Wetlands Wonder
Go boating and bird-watching just minutes from downtown Portland
On this spring afternoon, pelting rain had scared away most of those signed up for a guided paddle trip on north Portland’s Smith and Bybee Lakes Wildlife Area. But by the time our flotilla of two kayaks and one canoe put in, the rain had quit, and the low-angled sun lent a golden sheen to Bybee Lake’s unruffled surface. The western painted turtles were hiding from the cold, but violet-green and cliff swallows and great blue herons filled the sky. Mt. Saint Helens and Mt. Hood appeared in the east; in the middle distance, just beyond the lake’s edge, giant shipping cranes idled, silently awaiting the next load of cars, stereos, or Hello Kitty dolls.
Surrounded by port terminals, warehouses, and other commercial development, Smith and Bybee Lakes Wildlife Area is an undeveloped gem in a city known for its urban wildlands. It’s the largest protected fresh-water wetland in any American city. And it’s perhaps 15 minutes from the center of Portland.
The easiest way to enjoy the lakes is on foot, but the best way is by canoe or kayak (see below). Either way, go soon. An old dam has been replaced by a new water-control structure that will allow the lakes’ levels to fluctuate more naturally with the seasons, encouraging a diverse habitat for plants and animals. By late spring, the water may be too shallow for canoeing, and you’ll have to wait until fall.
