Graham Oaks Nature Park is a nature park in Wilsonville in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in 2010, the park is owned and operated by Metro, the regional government in the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area.HistoryPrior to designating the land as a nature park, Metro originally planned to build a landfill on the property in the 1980s. Metro then purchased the property in 2001 for $1.6 million from the state. At one time, the state also owned the adjacent land to the north where the Dammasch State Hospital stood, and the land to the west where the Callahan Center was located before becoming the Living Enrichment Center. After buying the land, Metro started planting 150,000 native shrubs and trees on the former farm. Metro also spread an estimated 100 million wildflower and grass seeds and built trails and other amenities prior to the park opening.A preview tour of the park was held in October 2008 at Graham Oaks. In August 2009, the Oregon State Parks & Recreation Commission provided Metro with a $500,000 grant for construction of the park. The next month, JP Contractors won the bid to build the $1.4 million park. Other funding for construction included $300,000 from Wilsonville and about $600,000 from Metro. In November 2009, construction started on park amenities, which were designed by landscape architecture firm GreenWorks.Graham Oaks officially opened to the public in September 2010. In January 2011, Wilsonville's South Metro Area Regional Transit added a stop at the park.
"Three miles of trails let you choose your adventure. Watch for native wildlife such as white-breasted nuthatches, Western bluebirds, orange-crowned warblers and Western gray squirrels. Five plazas make ideal spots to rest, reflect and learn about Graham Oaks’ history, from Kalapuyan tribes who gathered food to the family that farmed the land. Explore beyond the park on the regional Ice Age Tonquin Trail.Typically, dogs and other pets are not allowed at Metro parks and natural areas to protect sensitive habitats. Metro is making an exception by allowing pets on the Ice Age Tonquin Trail at Graham Oaks Pets must be on-leash at all times.Graham Oaks is open from legal sunrise to legal sunset."
