Nadaka Nature Park

A 10-acre patch of forested land in Gresham, a city just east of Portland, nurtured a love of nature among residents long before it became Nadaka Nature Park.

Beginning in 1956, it hosted the Nadaka Camp Fire Girls Day Camp, where kids had a chance to play and explore nature. Forty years later, the camp closed, and the land was acquired by the City of Gresham.

Though accessible to the public from a gate on the property’s north side, access to the forest from Glisan Street and the Rockwood neighborhood to the south was blocked by 1.8 acres of private land. Most residents who walked past this stretch of land on Glisan Street saw a vacant lot. Dedicated community leader Lee Dayfield, on the other hand, envisioned a vibrant gateway to the forest complete with a nature-based play area, community gardens, walking paths, and a gathering place for families and school students.

Dayfield built a coalition of public and private partners and spurred a community drive to turn her vision into reality.

In 2009, TPL and partners helped purchase and convey this key 1.8-acre property to the City of Gresham, expanding access to the park for thousands more nearby residents, including the community of Rockwood.

Today, the southern entrance has become the main entrance to the park, welcoming visitors with a 50-plot community garden, a half-mile loop trail, a covered picnic area, and a nature-based play area that features climbable wooden play structures. Dayfield’s vision and the combined efforts of TPL and partners have helped expand access to this special community green space.