Trail Alert, Jul 24, 2020: The Gibbons Creek trail is closed due to construction on the Steigerwald Reconnection Project, scheduled for completion in 2022. Learn more about the project at estuarypartnership.org/our-work/habitat-restoration/steigerwald-floodplain-restoration-projectHike Details
Type:
Out to a loop and back
Distance:
2.8 miles round trip
Elevation Gain:
feet
Difficulty:
Easy
A lovely trail at Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge - great for birding and wildlife viewing. This trail is a flat graveled path that leads you through riparian areas rich in wildlife viewing opportunities. Hikers may see great blue herons, geese, ducks, grebes, pileated woodpeckers, great horned owls and more.
Please Note: No dogs are allowed at the wildlife refuge.
History
Like the Sandy River Delta across the river, Steigerwald was once a dairy farm and was zoned industrial land prior to passage of the National Scenic Area Act. Proposals such as nuclear power plants had threatened the area, but eventually local birding enthusiasts Wilson and Susan Cady and others convinced Senator Mark Hatfield to push for designation of Steigerwald as a national wildlife refuge and the Trust for Public Lands purchased an option on the property until the federal government could purchase it. Today, Steigerwald and the Sandy River Delta are the Gorge's western gateways, serving as development buffers that support thousands of acres of wildlife habitat.
Please Note: No dogs are allowed at the wildlife refuge.
History
Like the Sandy River Delta across the river, Steigerwald was once a dairy farm and was zoned industrial land prior to passage of the National Scenic Area Act. Proposals such as nuclear power plants had threatened the area, but eventually local birding enthusiasts Wilson and Susan Cady and others convinced Senator Mark Hatfield to push for designation of Steigerwald as a national wildlife refuge and the Trust for Public Lands purchased an option on the property until the federal government could purchase it. Today, Steigerwald and the Sandy River Delta are the Gorge's western gateways, serving as development buffers that support thousands of acres of wildlife habitat.