Cazadero Trail 1-28-18

[bobcat]

My wife and I finally decided to do this short stretch of rail trail that extends three miles from the end of the Springwater Corridor in Boring to the former location of a high trestle over the North Fork Deep Creek. The Cazadero Trail is an ongoing State Parks project using railroad rights of way to connect Portland with Estacada and the Clackamas River. The Portland Railway, Light & Power Company’s (PRL & P) electric interurban railroad was constructed in 1903-04 to run from Linneman Station as far as the Cazadero Dam on the Clackamas, just east of Estacada (The dam was completed in 1907). Later the line was extended a little further to the vicinity of the current North Fork Dam (constructed in 1958). The track was abandoned in the 1940s.

Just under a mile in is the best part of this hike where there’s an 18-acre Metro property between the railroad grade and the North Fork Deep Creek. A foot trail runs through the lush forest here, and there are some overlooks and a couple of access points to the creek. Metro has also recently purchased an additional 48-acre parcel near this one. The hazel was blooming in showers of pale gold, but there’s also a lot of blackberry encroaching on the rail grade. A powerline runs overhead and, on a sunny Sunday, the trail was mostly being used by locals walking their dogs.

The end of this section is at the old trestle crossing and siding of Norris. It would cost a pretty penny to put another bridge across the chasm here although the property to the east of the line is Clackamas County land. From Barton, the route essentially parallels Highway 224 although there’s the costly matter of another trestle crossing over Eagle Creek before you reach Estacada.

“Cazadero” is a Spanish word meaning “hunting place.” The trolley stop and dam on the Clackamas are presumed to be named after Cazadero, California.

[Greendrake]

Awesome
I had no idea this existed

[justpeachy]

Cool. I've heard of this trail, but never hiked it. It would be great if they could replace the trestles someday.

[Guy]

Thanks Bobcat,

This is in our "backyard" I've traveled the whole of the Spring water many times from Boring to downtown Portland but never gone the other way. This will make a nice evening hike when the nights get a little shorter.

[Charley]

Replacing the trestles would allow one to ride a bike on a car-free path from downtown Portland to highway 224, outside of Estacada; the railroad right of way continues into Estacada, but it's not paved or anything. Right now, to get down to the nice wide shoulder on High way 224, one has to descend (then climb on the return) a scary, busy, narrow, steep farm road. If they'd only get those trestles, or negotiate a right of way with Camp Kuratli (which has been really, really unwelcoming to cyclists), it would be a terrific low stress ride.

So, connecting all this to the state park and other riding around Estacada is so close, yet so far!