Camassia Natural Area in West Linn Oregon

We decided to try and find a park nearby with some spring wildflowers, and after some internet searching, we agreed on Camassia natural area in West Linn, about 12 miles SE of downtown Portland.  The weather was a bit iffy and we did experience some sprinkles, but were absolutely delighted at what we saw, and the beauty of the place....right in the middle of suburbia.  The majority of this area's forests were once covered in English Ivy, but in 2000 the Ameri-Corps crews cleared it, and now the native vegetation is abundant.  One thing to look out for is 'poison oak' which is also abundant...but if you stay clearly on the trail you will be fine!  The "Camas Lily" which was one common throughout this area is the purple flower you see in the photo...it covers the ground between the Yakima basalt bedrock which was laid down during lava flows some 15 million years ago.  Then about 19,000 years ago major floods poured through this area sweeping away the soil and deposited huge granite boulders from as far away as Canada.  You can only imagine how beautiful this area is now that the oak savanna and the meadows are now restored to their natural habitat thanks in part to the work of the Nature Conservancy who maintains this area, keeping the invasive species at bay.

For more photos of the wildflowers and osprey seen in this area, visit my flickr set.