Periwinkle Creek winds through the the back end of Bowman Park. (Photo 3/8/2025)
If you could follow Periwinkle Creek from south Albany all the way to its mouth, you would end up in Bowman Park on the Willamette River. But you can’t.
If memory serves, it was a group of college kids at Oregon State who had the idea of creating a public path along the length of the creek in the 1970s.
They pitched their idea to city officials and others, and part of their vision became reality when Albany and the Oregon Highway Department built the Periwinkle Bikepath in 1977.
The path ends at Ninth Avenue. Between there and the river, the creek flows under major streets and rail lines, not to mention through lots of private property.
The era of carrying out visionary but expensive public projects is long past. But years ago, somebody may have thought of pursuing the idea of continuing the public path to the river. Why else would the City of Albany own two unconnected tax lots in the creek’s channel south of Water Avenue?
I was thinking of this Saturday when, for the first time in years, the bike took me close to where Periwinkle Creek makes two or three big turns and then flows into the Willamette.
This is at the back end of Bowman Park, upstream of the parking lot and picnic shelter.
The west end of Bowman Park is worth a visit, as I rediscovered on this mild day in late winter. This end of the park is not developed and mostly retains the natural wildness of the Willamette floodplain.
Go take a look if you get the chance. (hh)
From this bridge you can look down the creek and back toward the developed part of the park.
There’s a sign telling you that the walking trail comes to a dead end.
I graduated high school in ’77, and quickly moved to the newly developed Park apartments because of the walkways behind them… so inviting, and lovely to walk along the canal.
It’s kind of sad they have don’t feel as safe, or maintained, but love the memories of being there!
I sure wish we had more little paths for walking or biking while preserving some of our beautiful wilderness, like Periwinkle Creek bike path.
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It would be great to have one along the Santiam-Albany canal that runs from east to west by Mennonite Village ending at Lochner Rd SE.
There was a cute wilderness trail on the south side of the canal along the railroad tracks but it’s been leveled
I think that having these paths & trails keeps the city from taking over completely. While leaving a little bit of wilderness adventure in our neighborhoods.
Enjoyed the article….