Benton County Fairgrounds
Seasons
Checklists
Location
Coming west from I-5, If coming east from the coast on Hwys 20/34 it’s a north(left) turn onto SW 53rd Street. Go about a mile to the fairgrounds. If traveling west from I-5 the bridge into Corvallis turns into Harrison Street which continues west without any tricks to 53rd, a left turn again. For someone in Corvallis without unlimited access to auto transportation, an excellent bicycle path connects 35th St (the western edge of OSU) with the fairgrounds. If you have the time and no bicycle it’s a fine walk through undeveloped landscape. Coming into Corvallis on 99W from the north take Walnut Blvd west for several miles. It eventually bends south and forms a crossroads with 53rd and Harrison.
DirectionsHabitat and Birds
The main draw here is a reliable flock of Acorn Woodpeckers that have been very reliable for many years. The oak grove is on the north side of the fairgrounds, north of the main arena and there’s plenty of parking between the arena and the oak grove. You can usually get the woodpeckers right near this parking area. The west end of the oak grove is a public campground for RV-ers called Benton Oaks and the turn-off to this campground is probably the best one to use. They can also be seen at the oak grove across 53rd and occasionally on telephone poles at the intersection of 53rd and Harrison, also flying across over to the oaks north of Harrison.
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