Dorris Ranch Day Hike

Taking my son on a short hike the other day, my wife and I were pleased to enjoy a relaxing, carefree afternoon in one of our favorite locations in Springfield- Dorris Ranch Living History Farm. This Filbert (or Hazelnut) orchard produces a large crop each year, and we were catching the tail end of the harvest. As the three of us meandered through the trees, the dogs played joyfully around our feet and amongst the trees, looking for both squirrels to chasse and sticks to play with. Finding none of the former and all too many of the latter, they had a tough time picking out the perfect toy for us to throw.

We spent only an hour or so in the orchard, making a large loop toward the Willamette River whose banks the orchard grows upon and back toward the car again. The trees were still completely green, surprising for this time of year, but the air was crisp, clean, and cool which reminded us that winter was soon to come in our neck of the woods. Being a weekday, the foot traffic from other visitors was minimal and we enjoyed our solitude. Anson seemed to enjoy the sights and sounds of the park, as well, as he carefully observed everything we encountered.

After loading up the dogs and the gear in the car, we were bound for home, knowing that the hike we’d embarked upon would be the highlight of our day, if not our week, in the outdoors.