Each fall 22,000 dusky Canada geese fly from Alaska’s Copper River delta to winter in the Willamette Valley. This refuge west of Salem welcomes them with diked ponds and unharvested fields of corn, rye grass, and wheat. Not surprisingly, the area has become a hit with other bird species, too. A short loop hike here visits a viewpoint and an oak forest. A longer loop to Morgan Lake is open May through September. Pets and flower picking are banned. From Salem, take Highway . . .

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes : Oregon Coast