Thursday, November 21, 2013
Three Easy Hikes in Portland, Oregon
Here in Portland we're really lucky to have such great access to the outdoors. There are many trails right here in the city and I've been able to hike a few of them lately, so I thought I'd share some photos. I've been to Powell Butte, Forest Park, and Mt Tabor recently. They're some of the more popular hikes, as they're located directly in the city, not too far from anything.
Powell Butte
Powell Butte is an extinct volcano cinder cone, one of several in the surrounding area. It's fairly good-sized with over 600 acres to it. It's mostly meadow but has a good chunk of forested area, which is my favorite part! It's easy to get in the middle of "nowhere" and to not see people for awhile, which is pretty great, considering it's right in town. There is also a LOT of wildlife there and I've seen deer almost every time I've been there, including this day!
Andi and I went there with her dog, Chief, and Artoo last week and had a great time! The dogs got in lots of sniffing and stick-chasing and we had the park to ourselves. The weather was nice and cool in the morning, so we didn't overheat. It was a perfect day!
Ta da, we saw a deer!
Forest Park
Forest Park is GIANT! According to Portland Parks and Rec's website, "Forest Park now includes over 5,100 wooded acres making it the largest forested natural area within the city limits in the United States." Bam! That's so awesome that we have claim to that! Jonathan and I love to take Artoo there and beat around a little bit. We usually walk around on the Germantown Road access side. I'd love to go spend an entire day and really thoroughly explore it some day!
Mount Tabor
Totaling 1.6 square miles, Mt. Tabor is a fairly good-sized little oasis within the east side of the city. Like Powell Butte, it is a volcanic cinder cone. Before joining Portland proper in 1905, the area was a rural farming community dating all the way back to the 1850s. (I once bought some CraigsList items from a woman in a house in the neighbourhood and she said it was one of the original houses and it had been in her family since the 1800s! There are apparently pictures of the house surrounded by nothing but farmland, which I imagine would be so beautiful.)
Mt. Tabor's trails go alllllll around the park and there are a LOT of them. It also features an off-leash dog park area, which is pretty nice. On Wednesdays they close and lock the main gates so no vehicles can enter the park. It's a perfect time for bikers, dog walkers, and joggers to get out and get on the road and not have to worry about competing with traffic. Andi and I have been doing this every Wednesday for quite a little while now and it's one of the highlights of my week!
What are some other great Portland walks or hikes that I should get out and try? I love exploring new areas!
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So beautiful!! Artoo looks so proud in that one photo. I LOVE the ones of Mt. Tabor (well, I love them all) ... I've always thought Mt. Tabor might be a boring walk/hike, but you made it look so beautiful.
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