Durham: Green Spaces and History

As a destination, Durham offers a variety of green spaces and a local history stretching from Fanno Creek to early economic developments. Durham City Park covers about 45 acres; smaller neighborhood parks and green spaces with their own character are also available. The trails also differ in type and in the places they connect.

Green Spaces and Trails

On the west side of Durham, Durham City Park, also known as Durham Park, is located along Fanno Creek. It covers around 45 acres and offers paved trails. The picnic shelter is available on a first-come, first-served basis, without a reservation or permit. The park's size and trails, as well as the shelter policy, are therefore practical points to consider when planning your stay.

Heron Grove Park is a 0.5-acre neighborhood park in the Heron Grove neighborhood. A footpath leads from there to the Kingsgate neighborhood. Tualatin View, by contrast, is an undeveloped 4-acre parcel on the Tualatin River, east of Upper Boones Ferry Road. The differences are not just a matter of size: Heron Grove is designated as a neighborhood park, while Tualatin View is defined by its riverside location and undeveloped character.

Kingsgate Greenway adds a wooded parcel on Upper Boones Ferry Road to the selection. An unpaved trail there connects Rivendell Drive with Willowbottom Way. Trail connections in Durham thus vary: the footpath from Heron Grove leads to the Kingsgate neighborhood, the trail in Kingsgate Greenway connects two named endpoints, and Durham Park has paved trails.

A Route Between Parks

The “Park-to-Park Adventures” program includes an approximately 3-mile round-trip route connecting Community Park, Durham Park, and Cook Park. The approximate distance applies to the round-trip route as a whole. A pedestrian and bicycle bridge also provides access to Durham Park from Tualatin Community Park. This offers two practical planning reference points: the stated distance for a route connecting three parks, and bridge access for pedestrians and cyclists.

Durham's Local History

Durham is named after Albert Alonzo Durham (1814–1898), an early Oregon pioneer and respected businessman. The area around his sawmill and gristmill on Fanno Creek became known as Durham Mills starting in 1866. These are two distinct references: Durham bears the pioneer's name, while Durham Mills was the name given to the area around his mill.

Another development followed in 1908: the Pilkingtons established a nursery in Durham on 40 acres between Boones Ferry Road and the Tualatin River. The property included large portions of the Kingsgate neighborhood. Unlike the mill history, this establishment links Durham to a different activity and a different geographic setting: a nursery between the road and the river, and the Kingsgate neighborhood.

Discover more destinations: Tigard, Tualatin, Beaverton, Forest Grove, North Plains, Aloha, Gaston, Sherwood

For the full travel overview: Washington.