Things To Do: West Linn

West Linn's Historic Willamette Main Street sparkles with small town charm. Whatever your palate, there are restaurants along Willamette Falls Drive with plenty of outdoor seating. Wine star Allium Bistro creates dishes with local, seasonal ingredients and pairs them with 58+ wines by the glass. Other options include bevvies at Willamette Ale Cider House, home of Queen Orchard Cidery, as well as Thai, Mexican and Chinese cuisine, sushi, pizza and coffee bars.

Willamette Park and Bernert Landing Boat Ramp are a combined 22.5 acres where the Tualatin River meets the Willamette River. This scenic park offers two large picnic shelters and a smaller gazebo, all with water and power, stage area with concrete pad in front, baseball field, two softball fields, one grass volleyball court and one sand volleyball court, five horseshoe pits, river access with boat ramp at Bernert Landing and dock system, playground, wading pool, WiFi and wildlife viewing. Pro tip: eNRG Kayaking provides seasonal paddle rentals for a fun day on the water.

Explore stunning boutique wineries on the eastern side of the Willamette Valley, all growing estate grapes. Pete’s Mountain offers a near perfect micro-climate combining cool nights and warm days and truly unique soil conditions. Spend a day strolling the Historic Willamette District in West Linn and visit this growing part of Oregon Wine Country. Willamette Wine Loop wineries include Campbell Lane Winery, Pete's Mountain Vineyard & Winery, Tumwater Vineyard and twill Cellars.

Named for the common camas (Camassia quamash) which profusely blooms here in April and early May, Camassia Nature Preserve hosts more than 300 plant species. The rocky plateau was exposed 12,000- 19,000 years ago when the Bretz Floods poured down the present Columbia River Gorge and far into the Willamette Valley. During spring and summer, volunteers lead guided hikes and teach visitors about the ecology of the preserve. 

Mary S. Young Park offers a peaceful place to walk or sit by the Willamette River. About 128 acres, this quiet, forested park is a favorite for urban birders. As you walk deeper into the forest on the numerous trails (five to eight miles worth), it’s easy to forget you’re in a city. It includes an unfenced, off leash area for dogs to run inside a gorgeous forested area. 

Take a self guided walking tour of the Historic Willamette Neighborhood. The area includes almost 70 unique architectural structures and many heritage trees. In the brochure you'll find information on each of the historic properties, including the architectural style, original owners and history. Vintage photos depict the character of the neighborhood and the families that lived here. Significant older trees in the area are described and located on the map. Also identified are trees that have been planted as part of the City of West Linn’s Street Trees program.

Maddax Woods, a seven-acre park along the Willamette River, was gifted to the City of West Linn by Dorothy and Virgil Maddax in 1999 as a woodland sanctuary. This park is also on the Willamette Valley Birding Trail's Heritage Loop and provides great views of the Great Blue Heron rookery on Goat Island, which supports up to 38 nesting pairs of herons. Also look for waterfowl on the Willamette River and search for songbirds in the woods.

The Farmlandia Farm Loop is a self guided farm tour route that leads you to 15 farm stops in the West Linn, Tualatin and Wilsonville areas. West Linn's farms provide year-round education and entertainment for those who want to know more about where their food and fiber are from.

At Triskelee Farm, enjoy a guided educational farm tour that takes you to meet their friendly animals, including alpacas, ostriches, goats, pigs, peacocks, ponies and more. You’ll even get a chance to feed the ostriches. For the grownups, make it a Tipsy Tour with a beer or wine. Check out their farm shop filled with alpaca yarn and hats, homemade jellies, jams, pickled vegetables, goat milk lotions and quail and chicken eggs. 

A Century Farm since 1906, Fiala Farms has a wide variety of fresh produce already picked for you, including corn, pole beans, beets, carrots, pears, plums, prunes, tomatoes, peppers, squash, pumpkins, gourds and more. They also offer u-pick dahlias, zinnias, sunflowers and marigolds. In the fall, enjoy the corn maze and pumpkin patch. 

A specialty nursery nestled in a magical natural setting at the foot of Pete’s Mountain, you'll find more than 300 species of native Pacific Northwest plants interspersed with whimsical art, historical treasures and natural features at Bosky Dell Natives. Look out for rare red-legged frogs, water features and a lovingly restored creek.

Since 1982, Barn Owl Nursery has offered a large variety of Oregon grown lavender and culinary herb plants. Find nearly 100 different lavender varieties among the herbs. During the lavender season of June and July, see the lavenders in bloom, purchase fresh and dried bouquets and learn how they harvest, dry and use their crop. They specialize in the culinary and fragrant uses of lavender and offer their own line of teas, culinary lavender products and local treats in their country gift shop.