Play in the Great Outdoors Make Portland your base for wild adventures, from easy day treks to year-round snow sports. RUNNING AND HIKING Hit the pavement or the trail and see why Portland has been called the best running city in the nation. For some inner-city mileage, check out the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade. At 1.5 miles long — with connections from the South Waterfront to Eastside neighborhoods — this is a great way to see a lot of the city in a short period of time. Start at Tom McCall Waterfront Park and head north to the Steel Bridge. Cross over the Willamette River and head south along the path. Cross the Hawthorne Bridge back over the river to your starting point (2.5 miles). For a wooded jaunt, head to Forest Park, the nation’s largest urban wilderness, to run on nearly 80 miles of trails and paths. Tackle one leg of the 30.2-mile Wildwood Trail from the Washington Park Trailhead (accessible by MAX) or the Lower Macleay Park Trailhead (see trail map on p. 39) — glimpsing as many as 175 different species of animals as you go. Mt. Tabor Park may get a larger share of foot action (try the Blue Trail loop for skyline views), but Powell Butte, the bigger volcano hike within the city, is the spot where in-the-know locals go for a quieter and wilder in-town trek complete with stunning views of Mt. Hood on a clear day. Farther out in Southeast Portland, it is one of four extinct volcanic cinder cones in Portland (including Mt. Tabor). Powell Butte’s 612-acre nature park rises to some 600 feet and offers miles of trails with plenty of scenic perks. Few cities blur the lines between urban and outdoors, wild and tame, and work and play quite like Portland does. Here you can peer through binoculars to spot native wildlife, hit trails in a sprawling conifer forest or skim the glassy surface of a river with your paddle — all without splitting town. You might have trouble discerning where Oregon’s pristine natural places begin and the verdant city ends. You’ll find a world of wonderful hikes within a short drive of the city center. The Columbia River Gorge, to the east, claims panoramic landscapes that look like the set of an epic fantasy film. On the Washington side of the gorge, Beacon Rock State Park has a short and moderate 848-foot climb up a basalt volcanic plug, which offers panoramic views. A strenuous 6.9-mile round-trip climb to Dog Mountain affords stunning views and a brunch-earning workout. For more than a century, some of the most popular postcards printed in Oregon have been adorned with a view of Mt. Hood reflected in a lake — typically Trillium Lake as well as the nearby Mirror Lake. Hike the relatively easy loop trails at either lake to snap a photo worthy of a landscape calendar. ROAD RIDING AND MOUNTAIN BIKING Portland was the first large U.S. city to be named a platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists — and for good reason. With more than 300 miles of on- and off-street bike paths, the nation’s highest percentage of bike commuters, and a deeply rooted two-wheel culture, Portland’s bike passion is unmistakable. You can’t miss the boxy, neon-orange BIKETOWN “smart bikes,” the city’s cuttingedge bicycle-share program, which makes pedal-powered exploring a cinch. It’s inexpensive and easy to use, and its expansive service network of 100 docking stations covers most everywhere you’ll want to go in town. Electric scooter sharing is also an easy way to zip from here to there without much fuss. They’re meant for riding in the street or bike lane, with a helmet. You’ll find scooters by companies including Bird and Lime almost everywhere downtown. Make sure to read the rules of the road before you go. For a longer ride, the Eastbank Esplanade links with the Springwater Corridor, which takes you more than 20 miles along the Willamette River. Pack a picnic and stop at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge or Sellwood Riverfront Park. Mountain bikers will find a wonderland of trails in Oregon. One of the closest areas is L.L. Stub Stewart State Park, which has miles of trails to tackle. Another easily accessible spot, the Sandy Ridge Trail System near the town of Sandy has 17 miles of singletrack in the foothills of the Cascade Range. WATER PLAY Paddle on the Willamette River through downtown Portland to Ross Island and the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. Birders will love spotting the variety of migratory birds and herons — even bald eagles and osprey — that call this area home. Bring your own paddling equipment, or visit Portland Kayak Company for guided tours or rentals. Up the river in Oregon City, eNRG Kayaking guides paddling tours of Willamette Falls, one of the only ways to get an up-close view of the second-largest waterfall by volume in the United States. Thrill seekers will find whitewater within EXPLORING 38 PortlandUncovered.com
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