Just one mile from the heart of downtown Ridgefield, the sights of fall colors and the sounds of fall migratory birds can be enjoyed at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge’s Carty Unit.
The Carty Unit boasts the Oaks to Wetlands Trail, which offers a walk-through of Oregon white oak trees more than 100 years old and the sounds of wildlife.
On a fall day, the sounds of sandhill cranes, woodpeckers and other wildlife refuge inhabitants can be heard and seen from the Oaks to Wetlands Trail.
Where the pavement turns to a primitive path at the beginning of the northern loop trail portion, visitors can catch a glimpse of an Oregon white oak that has stood for generations. The oak woodland habitat at the Carty Unit exists on basalt islands elevated just over the floodplain, creating a fertile environment for oaks to thrive, a sign along the trail states. The generational oak is confirmed to be over 400 years old.
The 1.4-mile round trip trail begins by crossing over the railroad tracks on a bridge that connects the Carty Unit to the refuge headquarters. After crossing the bridge, the path begins with compacted gravel and transforms into a paved walking path for a stretch before crossing uneven terrain in newly restored oak woodlands. The trail is labeled by the wildlife refuge as both child and wheelchair friendly.
The northern loop of the trail remains a work in progress, the refuge states online. This section will continue to receive upgrades to address erosion and habitat needs while bettering the visitor experience with a permanent path.
For bird watchers, as of Friday Oct. 11, a total of 76 avian species have been reported at the Carty Unit on the eBird website, ebird.org/hotspot/L302585.
On Oct. 10 at 9:05 a.m., eBird Checklist maker Eric Shultz observed 23 species of birds at the Carty Unit. Species ranged from green-winged teal ducks, sandhill cranes, pileated woodpeckers, Cedar waxwings and other oak and wetland inhabitants.
Across the seasons, neotropical birds such as warblers, towhees and sparrows fill the air with their songs as they utilize the oak habitat.
At the beginning of the trail, visitors pass by a full-scale model of a plankhouse, modeled after houses in the Cathlapotle Village site, a Chinookan town that thrived at the confluence of the Columbia and Lewis rivers, a sign at the refuge states.
The plankhouse model required over 100 volunteers to erect the building over a span of two years based on findings from an archaeological site on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, euro-American journals and tribal oral histories. The native American artwork on the plankhouse is a modern interpretation of the traditional Lower Columbia River Art Style, the refuge states on signage. The artwork is designed by Chinook Nation artist Tony Johnson and executed by Adam McIsaac.
In 1805, the Lewis and Clark voyage documented observations of the Quathlapotle Nation. The village included 14 plankhouses with an estimated population of 900 people. The refuge sign states that it would be more accurate to describe the site as the town of the Cathlapotle people.
The refuge sign states that, in 1991, archaeologists excavated the site to learn more about how the Chinookan people lived in the area by using and tending to the natural resources the environment provided. They uncovered numerous foundations of cedar plankhouses along with hundreds of the artifacts that included stone and bone tools, hunting and fishing supplies and trade items.
The Carty Unit and Refuge Headquarters are located at 28908 NW Main Ave. in Ridgefield and are open from sunrise to sunset. For more information, visit fws.gov/refuge/ridgefield.
