Looking downstream on the riverside Simpson Park Trail on Nov. 15, 2025.
This gloomy November may not be the best time to visit Albany’s Simpson Park Trail. But I went there on the bike a weekend ago on what was still a nice fall day.
The unpaved trail runs for a little more than a mile along the south bank of the Willamette River from the parking lot that serves Simpson Park and the Talking Water Gardens.
Low spots in the trail have turned to mud since the start of the rainy season. But you can sometimes skirt the boggy parts along the edges.
The woods along the trail are dotted with illegal encampments that have given Simpson Park a sketchy reputation. According to estimates by the Albany Fire Department, upwards of 200 people live in those woods.
But when I rode out there on the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 15, I encountered no problems. The three of four people I saw appeared to be just walking to or from their camps. One was carrying small propane bottles.
At the start of the trail, near the parking lot, there’s a “boater access” point on First Lake. This time of year the surface of the lake is free of algae, and it looks like an interesting place for paddle craft. I saw one guy out on the water in a canoe.
The access point is not exactly convenient. There’s no ramp, and you’d have to carry your craft a little ways because the dirt road from the parking lot is blocked with a gate.
Homeless campsites notwithstanding, the Simpson Park Trail makes for a scenic excursion into the wilds of nature close to town. But you might want to wait to visit until there have been several days without rain. (hh)
A tent is barely visible in the brush off the Simpson Park Trail.
It’s hard to make out, but the sign says people staying in the park overnight may be charged with “criminal trespass.”
This is where you can access First Lake, off the Simpson Park Trail, if you can get your boat there.
Someone was paddling on First Lake when I happened by on Nov. 15.
Surely you are not encouraging people of all types (male, female, LGBTQ+, young and old) to wander in a park full of homeless camps. Things have changed since you were young, Hasso. It’s not safe for a lot of us to just go wherever we fancy.
Sounds to me like he’s just reporting his findings. And if it’s that unsafe, then the city needs to clean it out like Linn County did at highways 34/20 near Corvallis.
It was a long time ago, when I still lived in Corvallis, city of Albany asked me to remove cats from the Simpson park area after they got it from Millersburg, something like that. It was not easy. The homeless had been evicted from the area and most had to leave their cats behind when that happened. In the end, I asked for help from them, since it was hard for me to accomplish it alone, carrying traps in and cats out, sometimes climbing over trains to do it. So a couple of the homeless guys helped me. I suppose there are more cats back in there now. I have not been back since. I remember to get cats out of the far end, I tried to park at the gas station, to cross the tracks and walk in from there, but they thought I was homeless and refused. The bar said I could park there though, longer walk in and out, to bring out cats, but it got done.
Thanks for rescuing the cats.
Great pics and I really enjoy a trail update. My friend and I – both small women – have hiked that trail with no problems – thanks, Hasso – for the mud update!
Lovely pictures. Thank you.
It is a huge disappointment to see this area overrun with homeless camps. I used to walk here regularly and had to stop this summer. Garbage everywhere, loose/feral cats, people cutting trees and burning, LOTS of off-leash dogs, many of them unfriendly, and finally one morning I was threatened at gunpoint by a homeless man when his loose dog charged my leashed dogs. APD said there was nothing they can do about it, and not too long after that there was a string of fires out there that took the FD days to put out. So frustrating the City won’t do anything, because it’s otherwise a lovely area for a walk and I really miss going there.