Nob Hill Nature Park in St Helens, Oregon is a small oak woodland refuge of 6.6 acres. This hidden gem is a lovely place with beautiful, uncommon wildflowers in the spring (check out our mini nature-guide in the photo gallery!).  Nob Hill Nature Park is located on a basalt bluff overlooking the Columbia River and the northern tip of Sauvie Island, where Multnomah Channel joins the river. It is the home of many native plants and has a well-maintained gravel trail loop. Parking is available in the lot across the street at the water treatment plant. Dogs are allowed on leash.  The park is open from dawn to dusk.

This park is the perfect spot to have fun finding and identifying native plants with your kiddos.  Below is a list of native plants that are commonly found in the park. 

What is a native plant?

A native plant is one that has been growing in this area for hundreds of years, or even longer. Native plants are naturally adapted to local conditions for soil type and climate, including temperature, sun and rainfall. They are generally good sources of food and shelter for wildlife found in the same area. 

Why do we fight non-native plants?

Non-native plants can be very hardy, and often lack natural predators, so they can multiply and grow to the point that they exclude other plants. They get out of balance with the existing plant community, like botanical bullies. Non-native plants like English ivy and Himalayan blackberries can grow so dense that they choke out nearly all other kinds of plants. Our restoration work is largely based on controlling them so native plants can flourish, which is also beneficial to wildlife. 

What is an oak woodland?

An oak woodland is a plant community based on Oregon’s only native oak tree, the white oak, or Quercus garryana. Sometimes they are also called garry oaks. The oak woodland contains many species associated with these oaks. 

A meadow is an open area with mostly grasses and wildflowers. A savannah is a meadow that is dotted with a few trees. A woodland is a lightly-wooded area with multi-level plants including trees, shrubs, wildflowers and forbs (such as ferns). A forest is a heavily-wooded area with dense canopy of trees that shades most of the ground and understory plants. 

Common native plants you can see here in the moist low-lying areas:

Pacific ninebark (shrub) 

Cascara (small tree) 

Wild ginger 

False lily of the valley 

Starry Solomon’s seal 

Yellow or stream violets 

Nootka rose (shrub) 

Spirea (shrub) 

Western trillium 

Western bigleaf maple (large tree) 

Oregon ash (large tree) 

Common native plants you can see here in the dry upland areas:

White oak, also called Garry oak (large tree) 

Common camas 

Snowberry (shrub) 

Oceanspray (shrub) 

Chokecherry (small tree) 

Nuttall's larkspur 

Woodland prairie star 

Western buttercup 

Fawn lily 

Chocolate or checker lily 

False Solomon seal 

Mahonia , or Oregon grape (state flower) (shrub) 

Serviceberry (large shrub) 

Big-leaf lupine  

Madrone

Poison Oak

*Note: Please stay on trail.  Poison oak is a native part of oak habitats. Our trail stewards make sure to keep the poison oak well away from the trail system, so remember to keep little ones on trail and keep pets leashed.

How can I help the park?  We’re glad you asked! The Friends of Nob Hill Nature Park hold twice-yearly work parties, on the first Saturday in April and November of each year. We work on trail maintenance and removal of trash and weeds such as English ivy, blackberry and lunaria. All are welcome to join in. 

If you’d like us to hold a volunteer work party on another date for friends, family or a civic group, just let us know and we’ll do our best to find a time that works to accommodate your availability. You can contact Friends of Nob Hill Nature Park via the City of St Helens’ Parks Board, or through Scappoose Bay Watershed Council. Also, you can visit our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Nob-Hill-Nature-Park-1156887551001988/

Thanks for your interest!