Located within the 197-acre Wenatchee Confluence State Park just minutes from downtown Wenatchee, the Horan Natural Area is a wonderful place to take a quiet stroll and contemplate the beauty and importance of our state's rivers. Here the wild Wenatchee River flows into the harnessed Columbia. An oasis among parched hills, Horan is also an oasis for critters amid a rapidly developing valley.

Begin by taking the paved Apple Capital Trail to the right, quickly coming to a beautiful art deco-inspired bridge that spans the Wenatchee River. At the far end of the bridge, find the entrance to the Horan Natural Area. Be sure to check out the information kiosk before proceeding. Then, on a gravel surface trail, wander along oxbow ponds bursting with birds and frogs and under rows of cottonwoods. Come to a junction where you can go left or right: it doesn't matter, it's a loop.

Along the way enjoy riparian bottomlands, river views, and glimpses out to Mission Ridge and the Sage Hills. Look for muskrats among the cattails and beavers among the willows. And throughout the Natural Area, watch for birds: warblers, kingfishers, kingbirds, towhees, quails, and scores of others.

Before closing the loop, be sure to continue on the trail that ventures south for 0.4 mile to the Apple Capital Trail. Then retrace your steps and take the loop segment you didn't choose earlier, returning back to where you began, for a nice 2.5 mile saunter.