Mary S Young Park offers a peaceful place to walk or sit by the Willamette River. This quiet, forested park is a favorite for urban birders. Walking deeper into the forest on the numerous trails (5-8 miles worth), it's easy to forget you're in a city.

Most of the trails at the park are natural surface. The Riverside Loop Trail is mostly paved, with minimal steep grades and obstacles, and leads you down to the Willamette River. Here there is access to a protected inlet as well as the river. This is one of two off-leash pet exercise areas and a great place for the whole family to enjoy the water.

There is a steep section of nearly 14% at this location for about 400 feet and then a final steep section of about 75 feet; but this trail is newly paved, so that it has the benefit of being stable, firm and slip resistant, except for the final section near the beach.

Near the beach there is a very steep section [nearly 17%] that takes one down to the sand and on older pavement.

We prefer to start our hike at this point in the parking lot, near the picnic shelter and restrooms. There is a picnic table that allows us to lay out our equipment, and talk strategy, before we start our trail assessment.