Afternoon hike. Pit toilet at pkg lot. Great trail for stroller if you get over the railroad bridge. WTA website directions accurate. Don't forget the bug spray as Ryan recommended. The paved/gravel trail is great but the further you go, the overgrowth n mosquitoes get you. I had a surprise tour of the lodge ( normally open 12-4 Sat/Sun)as Josie, the ranger, just finished a teachers conference. She mentioned overgrowth n would be delighted to have volunteers help get the trails ready for bird season. Blackberries everywhere but are considered invasive, not for human consumption. Saw a few, heroes,ducks n frogs.

Our first visit to the refuge and we'll be back. We explored the Oaks to Wetland trails and enjoyed the mix of open views along the paved trails and the more primitive soft paths through the thick woods. Next time we'll come back when the lodge is open. And we're looking forward to October when we can seen the Sandhill Cranes. One thing we forgot was the bug spray - Lola had her first real experience with being snacked on by swarms of mosquitoes! They were thick in the trees, but we didn't notice any on the more open trails. Aside from the views and the woods, we also had a blast having our snacks on the railroad pedestrian bridge waiting for a trail to come down the tracks.

Nice path to walk on. no rain here today. Trail a little muddy but in good con.

Nearly the first spring-like day of the year (finally) so the kids and I seized the opportunity to get outside. This is a surprisingly quiet, and quite dignified little wildlife refuge. Two other parties on the trail in 2 hours. A couple of trains passing by. The trail is excellent. Some of it was resurfaced in the last year, most is well-packed dirt, boardwalks, a couple of small bridges. No muddy spots to speak of despite our wet winter and spring. Wildlife: at least a dozen snakes, several redbirds, and 2 bald eagles gliding overhead. Hike is not accessible but very easy, my 18 month old hiked the entire 2 miles (scrambling with his hands up a couple of little hills). Of note, it's also warmer down near the water than up near I-5, and not windy, a good thing to keep in mind for these spring days where the weather can still turn on a dime. A pleasant surprise, will definitely be back.

June might be Ridgefield's off-season, but there was still some wildlife to be found. As a tri-generational nature walk, it was heavy on the nature and light on the walking (because of our two-year old, not because of her grandparents). We found a break in the day's pounding rain and sampled the Carty Unit's oak savanna, wetlands, and old Doug fir forests and saw a bedraggled bald eagle, an immature great horned (we think) owl, and my favorite, the really, really fat Oregon oaks. I'd love to know how old they are. This is a great wildlife area despite huge patches of invasive blackberry, and I look forward to visiting when the wetlands actually contain waterfowl.