After teasing their opening for almost a year, and after more than a decade of planning and restoration work, the Wapato Lake National Wildlife Refuge is (finally) open! This new national refuge, located near the city of Gaston, protects and restores the habitat of this region, which was once and important area for the Kalapuya tribe, who harvested wapato (also called “Indian potato”) from the shallow lake and used it as trade with other tribes. The refuge has several miles of trails and is home to myriad species of mammals, reptiles, fish and birds.
Please call before heading out to ensure that the trails are open.