Favorite Places in Oregon and Washington

This is a preliminary list of places to find dragonflies and damselflies in the Pacific Northwest. My personal experience is focused on northwest Oregon but I have also listed sites in Washington where good specimens have been found by others.

Oregon

Note that Cary Kerst's 2011 guidebook describes an excellent set of 30 sites all around Oregon.

Multnomah County

• Smith and Bybee Lakes. Access park from Marine Drive west of I5 north of Portland. One good spot is at end of the access road.
• Sauvies Island. Access from Route 30. Parking pass required. Many areas dry up in late summer, but a few small ponds persist.
• Oaks Bottoms. From the Oaks Amusement Park (near Sellwood Bridge) cross under the railroad tracks.

Washington County

• Hedges Creek Wetlands (Tualatin). Not the easiest place to get around but generally has a good representation of species common in the upper Willamette Valley.
• Cook Park (Tigard). Follow signs for King City from Carmen Drive exit off I5. Turn south of Durham Road after Tigard High School. There are several ponds bordering the sports fields.
• Nyburg Creek. Limited access behind Lazy Boy Furniture off Nyburg Road. Also check out Brown's Ferry Park.
• Jackson Bottoms. Ponds behind the wetlands education center. Tends to dry up in late summer.

Clackamas County

• Enid Lake.A small mountain lake accessed by a short hike from the Glacier View Sno Park near Government Camp.
• Spinner Lake, Boulder Lake, and Little Boulder Lake.. Small mountain lakes south of Mt Hood, near Bonnie Butte.

Lane County

• West Eugene Wetlands.. Get a city map to find many good locations. Take 1st or Steward off Bertleson to access several very productive ponds. A popular haunt of the authors of Dragonflies of the Willamette Valley.
• Mt Pisguah.. Exit I5 at 30th Avenue and head east. Parking pass required. Check the side channels for river species like River Jewelwing and American Rubyspot as well as pond species around the wetlands.

Klamath County

• Klamath NWR (Klamath Falls). A popular spring birding area with extensive wetlands throughout the area. Birding guides will direct you to many productive wetland sites.
• Williamson River. Access from Collier Rest Stop and campground. Also good spot for birds and butterflies.

Gilliam County

• John Day River. Burres State Park has a trail along the river and old river channels that have become wetlands.

Malheur and Harney County

• Malheur NWR (Burns). A popular spring birding area with extensive wetlands. Birding guides are useful to help find suitable wetlands.
• Alvord Hot Springs.
• Mickey Springs.
• Owhyee River (Rome). One access point is the BLM boat launch at Rome before the river drops into the Owhyee canyon again.

Washington

Clark County

• Lacamas Lake.

Cowlitz County

• McBride Lake.
• Kress Lake.

Douglas County

• Jameson Lake.
• Grimes Lake.

Ferry County

• Mud Lake.
• Davis Lake.

Grant County

• Quincy Lakes.
• Frenchmen Springs.

King County

• Langendorfer Lake.
• Stossel Creek.

Kitsap County

• Square Lake.
• Wicks Lake.

Kittitas County

• Dry Creek.
• Swamp Lake.

Klickatat County

• Rock Creek.

Thurston County

• McLane Creek.
• Black River.

Whatcom County

• Squalicum Lake.
• Silver Lake.

Yakima County

• Toppensish NWR. Walk the trail near the refuge headquarters where US97 approaches the town of Toppenish. But be sure to take precautions to avoid ticks and check for them afterwards.
• Wenas Lake.