Posted September 28, 2017 at 05:00 AM | Updated September 28, 2017 at 05:00 AM
Hogan Butte 04.JPG
Jamie Hale/The Oregonian
by Jamie Hale | The Oregonian, OregonLive
How much park can you squeeze into a 46-acre lot in the middle of suburban Gresham? A lot more than you’d think.
The new Hogan Butte Nature Park opened to the public earlier this month, and while there’s still more work to be done – largely in the way of grass, which is as yet nonexistent – it’s already clear that the small space offers a little bit of everything you’d need and want in a community park.
From the 20-spot parking lot, a paved road leads steeply uphill to the park – as well as to handicap parking and a drop-off zone – where a half-mile paved pathway snakes its way to the top. From the crest of the butte is a great view of Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams and Mount Hood, while the mountain finder situated there promises occasional peeks of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Jefferson too.
A sheltered picnic area and restrooms are on hand, as well as interpretive signs along the trail, which explain local history and the plants and animals of the area.
Hogan Butte itself is a 930-foot inactive volcanic vent, part of the expansive Boring Lava Field that includes Mount Tabor, Powell Butte, Beacon Rock and more than 80 small volcanic features around the area.
The butte was named for Eli Hogan, a pioneer who harvested the trees that once covered it. In 1990, the city started the process of acquiring the land, and in 2015 unveiled renderings for the new park.