MovingTrail #3 Out of the Mud

Buford Park, outside of the Arboretum, has 17 miles of trails through a variety of terrain to connect people and nature. The Friends recently adopted a section of West Slope Trail #3 from the North Trailhead to its junction with West Summit Trail #1. The trail traverses an open savanna, crosses through thick fir forest, then passes through a wet prairie before it continues south to Buckbrush Creek.

Lane County Parks recently approved the Friends' plan to move a ¼ mile segment of Trail #3 out of the draw in wet prairie on the north side of the park. The trail will instead follow a higher ridge to it's junction with Trail #7. (View Plan)

FBP Trails Committee chair Jim Nelson said, “Shifting this segment to the hillslope will improve the safety of the trail, enhance the recreational experience, and protect fragile habitat.”

Since last fall, the Friends volunteers have spent hundreds of hours improving a ¾ mile section of this trail. We’ve cleared blackberry and poison oak, leveled and sloped the trail for drainage, and smoothed a thick layer of compacted gravel on the surface. Horse-riders and hikers agree it’s much better now!

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See the difference yourself! Click here to register for a tour.