by Alan K. Lee
Introduction:
One of the benefits of living in the Pacific Northwest is its natural beauty and easy access to nature. Even the large urban centers have abundant parks, forests, and streams close by. Cooper Mountain Nature Park in Beaverton, Oregon is one of the many protected natural areas and nature parks the Portland metro area is blessed with that range in size from less than five acres to the 5200-acre Forest Park in Portland. Dozens of such natural areas dot the landscape, several of which are near my suburban neighborhood. I can leave my house on foot and be surrounded by nature in less than ten minutes.
The Park:
Cooper Mountain Nature Park is located on the southwestern edge of Beaverton. The park is jointly managed by Metro, the Portland area’s regional government, and the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District. Three and a half miles of trails take the visitor through three distinct habitats – oak woodland, open prairie, and conifer forest. The hike described here traverses most of the park’s 230 acres.
There is more to do at the park than just hiking, too. The park’s Nature House hosts a variety of classes and educational events, there are nature play areas for children, and there is a demonstration garden that features low-maintenance and wildlife-friendly plants.
One of the interesting features of the park are the three “listening trumpets” located along the trails. Created by Portland artist Christine Bourdette, the trumpets act as natural sound amplifiers that can catch birdsong and other sounds of nature from a distance. Try them out if you visit the park.
The Hike:
Where: Cooper Mountain Nature Park, 18892 SW Kemmer Rd, Beaverton, Oregon
Distance: 2.9 miles
Type: Loop
Elevation gain: 375 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Map:
Overview:
The trails here are hiker only – horses, dogs and other animals (except service animals), and bicycles are prohibited. Drones are also prohibited. The trails are mostly compacted gravel and are useable year round. All trail junctions have directional signage with a small trail map. Interpretive signs are located at places of interest along the trails.
Trailhead:
There are restrooms in the Nature House at the parking lot and drinking water is available. There are about 40 parking spaces with an overflow area that will accommodate another fifteen vehicles. Parking is free. The parking lot fills up early on weekends and sometimes even on weekdays in the spring and summer, so best to come early. If the parking lot is full, you may be able to park along Kemmer Road.
The hike:
The hike starts at the southeast corner of the parking lot adjacent to the playground. Stay right at the first two trail junctions. At 0.3 miles, continue straight onto Cooper Mountain Loop that takes you into an area of coniferous forest.
In another tenth of a mile turn left onto the Overlook Trail that takes you back into a more open prairie habitat with good views of Chehalem Mountain to the south. You’ll also find one of the listening trumpets along the trail. At the 0.6 mile mark the Overland Trail rejoins the Cooper Mountain Loop. Turn left and follow Cooper Mountain Loop, which takes you downslope with prairie to your left and forest to your right.
At the low point of this hike (elevation 420 feet) the trail makes a 180⁰ bend and regains some of the elevation you’ve lost, then turns right and takes you to Quarry Pond, where you might find a few waterfowl and increasingly rare northern red-legged frogs. Just beyond the pond, you’ll come to the Larkspur Loop junction at the 1.2 mile mark. Take the out and back lollipop loop and return to the junction. Turn right onto Cooper Mountain Loop again. Here the trail begins to climb back toward the trailhead.
At the next junction, turn right onto Blacktail Way, which climbs, steeply in places, for half a mile to the next junction. Here there is a short trail to the right to a viewpoint. Back at the junction, turn right onto Little Prairie Loop and follow it through the forest and back to the trailhead.
Other area attractions and activities:
The Beaverton area features numerous other parks and natural areas. Another of my favorite hiking spots is Tualatin Hills Nature Park, which I will feature in an upcoming post. And slightly farther out (about ten miles west of Cooper Mountain), the newly opened Chehalem Ridge Nature Park is another of the areas nature parks and another outstanding hiking area.
And after your hike, the Beaverton area has many fine places to get lunch and slake your thirst. If you just crave a good beer after your hike, try the nearby Taplandia Taphouse, or the White Oak Taphouse.Neither Taplandia nor White Oak have much of a food menu, so if you’re hungry, try Murrayhill Taphouse or Cafe Murrayhill. Both have full food and drink menus, and are located across a parking lot from each other on the shore of Murrayhill Lake. And McMenamin’s Greenway Pub is also close to Cooper Mountain and offers both decent food and a good beer menu.
Conclusion:
Cooper Mountain has become one of my favorite hiking areas in the southwestern part of the Portland metro area. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.
Posted May 2, 2025. Updated with new photos June 16, 2025.
All photos © Alan K. Lee
Nearly 300 different forest plants and flowers grow in the park. Blacktail deer, raccoons, coyotes, red foxes, beaver, and more than two dozen other mammals roam the park. More than 70 species of birds have been seen in the park. And cutthroat trout, coho and chinook salmon, and steelhead can be found in Tryon Creek.
The area was saved from development in the late 1960s and early 1970s by a combination of dedicated citizens, the 
Many, if not most, of the park’s visitors come to hike the nearly fifteen miles of hiking and mixed use trails. Some bring their horses to ride the three and a half miles of equestrian trails. There is also a three mile paved bike path running through the park and a paved all abilities trail. The Nature Center, with a friendly staff, interpretive exhibits, a small store, and public restrooms, is a popular starting point for many visitors.
Many of the events and programs sponsored by the park were cancelled or available only online during the majority of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Nature Center was closed and entrance to the park was limited at times. While we’re still living with Covid, most, if not all, of the park’s programs have been restored, and the Nature Center is open again.
Originally posted July 29, 2020. Updated and re-posted May 25, 2022.
The garden is located at 5801 SE 28th Avenue. The small parking lot fills up early in spring and summer, and there is no on street parking on 28th or other nearby streets, so come early if you’re coming by car (and do not park in the Reed College lot across the street from the garden). Or take the bus (Tri-Met bus #19 Woodstock).
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Entering the garden, you come first to the Courtyard of Tranquility. The courtyard (and the whole garden, for that matter) is designed to be a peaceful and soothing place to escape the problems of everyday life, and it succeeds in that remarkably well. It’s surprisingly quiet, and once inside it’s easy to forget that you are in the middle of a busy city.
From the courtyard, you pass through the Hall of Brocade Clouds, traditionally the place where a family entertains guests, and then onto the Terrace. This is a great place to just sit and take in the view. Most of the garden can be seen from the Terrace. The various pavilions and the Tea House (the “Tower of Cosmic Reflections”) are beautifully reflected in the central pond known as Lake Zither.
From the Terrace, wander at will through the Painted Boat In Misty Rain pavilion, past the Rock Mountain and Waterfall, across the boardwalk to the Moon Locking Pavilion, Scholar’s Study and Scholar’s Courtyard, and the Knowing the Fish Pavilion. Take some time to visit the Tower of Cosmic Reflections teahouse where you can enjoy a cup of tea and learn a little about the Chinese social art and culture of tea.
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Part of the mission of the Lan Su Chinese Garden is to promote better understanding of Chinese art, history, tradition, and culture. Classes and demonstrations of Chinese calligraphy, brush painting, paper folding, poetry, music, horticulture, wood carving, and other arts such as kite making, are held throughout the year at the garden. And public tours of the garden led by trained docents are held several times a day.
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Posted March 16, 2022