Tualatin: River Trails, Parks and History

Tualatin brings together the river, trails, green spaces, historic sites, and events. When planning your stay, you can organize these topics around your interests; for seasonal offerings, the time of year you travel also matters.

River and Trails

The Tualatin River Water Trail was designated a National Trail on October 22, 2020. It covers the entire stretch of the river that runs through Tualatin. For users of human-powered watercraft, the trail offers a network of access points, rest areas, and attractions. At Tualatin Community Park, a boat ramp provides access to the Tualatin River.

The Tualatin River Greenway Trail offers a different perspective: it is accessible to pedestrians and cyclists and runs among trees, along the river, and through scenic wetlands. The Park-to-Park Adventures also vary in their stated trail lengths. They include the Hedges Creek Natural Area Loop, about 1 mile long, and the Entire Park-to-Park Challenge, about 20 miles long. These figures represent two very different distances, so you can choose a route based on the length you want to cover.

The trails differ clearly by mode of travel: the Water Trail offers a network for users of human-powered watercraft, while the Greenway Trail is accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.

Parks and Nature

Tualatin’s parks, trails, and natural areas include more than 200 acres of maintained green and recreational spaces. This figure refers to these areas collectively, not just Tualatin Community Park. The park offers sports fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, a playground, a skate park, and a dog park.

Nearby, the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge offers opportunities for hiking, photography, wildlife viewing, birdwatching, and taking part in ranger-led programs. A two-mile, year-round out-and-back trail passes through oak and forested habitats and ends at an overlook above a wetland. The two-mile figure refers to the entire out-and-back route.

History and Events

The Tualatin Heritage Center is managed by the Tualatin Historical Society in partnership with the City of Tualatin. The Sweek House is the only one of Tualatin’s 22 surviving historic landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Together, these represent different aspects of local history: a jointly managed heritage center and a house with a special register designation.

Concerts in the Parks offers free outdoor performances in Tualatin’s local parks during the summer. The program is seasonal, so check the dates for your stay before you travel. The annual Tualatin Crawfish Festival also takes place on dates that vary from year to year. The summer program and the festival offer different scheduling options if you’d like to plan your trip around an event.

Discover more destinations: Aloha, Hillsboro, Gaston, Tigard, Durham, Beaverton, Forest Grove, Sherwood

For the broader travel overview: Washington.