Portland and Willamette Valley Hikes
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
Contents |
City of Portland
Hike | Difficulty | Distance | Elevation Change | Notes |
Forest Park | |||||
Dogwood-Wild Cherry Loop Hike | Easy | 2.6 | 880 | Hike down and then up on thickly wooded trails in Forest Park | |
Tolinda-Ridge Trail Loop Hike | Moderate | 5.9 | 1685 | Loop in central Forest Park using some less frequented trails | |
Linnton Loop Hike | Moderate | 5.2 | 930 | Loop hike from Highway 30 into the heart of Forest Park | |
BPA Road-Newton Road Loop Hike | Moderate | 8.1 | 2600 | Varied loop hike with spurs at the north end of Forest Park | |
Firelane 15 Hike | Moderate | 4.0 | 800 | Quiet loop hike on the northwest edge of Forest Park |
West Hills | |||||
Audubon Sanctuaries Loop Hike | Easy | 3.0 | 740 | Two short loops and an optional diversion to the Willamette Stone | |
Pittock Mansion Hike | Moderate | 5.0 | 900 | Hike up a forested creek bed to a stately mansion | |
Hoyt Arboretum Loop Hike | Easy | 4.7 | 425 | Explore a network of trails to view 1,100 species of trees | |
Washington Park Loop Hike | Easy | 3.9 | 585 | Hike to several of Portland's most notable attractions | |
Council Crest Hike | Moderate | 3.3 | 820 | Climb to a summit with great views, just minutes from downtown | |
Marquam Trail to Council Crest Hike | Moderate | 6.4 | 1100 | An excellent hike on a section of the 40-Mile Loop | |
Marquam Nature Park Loop Hike | Easy | 4.1 | 400 | Loop using Marquam Gulch in a pocket of native forest |
Southwest Portland | |||||
Woods Park Loop Hike | Easy | 2.1 | 210 | A pocket of native forest in Southwest Portland | |
Marshall Park Hike | Easy | 1.4 | 80 | A walk along Tryon Creek that ends at the state park | |
Tryon Creek State Park Hike | Easy | 2.7 | 200 | A loop through the popular state park |
North/Northeast Portland | |||||
Kelley Point Loop Hike | Easy | 1.7 | 45 | Deciduous woodland and beaches at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers | |
Smith and Bybee Lakes Hike | Easy | 2.1 | 10 | Urban wetland with large numbers of waterbirds | |
Whitaker Ponds Loop Hike | Easy | 0.5 | 10 | Quiet nature park on a slough in the industrial northeast | |
Rocky Butte Hike | Easy | 3.2 | 480 | Hike below cliff faces to a park with expansive views |
Southeast Portland | |||||
Oaks Bottom Loop Hike | Easy | 2.3 | 125 | Walk around a wetland, enjoy a stunning mural, and look for a variety of birds | |
Crystal Springs-Reed Canyon Hike | Easy | 2.4 | 145 | Enjoy a botanical garden and walk around a small lake below gushing springs | |
Mount Tabor Hike | Easy | 2.0 | 400 | Explore a volcano in town |
Powell Butte | |||||
Mount Hood Trail Loop Hike | Easy | 2.0 | 340 | Climb through timber to the open summit meadow | |
Old Holgate Hike | Easy | 2.5 | 310 | Walk an long-forgotten road up a timbered ridge | |
Powell Butte Perimeter Loop Hike | Easy | 3.3 | 500 | The longest loop on Powell Butte | |
Powell Butte Summit Loop Hike | Easy | 2.0 | 220 | Dirt trails to the summit orchard | |
Powell Butte Universal Access Hike | Universal | 1.6 | 200 | Paved path to the summit orchard |
Sauvie Island
Hike | Difficulty | Distance | Elevation Change | Notes | |
Wapato Greenway Loop Hike | Easy | 2.2 | 40 | Birdwatching loop around a seasonal lake | |
Oak Island Loop Hike | Easy | 2.8 | 10 | Seasonal hike through meadows and oak woodland | |
Warrior Point Hike | Moderate | 7.0 | 0 | Flat forest and beach walk to the western tip of Sauvie Island |
