The northern part of Willamette Park was formerly the site of the
Portland Shipbuilding Company, which the City of Portland purchased in 1969 in order to expand the park. Bordering the
Willamette River, Willamette Park offers views of
Ross Island and its companions, Hardtack, East, and Toe.
Oaks Amusement Park and, further south, Sellwood Riverfront Park, are along the east bank, opposite Willamette Park.
Purple martins nest in white
gourds attached to a pole near the boat ramp. The gourds, which other birds do not like, protect a small number of martins from losing their homes to
sparrows and
starlings. Other birds seen at the park include
gulls,
sandpipers,
cormorants,
kingfishers, and
swallows.
Beavers frequent the area. A plaque at the south end of the park honors an
Oregon white oak, "one of the largest" along the Greenway. As part of the South Portland Riverbanks Projects, the city began removing non-native plants from the south end of Willamette Park in 2006. Volunteers organized by Friends of Trees subsequently replaced them with 250 native trees and shrubs. ==References==