Accessible Trails in Multnomah County Oregon

Portland is the seat of Multnomah County, which extends east of the city along the Columbia River.

Tyron Creek State Natural Area - Trillium Trail

Directions:

Tryon Creek State Natural Area is located between Portland’s metropolitan area and the city of Lake Oswego. From I-5, take the Terwilliger Blvd exit 297 and drive 2.3 miles south to the park entrance; The area is served by TriMet bus route No. 39. See Website for additional directions.

Features:

Tryon Creek State Natural Area is a 645-acre natural day-use area with 8 miles of hiking trails, 3.5 miles of horse trails and a 3-mile paved bicycle path.

It includes the barrier-free Trillium Trail. The .35 mile Trillium Trail has paved pathways, interpretive signage, drinking fountains, resting benches and viewing decks. Visit the Nature Center first and get a map/brochure. The Trillium Trail starts near the center.

The 3-mile paved Bike path parallels Terwilliger Boulevard on the east edge of the park, from Boones Ferry Road to State Street (Oregon Highway 43) in Lake Oswego. It is part of the Portland metropolitan area bikeway system 40-mile loop.

The wide trails at Tryon Creek are meticulously well-kept by volunteers. Although not designated as wheelchair accessible, those with power mobility devices may find some of these trails accessible with assistance. The Maple Ridge, Center and Big Fir trails, each about ½ mile, run along the ridgeline above the creek and thus have the least elevation change. Each loop connects to the Old Main Trail to create the trip of your choice. See the Tryon Creek Trail brochure for a map and descriptions.

Other:

Also see the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Website and Under the Sky blog.

George Rogers Park

Directions:

Take Hwy 43 (alias Macadam Ave, alias State St) to Lake Oswego, turn on Ladd, and turn right on Furnace to a footbridge.

Features:

A paved 0.8-mile barrier-free path along the Willamette River that starts at an historic iron smelter.

Other:

Here's a link to a video of the park. After the first 30 seconds showing other park facilities, the trail shots along the river are very nice.

Powell Butte Nature Park

Directions:

From Interstate 205 east of Portland, take exit 19 (Powell Boulevard). Follow Southeast Powell Boulevard about three miles east to 162nd Avenue. Turn right (south) and follow the road to the parking lot and the trailhead. No permits are required. Parking and access are free.

You can ride Tri-Met's #9 bus to the corner of Powel and 162nd.

Features:

Powell Butte Nature Park is an extinct volcano. On clear days, five mountains can be seen from the park including Mount St. Helens, Mount Hood, Mount Adams and Mount Jefferson. Expansive meadows are scattered with apple, pear and walnut trees. The park has over nine miles of well-maintained trails for mountain-biking, horseback riding, and hiking. Some paths are paved including a 0.6 mile ADA accessible trail. The Mountain View Trail climbs 0.6 mile to a broad, grassy summit with views, where the paved path ends.

The park is home to many birds of prey with its open meadows, groves of wild hawthorn trees and forested slopes of Western red cedar, and wetlands near Johnson Creek. Also at home here are raccoons, gray foxes, skunks, bats, squirrels, chipmunks, coyotes, and black-tail mule deer.

Other:

There are picnic tables, restrooms, and a parking lot.

Brochure at trailhead. Trails are closed to biking and horseback riding during December, January, and February. For more information: http://www.friendsofpowellbutte.org/

Springwater Corridor

Directions:

The Springwater Corridor is a 16-mile multi-use trail from Southeast Portland to Gresham. Join the trail from neighborhood streets or park at trailheads (Sellwood Riverfront Park, Southeast Johnson Creek Boulevard and 45th Avenue, Gresham Main City Park or Southeast Hogan Road). Other popular places to enter the Springwater Corridor are: Berkeley Place near SE 32nd & Tacoma, Johnson Creek Blvd near SE 45th & Harney, 92nd Avenue north of Flavel St., 122nd Avenue north of Foster Road, 136th Avenue north of Foster Road.

See the trail map showing parking, restrooms, and picnic areas.

Features:

The Springwater Corridor paved surface is generally 10-12 feet wide with soft shoulders designed to accommodate walkers, joggers, hikers, bicycles, wheelchairs, and strollers.

The route passes by residential and industrial neighborhoods, numerous parks, wetlands, buttes, agricultural fields and pastures on its way into the countryside east of Portland. The scenic trail generally follows the path of Johnson Creek, criss-crossing the stream on its course to the Willamette River. For the most part, the trail is well separated from the public road.

The Corridor connects several parks and open spaces including Tideman Johnson Nature Park, Beggars-tick Wildlife Refuge, the I-205 Bike Path, Leach Botanical Garden, Powell Butte Nature Park, and Gresham's Main City Park.

On a clear day, trail users heading east out of Portland have some magnificent views of Mt. Hood in the distance. Note: The trail heading east from Southeast 136th Avenue, just north of Foster Road, has a straight-on view of Mount Hood.

Other:

See 40-mile loop maps. Also see the Portland Parks and Recreation Website.

Springwater Corridor on the Willamette

Directions:

The 3-mile Springwater Cooridor segment (known as Springwater on the Willamette) runs on the east side of the Willamette River from SE Ivon to SE Umatilla Streets.

Directions to North Trailhead - Turn Right on SE Ivon to SE 4th Ave. Turn left on SE 4th Ave to the Trailhead. The path starts at SE 4th Ave. south of SE Division Place by the Ross Island Bridge (watch out for all the Ross Island cement trucks!)

