Day Hike - William Ives Trail

If you are looking for a day hike that doesn't take all day, or just doing some low intensity conditioning or maintenance workouts, this may suit you. Leader is doing hikes at local parks of about 2 to 3 miles, averaging a little under 2 mph, and invites you to join him.

The William Ives Trail (plus a loop around an adjacent pond) is a 2.6 mile round-trip on easy terrain through a mostly wooded pocket greenbelt surrounded by suburban housing developments and the Hawks Prairie Golf Course.  William Ives was one of the three surveyors who laid out the Williamette Meridian and base-line in 1851, which is the reference point for present day surveys and land titles.  The line runs south-north from Portland, OR, to Puget Sound at the Nisqually Reach.  The east end of the trail and turnaround point is by Meridian Road NE, which follows Ives’ original meridian.  For more information, see Urban Trails Olympia, by Craig Romano (Mountaineers Books, Seattle), and the Lacey Parks, Culture and Recreation site: https://laceyparks.org/parks_trails/william-ives-trail/

This trail was The Olympian's Trail of the Week in 2017: www.theolympian.com/outdoors/article143780884.html

Here is a link to a Mountaineers trip report on a recent visit to this trail: www.mountaineers.org/activities/trip-reports/day-hike-william-ives-trail

We'll try for a social pace, accommodating all participants,slow enough to talk but enough for some cardio conditioning. Hiking time one to two hours. We'll hike rain or shine.  The paths are natural surface or graveled, and are generally well-drained.

Thursday, at 9:30 a.m. at the Meridian Neighborhood Park parking lot, by the restrooms.  Take I-5 exit 111 or local roads to Marvin Road NE north about 0.4 mile to a roundabout, taking first exit to turn right onto Williamette Drive. Continue 1.7 miles to Campus Glen Drive NE.  Turn right and Meridian Neighborhood Park is on your right. Park there.  Restrooms near the pavilion and parking.  No parking pass or fee required.