Benches Installed at Sandy River Delta

Last fall, a group from the Mirabella residential community in South Portland took a tour to the Sandy River Delta near Troutdale, Oregon. It was a spirited discussion about the role of art in our storied landscape. But many in the group had mobility challenges and were unable to hike the 1.2 miles down the Confluence Trail to the Bird Blind by Maya Lin. The tour group decided that the trail needed benches and their community wanted to join together to make it happen.

This week, Confluence installed two slabs of basalt as natural-looking benches at the Delta. These will allow visitors to rest on their way to the Bird Blind. As pictured here, one slab weighs three tons and the other weighs 2 tons. The smaller one is in the shade is near the Bird Blind. The other one sits about halfway down the trail so that weary hikers can enjoy the view of Mt. Hood while they rest.

Thanks to everyone at the Mirabella for making this happen! We could not have done this without your support.

The Sandy River Delta has now reopened and visitors can now visit the Bird Blind. We encourage all visitors to maintain social distancing and follow CDC and state guidelines. Ready Set Gorge advises “If you’re planning a trip to our region, please help keep our communities safe by following CDC and local health guidelines and respecting the requests of individual businesses. Many parks and trails remain closed. Please plan before you go and always have a Plan B in case your destination is too crowded or closed. Crowds lead to closures. When recreating on trails, maintain at least 6 feet of distance from other hikers and bikers.”