Paddle the Willamette River, May 29

For the second year running, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and Willamette Riverkeeper are teaming up to offer a free kayak and canoe paddle from Salem to Willamette Mission State Park on June 17, 2017, from 9:30 a.m. — 3:30 p.m. To register for the Willamette Greenway Celebration Paddle, visit http://bit.ly/greenwaypaddle. The event recognizes the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenway by the Oregon Legislature in 1967, an idea championed by Governors Bob Straub and Tom McCall. Today, the Greenway extends 255 miles from Cottage Grove to the Columbia River and is within easy reach for backyard recreation–including fishing, paddling and boating and wildlife watching–by more than 70 percent of Oregonians. State park rangers and Riverkeeper staff and volunteers will guide the journey, talking about river history and habitat projects. Participants may bring their own paddlecraft, or request to use a Riverkeeper canoe at no charge. Paddlers should dress for the weather and bring sunglasses, sunscreen, a good hat, water and a lunch. Launch is at 10 a.m. from the gravel bar at Wallace Marine Park in West Salem, and the total time out on the water should be around 4.5 hours, plus time off the river for paddlers to eat their own lunch. The trip will end near the Wheatland Ferry, and a shuttle will return participants and their boats to Wallace Marine Park. For information about the Willamette River Greenway, visit http://willamette-riverkeeper.org/willamette-river-greenway/.