FOOTPATHS

Forest Park:
70 Miles of Trails in Portland's Backyard

By Stephen Hatfield, Photos by David Bostock

Residents of Portland, OR, are blessed with excellent access to a number of very popular hiking destinations. However, relatively few residents realize that more than 70 miles of readily accessible trails can be found within a single city park located just a few miles from downtown. Situated entirely within the city limits, Forest Park stretches for 7.5 miles along the northeast slope of the Tualatin Mountains, encompassing 5,156 acres of largely native forest. An excursion in Forest Park provides one with the distinct sense of having left the city behind in a matter of minutes — a rarity in urban dwelling, and one of the many keys to Portland’s vaunted quality of life.

The rich history of Forest Park predates that of the city itself. On his expedition to the region with Meriwether Lewis in 1806, William Clark took a brief side trip up the Willamette River. During the visit, Clark made note of the steep terrain, abundant wildlife, and massive trees found along the forested hills rising to the west of the river. The parcel of land now known as Forest Park was formally dedicated in September of 1948. This culminated decades of advocacy following a 1903 visit from John C. Olmsted, who made a strong recommendation that the City of Portland turn these forested hills into a park: “No use to which the land could be put would begin to be as sensible or as profitable to the city as that of making it a public park...” In 1982, local author and biologist Marcy Houle completed an ecological survey of Forest Park. Remarkably, the assemblage of species that she identified is very similar to that noted by Clark in 1806. Today, despite increasing encroachment from non-native species, Forest Park continues to provides habitat for over 60 mammals and more than 100 species of birds.

Forest Park’s expansive acreage is filled with dozens of trails to entice the hardy hiker or trail runner. At 30.2 miles in length, the Wildwood Trail is a formally recognized National Recreation Trail stretching from the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington Park to its terminus at Newberry Road. Along the way, the trail passes dozens of junctions with shorter arterial trails and fire lanes. Each of these trails — the Wild Cherry, Dogwood, Alder and Maple, to name a few — are worthy destinations in their own right. The 11.2 mile Leif Erikson Drive, a gravel road open to both pedestrians and cyclists, parallels the Wildwood Trail in the central portion of the park. There are numerous connector trails linking these two popular routes, creating endless possibilities for longer loop hikes and trail runs.

Forest Park provides a similar hiking experience to a number of popular areas that are much further afield — yet the vast majority of its trails remain relatively uncrowded. If you have not had the opportunity to explore Forest Park in detail, find yourself a good map and get out there. In the meantime, the following route is an enjoyable loop hike of moderate difficulty in the remote northern half of Forest Park.

Firelane 7/Trillium/Wildwood/Springville Road loop hike (4.65 miles)
Begin at the upper Springville Road trailhead, accessed via NW Skyline Boulevard. Park in the obvious pullout on your left. Hike around the gate to enter the park, and keep to the right on Firelane 7 (Springville Road immediately drops off to your left). As you reach the bottom of a short hill, note the junction with the Hardesty Trail on your left. Continue straight and soon look for a junction on the right side for the Trillium Trail. Take this right turn and begin a rather steep quarter of a mile descent to the Wildwood Trail. In the spring, this precipitous slope is appropriately covered with blooms of western trillium (Trillium ovatum).

The Trillium Trail drops you out onto the Wildwood Trail along a branch of Doane Creek. Be sure to turn to the left here. The Wildwood gradually contours along a broad south-facing ridge. As you hike, look for a number of mature Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii) trees in the vicinity, particularly on exposed south facing aspects. These beautiful broadleaf evergreen trees are members of the heath family (Ericaceae). They have a rich orange-red bark that gradually peels away, revealing a unique pistachio color on the smooth wood underneath. In the spring, these trees bear sprays of bell-like flowers that are browsed by deer and pollinated by bees. Madrone trees also produce bright red berries in the autumn, which serve as a food source for a number of mammal and bird species. Branches and tree cavities serve as ideal nest sites for a wide array of bird species.

As you round a bend and come upon a junction with the Oil Line Road, you will leave the madrones behind. From this point, continue your traverse north along the Wildwood for roughly three miles. The trail winds in and out of a number of steep canyons, passing a number of trail junctions. There are a number of Douglas firs of impressive size in this section. Continue on the Wildwood until you reach the junction with Springville Road. To complete the hike, climb back up Springville Road to the junction with the Wildwood. From this spot turn left and climb up Springville Road .33 miles to Firelane 7. Turn right and you should now be back within view of the parking lot.

Conservancy Mission
The mission of the Forest Park Conservancy is to protect and enhance Forest Park as an irreplaceable natural resource for wildlife habitat and for the use and enjoyment of the public. The Conservancy works in close partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation. For more information on Forest Park visit www.forestparkconservancy.org.

Stephen Hatfield is the Forest Park Conservancy’s stewardship director. A longtime educator, naturalist, and backcountry guide, he lives in North Portland, OR, with his wife and two young daughters.