Directions to Oaks Bottom - Parking lot of Sellwood Park off Southeast Malden and Seventh. Take Broadway Ave. S, follow signs to Ross Island Bridge (US 26 E). Pass under bridge; R onto Milwaukee Ave. Turn R on Spokane St., go 6 miles to Sellwood Park. Turn R into lot.

Features:

Springwater on the Willamette is a three-mile, multi-use paved path that parallels the active Union Pacific Railroad Company tracks in a north-south direction along the Willamette River from SE Ivon Street to SE Umatilla Street.

Starting from the north the trail follows the river south about 2 miles to Oaks Bottom. Continuing south from Oaks Bottom, the trail enters Oaks Park ( about .5 miles), passing under the Sellwood Bridge and ends at SE Umatilla Street.

The 163-acre Oaks Bottom park and wildlife refuge attracts a variety of waterfowl and raptors. A family of ospreys nest on a tower platform. You will see dozens of great blue herons as you pass through this area on the Springwater trail. They fly over daily from their rookery on nearby Ross Island. More than 400 species of birds nest, hunt or migrate throughout the refuge.

Eastbank Esplanade

Directions:

The Eastbank Esplanade is on the east side of the river in downtown Portland at SE Water Ave & SE Hawthorne Blvd

Public transportation - Take MAX light rail to the Rose Quarter (a sports and entertainment district located on the east bank of the river).

Features:

Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade runs for 1.5 miles on the east side of the Willamette River. The south end connects to the Springwater on the Willamette trail. The Esplanade extends north from the Hawthorne Bridge, past the Morrison and Burnside Bridges, to the Steel Bridge. Pedestrian crossings on the Steel and Hawthorne bridges link the Esplanade to the west side Tom McCall Waterfront Park, making a 3-mi loop. (Accessibility of ramps not known at this time.)

The Esplanade includes a 1,200 ft floating walkway, a boat dock, and public art. See Portland Parks and Recreation.

Other:

More photos of the Esplanade (actually a trip taking in both sides of the river beginning at the east side of the Sellwood Bridge, heading up to OMSI, then continuing up the east bank, crossing the Steel Bridge. Then heading down the west side to the Hawthorne Bridge.)

Click video to activate, then click the Play button to view a fast-moving U-Tube video of the Esplanade (sped-up with some slow-motion intercuts).

McCall Waterfront Park

Directions:

Located on the west side of the Willamette River on Naito Pkwy between SW Harrison St & NW Glisan St. 

Features:

Waterfront Park extends from the Marquam Bridge down to the Steel Bridge and crosses the river where you can continue the loop on the east side down to the Hawthorne Bridge.  North of the Steel Bridge, the trail continues past condos to the old River Queen parking lot half way between the Broadway and Fremont Bridges.

Waterfront Park is often the center of activity in Portland not only as a lunch break for the city's workers, but also as the site of festivals and parades.

The Grotto

Directions:

The main public entry to The Grotto, located on Sandy Boulevard (HWY 30) at Northeast 85th Avenue, is near the junction of the 1-205 and 1-84 freeways. Drive or take Tri-Met #12 out NE Sandy one block past 82nd.

Features:

A beautiful 62 acre Catholic Shrine and botanical garden. A 0.9-mile accessible path winds through the gardens with viewpoints. An elevator accesses an upper loop, but has a fee.

Marine Drive Trail

Directions:

Exit #307 on I-5 and head east for 2.5 miles on Marine Drive. Park on the gravel road just west of 33rd Drive off of Marine Drive.

Features:

There's a trail along much of Marine Drive. It's broken into several pieces, but the longest one runs from just east of I-205 (where it joins the I-205 trail) to just west of the airport. It's paved and fairly level.

The trail is near Portland's airport so be prepared for the occasional jet noise. From 33rd Drive, the path is on the city side of Marine Drive passing by the very end of the PDX runway until at about 1mile it crosses over Marine Drive at Broughton Park. It then descends next to the Columbia River where you get very nice views of river activity. At approximately 2 miles, you'll pass Sea Scout Base. Stay left to stay on the bike trail.

At I-205, about 5 miles for those that go that far, the paved trail is interupted by the Bridge Gap and picks up again at NE Airport Way for some distance until the Blue Lake Gap. (Some day this trail will connect as the 40-mile loop trail.) At 138th Avenue is reportably one of the prettiest sections of the route because the path is closer to the river and you don't have a view of the traffic on Marine Drive.

Looking for the Historic Columbia River Highway trails? See the Columbia Gorge/Mt Hood section accessed via the Accessible Trails Home page.

Blue Lake

Directions:

Blue Lake Regional Park is located between Marine Drive and Sandy Boulevard off Northeast 223rd Avenue. From Interstate 84, take the Fairview exit (14) and go north on 207th Avenue to Sandy Boulevard. Turn right onto Sandy and travel east to 223rd and turn left. Proceed north to Blue Lake Road and the park.

Features:

Metro’s Blue Lake Regional Park is located along the north shore of a 64-acre natural lake. The accessible wetland area at the west end of the park offers a wildlife viewing platform and perimeter trail. Many of the park facilities are wheelchair accessible including the parking areas, restrooms, wetlands observation deck and trail loop, fishing dock, picnic areas, archery, water spray ground, playgrounds, park paths, office, food concession. See map.

Other:

Fish from the park's universally accessible fishing pier. Blue Lake is stocked annually with trout; also fish for bass and panfish.

See Metro Website for additional information.