Things To Do: Gladstone

Located along the banks of the Willamette River, Gladstone offers recreation opportunities for all ages. Enjoy those river views with easy access at Meldrum Bar Park's picnic area and paved paths including an RC car track. The park also has a boat launch, trailer parking and a floating dock for those eager to get out on the water, as well as spots to try your hand at fishing from the river banks. Interested in exploring the river but don't have your own boat to launch? Rent kayaks from Oregon Kayak Rental at Dahl Beach, an easy sloping beach inside Meldrum Bar Park. You can also enjoy a leisurely two-mile float down the Clackamas from Cross City Park to Dahl Beach City Park with eNRG Kayaking. They'll drop you off at Cross Park and be waiting to pick you up when you arrive at your destination. 

Nearby, the newly opened boardwalk trail at Boardman Wetlands, a 5.8-acre nature park, makes it easy to connect with your surroundings thank to its scenic boardwalk trail loop. The park has undergone a transformative restoration process to create a healthy native habitat for beaver, ducks, geese and other aquatic animals. 

For families, check out The Children's Course. This nine hole, nonprofit course is dedicated to teaching children the joy of golf. Plus, grown ups can golf along, so it's fun for the whole family.

The Gladstone Nature Park is a treasure trove of flora and fauna. Parkgoers can see Oregon white oak, iris, trillium and Pacific Madrone, among others. Wildlife include bald eagles and falcons, herons as well as ground creatures like rabbits. The park has three different Nature Scavenger Hunt cards you can print out at home. It's a fun way to get kids exploring nature and learning about the biodiversity here. 

You're on a roll! Cyclists, roller skaters and walkers will all enjoy the six-mile multiuse Trolley Trail, connecting the communities of Milwaukie and Gladstone in a paved and gravel path that winds close to the river and passes through some charming neighborhoods, following a historic streetcar route that ran in the early 1900s.