Urban Adventure - William Ives Trail

Looking for a day hike that doesn't take all day?  Or if you are recovering from surgery, rehabbing an injury, trying to get back in shape, 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 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 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/

The April 13, 2017 edition of The Olympian highlighted the  William Ives Trail as its "Trail of the Week", and gave a brief account of Ives's work.  Here is a link to a Mountaineers trip report on a recent visit to this trail: https://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 an hour and a quarter to two hours. We'll hike rain or shine.

This is a mostly smooth dirt trail with some of it hardened with gravel.  There are no very steep pitches or steps.  A big-wheeled jogging stroller should be able to negotiate it.  This is an adult trip.  However, if you have an infant or toddler, who has successfully hiked with you in a stroller or backpack child carrier, who is a Mountaineers member and who you would like to bring on this trip, and you are confident you could maintain an easy to moderate group pace, please contact leader to discuss the possibility of registering the child as a youth participating in an adult activity accompanied by the registering adult who will be primarily responsible for supervision.   Leader is a Qualified Youth Leader. 

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.