Gresham Area
Hike | Difficulty | Distance | Elevation Change | Notes |
City of Gresham | |||||
Gresham-Fairview Trail Hike | Easy | 6.7 | 130 | A paved trail that leads past backyards, industrial lots, a creek and wetlands | |
Jenne Butte Hike | Easy | 3.3 | 690 | Hike and bushwhack around a forested cinder cone with two summits | |
Gresham Butte-Butler Creek Hike | Moderate | 7.0 | 935 | Visit two Boring volcanoes and then make a loop using a suburban greenway | |
Kelly Creek Loop Hike | Easy | 1.2 | 130 | Short loop through wetland and forest habitat near a restored suburban stream |
Fairview/Troutdale | |||||
Salish Ponds Hike | Easy | 2.8 | 30 | Loop around some restored ponds and then hike forested Fairview Creek | |
Blue Lake Park Loop Hike | Easy | 2.0 | 30 | On a quiet day, this is a pleasant loop in a popular park with a natural area on its west end | |
Sundial Beach Loop Hike | Easy | 3.6 | 40 | Walk a levee trail to a beach at the mouth of the Sandy River |
Oxbow Regional Park | |||||
Oxbow Loop Hike | Moderate | 7.9 | 600 | Explore the banks of the Sandy River, see a buried forest, and enjoy an old growth woodland | |
Alder Ridge Loop Hike | Easy | 2.6 | 380 | Switchback down to a ridge top meadow in Oxbow Regional Park | |
North Oxbow Hike | Moderate | 5.4 | 350 | Hike down from a high bluff to see the undeveloped side of Oxbow Park |
Clackamas County Suburbs
Hike | Difficulty | Distance | Elevation Change | Notes |
Lake Oswego Area | |||||
George Rogers Park Hike | Easy | 3.4 | 150 | View a historic iron furnace, then a river beach, and afterwards stroll above the Willamette | |
Springbrook-Iron Mountain Loop Hike | Easy | 3.4 | 355 | Walk two forested parks and connect with Lake Oswego's iron mining history | |
Bryant Woods-Canal Acres Loop Hike | Easy | 1.7 | 40 | Double loop through natural areas near the historic Oswego Canal | |
Luscher Farm-Cooks Butte Loop Hike | Easy | 4.4 | 315 | Connect to a variety of semi-rural public spaces on trails and streets |
West Linn Area | |||||
Mary S. Young State Park Loop Hike | Easy | 3.7 | 300 | Hike through mixed native forest and along the Willamette River shore | |
Burnside Park-Maddax Woods Hike | Easy | 1.1 | 115 | Short walk along a forested stretch of the Willamette River | |
Palomino Loop Hike | Easy | 1.9 | 495 | Walk on narrow trails down Trillium Creek under old growth trees and loop back past a viewpoint | |
Wilderness Park Loop Hike | Easy | 0.8 | 205 | Parcel of native forest on a hillside; connects to Camassia | |
Camassia Natural Area Loop Hike | Easy | 1.4 | 160 | Pleasant loop through flower meadows | |
Fields Bridge Hike | Easy | 1.5 | 195 | Tualatin River walk including glacial erratics and the story of the Willamette Meteorite |
Clackamas/Milwaukie Area | |||||
Elk Rock Island Hike | Easy | 1.3 | 130 | Rock hop a Willamette River channel to an ancient volcano | |
Mount Talbert Summit Loop Hike | Easy | 1.9 | 490 | Loop to the summit of Mt Talbert | |
Mount Talbert West Loop Hike | Easy | 1.9 | 410 | Forested loop | |
Mount Talbert from Sunnyside Road Hike | Easy | 2.6 | 450 | Climb Mt Talbert from the backside |
Washington County
Hike | Difficulty | Distance | Elevation Change | Notes |
Beaverton Area | |||||
Fanno Creek Beaverton Hike | Easy | 8.5 | 125 | There are many short walking options and trailheads on this suburban greenway | |
