My kayaking adventure today took me to a place I’ve never been. I met my three favorite kayakers and we embarked on our journey.
First and Second Lakes, a long time ago, were log ponds for a former log mill, Simpson Timber Company. The Albany plant was built in 1941 and produced marine plywood and overlaid panels used in concrete forming, signs and other applications. They had to permanently close their Albany business in 1989. And so, the log ponds remain. FYI – the park where these ponds reside was named after the log mill, thus Simpson Park. If you’re not sure where it is, the park is located directly across from Talking Water Gardens.
If you look at the map showing their location, you will see that First and Second Lakes are connected.
There are also two other ponds, Third and Fourth Lake. Third Lake is not accessible by watercraft. Fourth Lake is supposed to be accessible from the Willamette River, but I heard there is a blockage preventing access.
If you’re planning a future visit here, there are a few things to consider.
- There is no “real” designated water entry point. Once you arrive at Simpson Park, you park in the gravel laid parking lot. Then, walk directly north across a beaten trail and down to the lake. You’re either going to need someone to help carry your kayak down, or you’ll need a kayak cart.
- These lakes are considered fresh water, but they aren’t. What I mean is the water is very murky. There’s no considerable water movement. We accessed a few spots that were fairly stinky. So, just remember, you’re going for the experience and to see what there is to offer. Go early in the year for the clearest water.
- Most importantly, there is a working mill nearby and it’s fairly loud. However, once we started kayaking, talking, etc. we didn’t even hear it.
Please don’t let any of these things keep you from visiting. I just wanted to be straight up honest about this location. Once we began our journey, it was absolutely beautiful!
One of the best things about this location is all of the wildlife. We saw a lot of Canadian Geese, Ducks, Osprey, and other birds of which I don’t know their breeds. It was so awesome. The wildlife was scattered throughout our journey. But for me, one of the best sightings we enjoyed were the turtles. There were a bunch of them. They were sitting atop the logs, sunbathing!
I also witnessed the beauty of two different birds in flight. It was so fun to just sit still and watch them. I’ve shared one of them below. (turn volume down because the mill is loud)
As we continued our journey heading north, we finally came to the water channel that when seen on a map, connects Second Lake to Fourth Lake. However, there was a large obstruction that prevented us from going any further. I think it can be dismantled fairly easily, but as one of my fellow kayakers commented, that would probably reduce the amount of water in First and Second Lakes.
One of the best parts about my recent (and today’s) kayaking adventures is the evidence of our upcoming Spring. I look around and I can see many of the plants beginning to bud with new growth. It’s so pretty. But, more importantly, winter is finally coming to an end!!!
This kayaking adventure was absolutely wonderful. We had great sunny weather, kayaking with my favorite kayakers…it just couldn’t get any better! Go visit!
2024 – Kayak Trip #8
