Tryon Creek Inner Loop Hike

Tryon Creek from the Red Fox Bridge after a winter snowstorm (bobcat)

Old sign at the Cedar Trail, Tryon Creek State Park (bobcat)

Cedar stump on the Middle Creek Trail, Tryon Creek State Park (bobcat)

Shaggy parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes), Middle Creek Trail (Drew Stock)

A feeder creek along the Cedar Trail (Martell)

The loop on both sides of Tryon Creek traced in red (bobcat) Courtesy: Oregon State Parks

Start point: Tryon Creek Trailhead
End point: Tryon Creek High Bridge
Hike type: Loop
Distance: 2.1 miles
Elevation gain: 320 feet
High point: 265 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Seasons: All year
Family Friendly: Yes
Backpackable: No
Crowded: Yes

The easiest way to see Tryon Creek State Park is to grab a map at the Nature Center, which is located at the main trailhead, and explore on your own schedule, heading back to the trailhead when you are ready. There isn't really anything other than the creek itself that is a "must-see", so any hike you do, you won't have to walk away feeling like you missed something. However, the route described below keeps you inside of the park, but on both sides of the creek, to offer a good quick foray any time of the year. If you are planning to hike here in the wet season, you may want to strongly consider bringing shoes that you don't mind getting muddy and possibly a clean change for the car. The park has special trails for bicyclists and horses, and is also popular with joggers, but this route keeps you on trails for hikers only.

The park is named after Socrates Tryon, Jr., who owned these 645 acres in the mid-19th century and then sold out to the Oregon Iron Company in 1874. The forests here were heavily logged by Lake Oswego's iron industry for charcoal production.

Go left at the Nature Center, and then keep right at the junction with the Ruth Pennington Trillium Trail to continue on the very wide path of the Old Main Trail through the lush woods of hemlock, maple, and Douglas-fir. At the junction with the Red Fox Trail, turn left and make four switchbacks down to cross the Red Fox Bridge over Tryon Creek; then head up to the junction with the South Creek Trail. There are views of the alder and maple-shaded creek down to the left and right. Stay right on the Red Fox Trail, and wind up to the junction with the Cedar Trail, marked by an old sign.

Make a left on the Cedar Trail, a more natural hiking trail that follows a ridge and then contours above Tryon Creek. The trail levels on a bluff and then drops into a gully and crosses a footbridge. Then the path rises on steps and passes a large stump before heading through a salmonberry thicket. Pacific waterleaf carpets the forest floor here. The tread rises to the junction with the Hemlock Trail, where you bear right to keep on the Cedar Trail. Down to the right is a seasonal pool dominated by a large cottonwood. The trail drops to Bunk Bridge, which crosses Park Creek. Then it traverses up and makes a level traverse under cedars and maples. A spur leads left to a hollow cedar log. Keep straight to cross the West Horse Trail, and descend the wooded slope to cross the West Horse Loop again and join the Middle Creek Trail in a bottomland of cedar and alder. The Beaver Bridge is to your right, but keep left to hike along Tryon Creek and arrive at the High Bridge.

Several trails meet on both sides of the bridge. Look for crawdads in the creek as you cross the High Bridge. Stay on the Middle Creek Trail to the right, and ascend the bluff above the creek. Soon you'll reach a junction, where you should stay left on the Maple Ridge Trail. This trail passes a connector to the North Horse Loop and swings right to pass above the Glenn Jackson Shelter, which offers views over the leafy mixed forest of this urban state park. The path becomes paved before it reaches the Nature Center.

Fees, Regulations, etc.

Dogs on leash
Bicycles on paved trails only
Open dawn to dusk
Nature Center open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily
Picnic area near Nature Center
Brochures available at various trailheads, bridges, and junctions.

Guidebooks that cover this hike

Note that each of the guidebooks below offers a somewhat different itinerary around the state park:

A Forest in the City: Your Guide to Tryon Creek State Park by Friends of Tryon Creek
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland by Paul Gerald
Take a Hike: Portland by Barbara I. Bond
100 Hikes: Northwest Oregon by William L. Sullivan
Discovering Portland Parks by Owen Wozniak
Oregon Hiking by Matt Wastradowski
Pacific Northwest Hiking by Craig Hill & Matt Wastradowski
Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
Best Hikes with Children: Western & Central Oregon by Bonnie Henderson
Portland Hikes by Art Bernstein & Andrew Jackman
50 Hiking Trails: Portland & Northwest Oregon by Rob & Roberta Lowe
Best Easy Day Hikes: Portland, Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
Peaceful Places: Portland by Paul Gerald
Nature Walks In and Around Portland by Karen & Terry Whitehill
Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
Best Trail Runs: Portland, Oregon by Adam W. Chase, Nancy Hobbs, and Yassine Dibboun
Off-Street Paved Bike Paths in Oregon by Rick Branson
Oregon State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide by Jan Bannan
Best Hikes With Dogs: Oregon by Ellen Morris Bishop
The Dog Lover's Companion to Oregon by Val Mallinson
Canine Oregon by Lizann Dunegan

Contributors

Martell (creator)

Tryon Creek Inner Loop Hike

Tryon Creek Inner Loop Hike

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide

Contents

Hike Description

Fees, Regulations, etc.

Maps

Trip Reports

Related Discussions / Q&A

Guidebooks that cover this hike

More Links

Contributors