History Wander, Camp Polk Meadow Preserve

Join the Deschutes Land Trust and Martha Lussenhop for a history wander at Camp Polk Meadow Preserve and the nearby Camp Polk Cemetery. Camp Polk Meadow Preserve has a long history as a crossroads for Native Americans, explorers, soldiers, and settlers. Today it is known as a local nature preserve that is home to a variety of plant and wildlife species, with portions being restored for wildlife and native plants. Learn more about what brought Indigenous people to the meadow seasonally, and see evidence of settlers making a living there too. Then, we will walk up an adjacent knoll to the Camp Polk Cemetery. With both traditional and unconventional memorials, we’ll learn about some of the early settlers who were buried there.

Registration is required and opens 1 month prior to the event.

Hike Rating: This is an easy, 1-2 mile walk on a gravel trail and dirt roads.

Route: This hike will start at the Camp Polk Meadow Preserve kiosk, follow a gravel trail, and then go along a dirt road to the cemetery. Terrain will be uneven at times.

Elevation gain/loss: There is very little elevation gain/loss on this hike.

What to Bring: Snacks/lunch, water, closed toe shoes. Dress for the weather.