Commonwealth Lake Loop Hike | Easy | 1.7 | 75 | Walk around a suburban lake with congregations of waterfowl in the winter | |
Tualatin Hills Nature Park Loop Hike | Easy | 4.3 | 85 | Take advantage of the many trails in this mixed woodland |
Hillsboro Area | |||||
Rock Creek Greenway Hike | Moderate | 8.1 | 560 | Paved trail through hilly terrain under powerlines and past wetlands | |
Rock Creek-Orchard Park Hike | Easy | 5.0 | 50 | Paved trail along Rock Creek with wetlands and riparian vegetation | |
Noble Woods Loop Hike | Easy | 1.2 | 65 | Loop hike through lush woodland on Rock Creek | |
Rood Bridge Loop Hike | Easy | 2.6 | 80 | Short loops at the confluence of Rock Creek and the Tualatin River | |
Jackson Bottom Loop Hike | Easy | 2.9 | 35 | Great birdwatching stroll on the Tualatin River floodplain |
Tigard Area | |||||
Fanno Creek Tigard Hike | Easy | 8.0 | 40 | This is the southern half of the existing Fanno Creek Greenway | |
Cook and Durham City Parks Hike | Easy | 5.7 | 180 | Walk in natural areas along the Tualatin River and Fanno Creek | |
Summerlake Park Loop Hike | Easy | 1.0 | 20 | Loop around a wetland in suburban Tigard | |
Cooper Mountain Loop Hike | Easy | 2.9 | 300 | This park protects vanishing oak savannah in an area of increasing suburban development |
Tualatin/Sherwood Area | |||||
Tualatin Refuge Nature Trail Hike | Easy | 2.0 | 55 | All season nature trail in the Tualatin River floodplain | |
Chicken Creek Loop Hike | Easy | 2.8 | 30 | Late spring/summer access to riparian habitat in the Tualatin River NWR | |
Browns Ferry Hike | Easy | 2.1 | 25 | Late fall through early spring birdwatching walk on the Tualatin River |
Willamette Valley Area
Hike | Difficulty | Distance | Elevation Change | Notes |
Marion County | |||||
Champoeg Loop Hike | Easy | 3.4 | 120 | Hike Oregon's early settler history along the Willamette | |
Champoeg to Butteville Hike | Easy | 5.8 | 300 | Walk through lush forest to a historic store | |
Willamette Mission Loop Hike | Easy | 2.6 | 20 | Explore a historic mission site, oxbow lakes, and riparian woods; longer loop possible | |
Salem Riverfront Hike | Easy | 4.1 | 45 | Use a converted railroad bridge to connect to Salem's Riverfront and Wallace Marine Parks | |
Minto-Brown Island Loop Hike | Easy | 9.3 | 45 | Enjoy a network of trails in this large park on the Willamette Floodplain | |
Rail Trail Loop Hike | Easy | 3.9 | 10 | Hike boardwalks, dikes, and woodland in Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge |
Polk County | |||||
Morgan Lake Loop Hike | Easy | 2.5 | 40 | Seasonal wildlife refuge hike around marshes and open fields | |
Baskett Slough Hike | Easy | 1.0 | 100 | Gentle, bird viewing hike | |
Luckiamute Landing Hike | Easy | 4.0 | 50 | Hike in forest and past open fields to a campsite on the Willamette |
Benton County | |||||
Luckiamute Wetland Hike | Easy | 1.1 | 45 | See large oaks and basking turtles in this valley state park | |
Woodpecker Loop Hike | Easy | 1.2 | 105 | Loop hike on forested hill in the William Finley Wildlife Refuge | |
Mill Hill Loop Hike | Easy | 2.8 | 110 | Hike to a secluded creek with wildflowers in the spring | |
Finley Refuge Loop Hike | Moderate | 8.4 | 455 | After April 1st, walk around forest, meadows, marshes, and historic farm buildings | |
Pigeon Butte Loop Hike | Easy | 6.4 | 355 | Seasonal loop around wetlands, open fields, and oak woods |
Linn County | |||||
Horse Rock Ridge Hike | Easy | 3.2 | 660 | Steep open meadows on BLM land northeast of Eugene |