Tualatin Heart Hunt
- Kati Cooke
- Feb 12
- 3 min read
Every February, the city of Tualatin hides hand-blown glass hearts around local nature parks and trails. The tradition started in 2021, as a way to get people outside during the height of lockdown. 2026 is now the 6th year of heart-hunting, and it's become so popular that the city went from hiding only 175 hearts, to 500 this year!
Where should I look?
The city has shared an extensive list of locations where their employees are stealthily hiding hearts throughout February:
Atfalati Park
Brown’s Ferry Park
Ibach Park
Jurgens Park
Little Woodrose Natural Area
Lafky Park
Las Casitas Park
Commons Park
Community Park
the Lake of the Commons
Sweek Pond Natural Area
Chieftain Dakota Greenway
Hedges Creek Greenway
Hi-West Greenway
Ice Age Tonquin Trail
Saum Creek Greenway
Shaniko Greenway
Tualatin River Greenway Trail
That's 18 different parks and trails to check out! My husband grew up in Tualatin, and I've lived in the area for several years now, and so many of these are new discoveries for us. As fun as it is to find a treasure, the best part of the Heart Hunt is exploring new places.
I have been to about 13 of the above parks so far in my hunt, and I've found 3 hearts so far. Two were hidden very close to each other at the Hi-West Greenway: one in a tree hollow, and one nestled among tree roots. The third was hidden in the playground at Las Casitas park. I spoke with a woman who found one on the basketball court at Lafky Park, so you really should check everywhere!
You can find a map of all Tualatin parks here.
When should I look?
The city hides a new round of hearts every week in February, on random days and times, so that everyone has a chance to find one. During my heart-hunting walks, I've run into countless other families out looking. Weekends are the busiest, so I'd recommend sticking to weekdays if you want to maximize your chances of finding one.
I've tried looking during rainstorms, after sunset, and during the workday. Every time, I run into other people searching, so it seems we all had the same idea. The increasing popularity of the event just adds to the fun, in my opinion. There are 500 hearts hidden this year, and people are encouraged to re-hide them, so there's no competitive pressure.
Tualatin Heart Hunting Tips
The glass hearts are about palm sized, and come in a variety of different colors. This makes it even more challenging, as a green heart in the grass, an orange heart in a pile of fallen leaves, or a black heart in a tree hollow are all very difficult to find.
The city has clarified that you will not have to climb or dig for any of the hearts. They will also be hidden at ground level, or a child's eye level. I would imagine the city is not looking for a lawsuit, so I don't think you'll find any hearts next to the Tualatin River, in piles of litter, next to blackberry or poison oak bushes, or next to a busy road.
I would recommend visiting the less-traveled parks first. Jurgens, Browns Ferry, the Lake, and Tualatin Community Park will be packed. Try a smaller park or a greenway, during a rainy day, and you might have better luck. Of course, the spirit of the event is just to get outside and enjoy nature! So wherever you end up, just remember that having fun is priority number one, and finding a heart is just a bonus.
I've personally found hearts in tree hollows, at the base of trees, and in a nook of a play structure. I've heard of others finding them in between branches, at the base of signs, or on basketball courts.
If you find one, be sure to tag #ShareTheLoveTualatin on social media! You can either keep the heart, or re-hide it for someone else to find. I'll be re-hiding some before the weekend so that kiddos can find them on Valentine's Day this Saturday.
Happy heart hunting everyone!
Helpful Links
Check out these resources for your Tualatin Heart Hunt:
City of Tualatin website
Tim Jaquet, of Lefty's Glass, is the artist who handmade the hearts this year
Map of Tualatin Parks
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