Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge - Amenities

Amenities

Within the refuge only 450 acres (180 ha) of the Atfalat'i Unit is open to the public. This section includes the visitor’s center with the Wildlife Center and refuge headquarters. The Wildlife Center includes classrooms, a student lab, a gift shop, and informational displays, and is next to a grove of oak trees estimated to be 350 years old. Inside the center are murals, dioramas, and hands-on exhibits, plus the classroom contains skins and skulls of wildlife that live in the refuge. From inside the center, visitors can view the scenery using a viewing scope through a large window overlooking the pond.

The 6,300-square-foot (590 m2) Wildlife Center was designed to give basic information and encourage visitors to then explore the wildlife in their natural habitats. The building is sienna in color and was built with a flat roof that has gravel on top to provide nesting habitat for birds, one of the features designed to be environmentally friendly. Built at a cost of $4.6 million, the Wildlife Center also has a large arced skylight and atrium in the center to provide lots of natural light. Builders used local wood in the Wildlife Center, which has large, exposed beams. The center and headquarters are adjacent to each other off Oregon Route 99W on a knoll above a seasonal pond.

Original plans called for a $5 million dollar headquarters and wildlife visitor’s center. Refuge headquarters were previously in old farm buildings to the west on Roy Rogers Road. The new building was awarded honorable mention by the Department of the Interior in its 2008 Environmental Achievement Awards. It was designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards at the silver level, but did not receive certification from the United States Green Building Council. The administration building and visitor structures were constructed by Wade Perrow Construction.

A variety of people-oriented amenities are spread outdoors across the part of the refuge open to the public. One feature is an outdoor deck overhanging an embank that overlooks ponds at the refuge. This 50-foot (15 m) long concrete deck is of a cantilevered design that extends 30 feet (9.1 m) over the embankment. Other amenities include footbridges, education sites, and walking trails. There are nearly five miles (8.0 km) of trails, but they are closed in the fall and winter. Centennial and River are two of the viewing areas along the trails, each offering a place to view wildlife. Photographers have access to blinds which allow them to take pictures without disturbing the wildlife.