Lewisville Park Loop Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Lewisville Park Entrance Trailhead
- End point: Lewisville Park Swimming Hole
- Hike type: Loop
- Distance: 2.8 miles
- Elevation gain: 140 feet
- High point: 235 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Seasons: All year
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: Sometimes
Contents |
Hike Description
Lewisville Regional Park, the oldest park in the Clark County parks system, occupies 154 acres along the looping East Fork Lewis River. Some of the historic park buildings here date back to the park's founding in 1936. The area along the river is mostly developed, with picnic areas, restrooms, playgrounds, and ball fields, although you can hike through cottonwood and alder bottomlands at the beginning of this loop. The walk described then loops back through a native slope forest of conifers and maples.
There’s a paved trail below the parking pullout: go right along it. Head down a bluff and curve left through a picnic area to reach a road. Make a right and cross a bridge over a small creek. After the bridge, walk right through a parking area and reach a trail that runs parallel to the creek. The trail curves left and now runs upriver along the East Fork Lewis River. Douglas-firs, western red-cedars, cottonwoods and big-leaf maples line the river banks. Cross a footbridge and see restrooms ahead. Here, go right and pass through a group picnic area. The path goes past a parking area and reaches a junction. Turn right down past the Central Commons area with fields, picnic tables and a playground. Then keep right along the banks of the river. This is a popular fishing area. Reach a small beach and summer swimming hole. After this, the trail becomes a wider maintenance road and passes a baseball field on the left. At a trail map near some restrooms, head left and hike uphill along a shady, forested slope.
This wide trail undulates along this slope under Douglas-firs, big-leaf maples and vine maples with a sword fern carpet. A path leads right up to Rotter Road. Continue straight where a path crosses this wide trail. Keep undulating, and pass another path which leads up to Rotter Road. The trail now drops to the vicinity of the fee station. Go right here past some towering, colorfully-painted bluebird nesting boxes and the large park entrance sign. Return to your vehicle at the park entrance.
Note: The Lewis River is named after Adolphus Lee Lewis (also spelled "Lewes"), not Captain Meriwhether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame. Adolphus Lewis had a land claim on the river bank and was the Clark County surveyor in the 1850s.
Maps
Regulations or restrictions, etc
- $3 entrance fee May through September
- Dogs on leash
- Open 7:00 a.m. to sunset
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Lewisville Park Loop Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Lewisville Park Loop Hike
- Vancouver/Clark County reduces access to parks
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Discovering Portland Parks by Owen Wozniak
- Urban Trails: Vancouver by Craig Romano
- Take a Walk: Portland by Brian Barker
More Links
- Lewisville Regional Park (Clark County Parks & Recreation)
- Lewisville Regional Park (Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation)
Contributors
- bobcat (creator)