William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, Snag Boat Bend Unit

Snag Boat Bend is a unit of the much larger William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, most of which is a few miles away on the western edge of the Willamette Valley. This extensive backwater slough, formed by the confluence of Lake Creek and the Willamette River, provides habitat for waterfowl, western pond turtles, black tailed deer, and a large great blue heron rookery. 

From the parking lot, a wooden boardwalk leads across a wet meadow and eventually to a nice picnic table on the edge of the backwater. From here, a leisurely path meanders along the edge of the slough with a number of opportunities to access the bank. At the end of this path is a sheltered bird watching blind that overlooks the widest section of the backwater and provides an opportunity to observe the local wildlife. There are also a couple of loop trails beyond the blind that are reached by following the trail west as it skirts some farm fields.

Although Snag Boat Bend is not as expansive or impressive as the main refuge, the opportunity to explore the unique backwater slough habitat of the unit make it worth the trip.