Costa Rica. In addition to her current job as a writer and research communicator at Oregon State University, she has worked in journalism, book publishing, and environmental education and outreach. Her bookMeander Scars: Reflections on Healing the Willamette River is a collection of personal essays that contemplate the meaning of loss and how a river so scarred can ever be as rich, complex, wondrous, and wild as it used to be.