Explore: Where to Go
Close to home:
Nature outside your door
Accessible playgrounds for kids of all abilities at local schools, such as VPS Hough ES, VPS King ES, & VPS Walnut Grove ES
(see Blue Swing icon on map below)Accessible trails - Regardless of your abilities, our community trails offer lots of access to nature, such as the Salmon Creek Trail, Vancouver Waterfront Trail, and more. Visit Access Recreation’s map for more locations.
HOPE Walks - Take elders and family members managing dementia and Alheizmer’s Disease outside, using the HOPE Trail Walks user friendly trail maps for local destinations, as well as resources to get everyone in your family out into nature.
Backyard play areas - nearby nature is right out your back door with sticks, stone, rolly-pollies and other nature objects can you find outside!
Loose parts play - building and creating with natural materials
Residential gardens and plantings - gardens don’t have to be big to be fun, create fun places to dig, explore and add seeds for vegetables and flowers
Local community gardens - connect with your city for access to nearby gardens plots, as well as Clark County Heritage Farm
Neighborhood parks - Visit your city’s web page (see the next column) and ride your bike, walk or roll to your park, trail or natural area
Neighborhood schools - more and more schools are adding nature to campuses to play and explore, like sensory gardens, inclusive playgrounds and nature play
Have a picnic in a local park or outdoor area - There are lots of picnic tables and open areas nearby such as Fort Vancouver NP, regional parks such as Frenchmen’s Bar and Vancouver Lake, as well as the Columbia River waterfront (check local city park pages for more information)
Take a botanical walk around Officer’s Row near Fort Vancouver, you can also continue to the Fort Gardens, orchards and Land Bridge
Wildlife watching
(see Binocular icon on map below - blue accessible, brown - limited accessibility) or visit a guide tour with local experts such as the Vancouver Audubon
Community wide:
Nearby destinations
Regional county parks:
Clark County - Find a Park or Trail
Cowlitz County Parks
Skamania County ParksLocal city parks departments:
Battle Ground, Camas, Kelso, La Center, Longview, Ridgefield, Vancouver, WashougalLocal day camp facilities - Camps and special events at Camp Hope near Battle Ground, Camp Wa-Ri-Ki and TreeSong Awareness Nature Center (both on the Washougal River)
Clark County Legacy Lands - natural areas for hikes and wildlife watching. Brochure lists amenities at each site
Clark College - Friendship Garden and big lawn, loop paths, pollinator gardens and Native Plant Center
Visit local gardens - local gardens are bursting with flowers and wildlife, such as SW WA Naturescaping Wildlife Botanical Gardens, the Hulga Lilac Gardens near Woodland, Jane Weber Arboretum on Old Evergreen Hwy., Nature Demonstration Gardens at Pacific Park, Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm east of Washougal, etc.
Regional water trail map - Columbia and Lewis Rivers, launch a canoe, kayak or paddle board on local waterways
Columbia Springs Education Center - Fish hatchery, nature trails and events
Water Resources Education Center: Native gardens, outdoor classroom, interpretive center, located near the Renaissance Waterfront Trail.
CASEE Center / Naturescaping Wildlife Garden - Demonstration gardens, nature trails near just south of Battle Ground
Washington State University Vancouver trails - Six (6) miles of nature trails through meadows, woodlands and Mill Creek
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site - located in the heart of Vancouver, bring a picnic for your visit, enjoy the visitor center, go for a bike ride past the orchards or stroll through the Gardens.
Day trips:
Region-wide adventures
Friends of the Columbia River Gorge
Hike guidesNorthwest Family Daycation App (Portland area adventures)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuges - Steigerwald & Ridgefield
Washington Trails Association - trail maps, locations, trail reports and family oriented guides for hiking ideas and locations
Washington State Parks - we have several nearby state parks including Battle Ground Lake SP, Paradise Point SP near La Center, Reed Island SP near Washougal, & Beacon Rock SP in Skamania Co. off of SR-14 (includes hikes up the Rock as well as Hamilton Mt.) Requires a Discover Pass
U.S. Forest Gifford Pinchot - over 1,500 miles of trails for hiking, camping, and maps to find your way. Also, Accessible Adventures in the US Forest Service Properties. Requires a NW Forest Pass
Mt. St. Helen’s Institute - guided hikes, family adventure camps, GeoGirls camps, as well as stewardship opportunities
Portland’s Metro (Parks & Trails) - lots of parks, trails and recreation centers
Access Recreation - accessible park information and trail guides provides detailed information about parks & trails to help trip planning for people of all abilities
NW Wildflower Map - Want to get out and see the spring or summer blooms? Visit this map for the status of blooms and great day trip destinations.
Find nature near you…
Looking for adventures south/west of the Columbia River? Visit Metro and Northwest Family Daycation app for destination ideas
(Blue icons represent accessible features at the site)
