Wilsonville on the Willamette River

Wilsonville combines river landscapes, nature experiences, and local history within a compact thematic area. Those planning a trip with varied interests will find both waterfront paths and historic sites, public art, and clearly identifiable points of reference to help choose suitable accommodation. A vacation apartment or vacation home in Wilsonville can serve as a base for individually planned days—sometimes involving plenty of outdoor activity, and at other times focusing on culture and local history.

River Landscapes and Trails for Varied Days

Memorial Park is Wilsonville’s oldest and largest park. It has half a mile of riverfront along the Willamette River, and its network of paths offers views of the river. Significant natural areas and an extensive trail network make the park a place where you can combine a river landscape with walking paths. For planning your day, it is helpful to know that the park includes not just a single viewpoint, but various natural areas and trail features.

Boones Ferry Park is also located along the Willamette River. There are paved paths throughout the park; in addition, a small, rocky path provides access to the river. This makes it possible to compare different types of visits: Those who prefer a paved route can stay on the park paths, while the path to the riverfront has a different character. The Tauchman House is also located in this park. It is a turn-of-the-century house on the Willamette River, surrounded by the trees of Boones Ferry Park, and was formerly the home of the operator of the historic Boones Ferry.

Discover Culture and History

The Oregon Korean War Memorial was completed in 2000 and honors the soldiers from Oregon as well as the Korean people from the Korean War. The memorial includes a life-size bronze statue of General Douglas MacArthur. This gives visitors who do not want to focus their trip exclusively on nature and trails a specific historical point of interest.

The Stone-Boozier Barn and Wilsonville’s public art collection provide additional historical and cultural highlights. The rustic Stone-Boozier Barn was built around 1901. It can be rented from mid-April through mid-October; rental applications are accepted year-round. The public art collection also offers a virtual tour that marks the location of each artwork on a map. This allows you to familiarize yourself with the individual locations before taking the tour.

Nature Parks, Water, and Special Trails

Graham Oaks Nature Park is a preserved natural area covering 250 acres. Arrowhead Creek Park features interpretive elements about Wilsonville’s water system. Its defining water feature is not intended for playing in the water—an important distinction when planning outings with children and differentiating between various types of water experiences. The Morey’s Landing Trail in Arrowhead Creek Park connects to the adjacent residential area.

Another notable connection is the Boeckman Creek Crossing Trail. It connects the neighborhoods east of the creek with the Courtside neighborhood and the Town Center shopping center to the west. The trail runs through a wooded ravine and is defined by a 60-foot-long cantilevered bridge over Boeckman Creek. At Town Center Park, an urban park in the center of Wilsonville’s business district, you can experience this urban character in another way. The playground at Murase Plaza features two new play structures and a 24-foot-long slide on the slope.

Choose Wilsonville as Your Base

Various transportation options are available for getting around the area. Wilsonville is served by TriMet’s Westside Express Service (WES) commuter rail. In addition, SMART offers all passengers free bus rides within Wilsonville city limits. A path in the Willamette River Water Treatment Plant Park ends at a viewpoint overlooking the Willamette River and adds another option among the river destinations.

Which accommodation in Wilsonville is right for you depends primarily on whether you want to place greater emphasis on nature trails, historic sites, water landscapes, or urban areas. To continue your search for suitable destinations, you can also look at Milwaukie, Gladstone, Welches, Molalla, Clackamas, Rhododendron, Oregon City, and Sandy.

Return to the higher-level travel overview: Clackamas.