The west side's newest park: Cooper Mountain

                                                                                                                         Andrew Cherney

It may not be completed yet, but Tualatin’s Cooper Mountain Nature Park officially opened for business last month.

Opening weekend was June 27th-28th, and judging by the crowds at hand, this block of greenery looks like it’ll be a big hit for park-starved Westsiders (public spaces in this part of town tend to be far-flung affairs, with few amenities).

With unique topography and sweeping views of the Tualatin Valley, the long-awaited 230-acre park offers visitors 3 1/2 miles of gravel trails that wind through rare habitats, a nature house for educational programs and a dedicated play area for children. Cooper Mountain Nature Park will be operated through a partnership arranged between Metro and the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District.

This park is pretty state-of-the-art, too – at least the man-made part of it. The hardscapes and Nature House have been built using sustainable and energy-saving features. This includes stuff like benches and bridges made from recycled plastic lumber, rooftop solar panels that’ll provide some of Cooper Mountain’s energy, and recycled latex paint. The site also showcases Metro’s newest demonstration garden, featuring native and drought-tolerant plants and natural gardening techniques.

Cooper Mountain has also scheduled a full slate of summer programs and activities for the next few months. Things like summer camps, bird walks, story times and wildlife photography workshops will be part of the park’s inaugural summer season.

 Register for events by calling Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District: 503-629-6350 or visiting www.thprd.org/parks/coopermountain.cfm

The park is open daily, dawn until dusk.                                        

Cooper Mountain Nature Park
18892 SW Kemmer Rd., Beaverton, OR                                    

From Hwy. 26 (west), take exit 69A for Hwy. 217 (toward Beaverton). Take the Scholls Ferry Road exit. Turn right on Murray Boulevard. Turn left onto Weir Road; right on SW 170th, left on Kemmer Road.