Wonderful Walks on the Waterfront

Photo by Kane Finders

With the weather warming up again, the outdoors is getting more and more attractive. And one of my favorite ways to remain active when the weather is nice is to go for walks around the Portland metro area – the kind of accessible walks that everyone can participate in, with a little bit of effort.

What this brief guide won’t describe are more challenging wilderness hikes, or particularly lengthy and difficult walks.

These are just a couple of my favorite walks around town, but the most fun way I’ve found to discover new routes is to look at a map and just go explore.

TILIKUM CROSSING BRIDGE

One of my go-to walks in Portland is along the Willamette River waterfront, along downtown. This route starts at the east side of Tilikum Crossing (the transit/bike/pedestrian suspension bridge opened in 2015), although you can start anywhere, as it makes a loop. There is free, two-hour parking on Southeast Caruthers Street, and the bridge also is accessible via the MAX Orange line and Portland Streetcar.

This four-mile loop starts with crossing Tilikum Crossing, heading to the west (downtown) side. Right after crossing the bridge there are a Starbucks and a Flying Elephant deli shop at OHSU’s Robertson Life Science Building if you need to grab a quick bite or drink before going farther. Turn right (north) onto South Bond Avenue, which has a dedicated bike path and large sidewalk, and almost no car traffic to deal with.

Approaching the Marquam Bridge, the route moves onto the path on the right of the street, which leads right into South Waterfront Park. The path follows the river and provides access to any of the downtown bridges across the Willamette, so you can make this walk as short or long as you want by just choosing which bridge you want to cross back over to the east side.

I recommend walking north to the Steel Bridge to cross over, and then start walking south along the Eastbank Esplanade footpath/biking trail. Continuing south, you will end up back at the Tilikum Crossing where you began.

OHSU OBSERVATION DECK

A second, more vigorous walk actually starts at the same location – Tilikum Crossing. This route takes you up Marquam Hill to the observation deck at OHSU that overlooks much of Portland’s east side.

Crossing to the west side of the Willamette, you will turn left (south) onto South Moody Avenue towards the OHSU Center for Health and Healing. Once you get to the Center, you can cross the street and take either the stairs or a somewhat sketchy elevator up to the Gibbs Street pedestrian bridge, which carries over the Interstate 5 freeway.

After crossing the freeway, continue straight for two blocks on Gibbs Street and then right onto South Water Avenue, for one block. Take the Grover Street pedestrian tunnel to the other side of busy Southwest Naito Parkway. Around a long bend, take a left turn onto Southwest Woods Street, where the Cedarwood Waldorf School has a nice park area with picnic benches if you need a rest.

When you arrive at the intersection of Woods and Southwest Barbur Boulevard, cross the latter and take the concrete stairs uphill, continuing on Woods. Just a block later, at Southwest Fourth Avenue, there are obvious steps that lead up a quick trail that brings you to Southwest

Terwilliger Boulevard where you can continue left (south), and then take a right onto Campus Drive, which winds right up into the heart of the Marquam Hill nest of OSHU buildings.

There are more sitting areas for a rest in a little alcove by the Casey Eye Institute. Continue up to the OHSU Student Center and now follow the “4T Trail” signs as you start on a kind of confusing maze of stairs and paths uphill to reach Sam Jackson Park Road.

Once there, turn right and walk past the OHSU Hospital emergency room to arrive at the Kohler Pavillion. Once you enter that building, follow the signs to the OHSU aerial tram – and just shy of the tram entrance, turn left and use the door outside to the beautiful viewing deck with its spectacular views of the city and our nearest volcanoes.

The OHSU campus offers multiple places to eat, a library which is open to the public, along with some other beautiful outdoor areas to take a rest.

For your return, you can retrace the same route in reverse – or hop on the aerial tram, which takes you all the way back down to the Center for Health and Healing. (The cost is a bit steep, at $8 for a roundtrip ticket – no one-way fare is available – but the views are a treat).

If you don’t feel like tackling the 500-foot ascent in the first place, you take the tram up and back to check out the OHSU campus, as well.

Kane Finders

News Editor