Checkermallow Access

Traveling west on Royal Avenue, Checkermallow Access is easy to pass on the right hand side of the road except for a large sign to mark the spot of this wetland access point. A one way loop with parallel parking is complete with one handicapped parking spot, one bus parking spot, and some bike racks. No restroom is available.

A pathway leads up to the walking/biking pathway. To the right there is a bridge over Amazon Creek and to the left the pathway winds through the wetlands. A couple of benches provide an excellent view of this side of the wetlands and a coin operated spotting scope is available if you forgot to bring your binoculars.

With plenty of water fowl, birds of prey, and wildflowers, there are endless things to discover and see in the wetlands. Two information boards provide visitors with information on what they might find and see in the wetlands and how the wetlands came to be. One of the boards describes how the Amazon Creek is fed by the storm water from the city and helps create the wetlands. It also points out that what we dump into our cities waste water system then goes into Amazon Creek and the wetlands.

Looking two the right, you can see Meadowlark Prairie overlook in the distance, along with the nesting platforms for the osprey and other large birds seeking a nesting spot. During the winter, the wetlands are flooded, providing the wetland marsh affect. During the summer the tall grass turns golden and the birds and wildlife is abundant.

Peaceful and quiet, this park was the perfect spot for an older couple sitting on a bench. Another person on a bike stopped on the bridge to watch a bird that was flitting under the bridge, singing its song and then standing on a rock next to the water to take a bath. Checkermallow Access reminds us that a piece of nature and wildlife is not so very far away and can easily be enjoyed close to home.

Written by Sharon Phillips for DiscoverEugene.com
Photos by Sharon Phillips