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Mount Williams Loop Hike

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide

On the Westside Regional Trail in Burntwood Park, Beaverton (bobcat)
Douglas-firs at the summit of Mount Williams (bobcat)
Madrone in Thornbrook Park, Beaverton (bobcat)
The loop over Mt. Williams in Beaverton; foot trails in yellow, street walking in orange (bobcat) Courtesy: Google Maps
  • Start point: Burntwood Park TrailheadRoad.JPG
  • End point: Mount Williams
  • Hike type: Loop
  • Distance: 3.3 miles
  • Elevation gain: 390 feet
  • High point: 470 feet
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Seasons: All year
  • Family Friendly: Yes
  • Backpackable: No
  • Crowded: No

Contents

Description

In 2013, the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District completed a missing 1½ mile section of the paved Westside Regional Trail over 470-foot high Mount Williams. From the paved trail, you can divert to the summit of Mount Williams and then continue on an even newer soft surface trail that connects to a series of natural corridors. To extend this walk, take neighborhood streets down to South Johnson Creek and find the Summercrest Park trail that runs along the creek’s riparian corridor.

The paved Westside Regional Trail leads up into the powerline corridor about 30 yards above the intersection with Hart Road. It’s two lane and bikes come fast, so stay on the right side. Individual hawthorn trees dot the lawns here, and you’ll cross a small brook before winding up through a planting of pines above a play area. Pass an old apple tree, and cross Burntwood Way. The trail snakes up the south slope of Mount Williams through thickets of hawthorn and blackberry, passing a gravel path to the left. On the east shoulder of Mount Williams a mature forest of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and Pacific madrone forms a wall to the right. You’ll get views to the Tualatin Hils and Forest Park straight ahead. Then you’ll begin a looping descent that enters the woods and comes to a junction above Davis Road.

Make a left here for Thornbrook Park. The wide gravel trail crosses the powerline corridor to meet another junction. Bear right here on the signed Mt. Williams Trail. This tread traverses up through an understory of Oregon grape, sword fern, trailing blackberry, and young madrones. At the next junction, where the new section of the Mt. Williams Trail breaks off to the right, instead turn left. You'll pass below a cell phone tower and continue up to a grassy expanse near the summit of the hill. Ground squirrels may scurry for shelter at your approach. A couple of oaks add to the ambience here, but there are no views to be had, so return to the junction below the cell tower, and make a left.

This narrower tread heads up under mossy bowers of hazel, and then begins a traverse that passes through a lovely grove of madrones. Keep dropping to arrive at a paved path, where you’ll go left to soon gets a view to the Coast Range. This trail rises to cross Timberland Drive, giving a view southwest to Cooper Mountain. The narrow, thicketed corridor you now enter is the Thornbrook Woods Natural Area. Oaks, madrones, and Douglas-firs form the canopy. At a junction, make a sharp right to reach a parking circle and recross Timberland Drive to reach Tallac Terrace Park. Walk past the shelter and play area to enter a plot of Douglas-fir forest and come out at 167th Place.

To connect to Summercrest Park, this next section of the hike takes you on neighborhood streets. Walk out to Cynthia Street, and make a left. One block later, turn right on 166th Terrace. Take the sidewalk south, passing Melinda Street. (For a shorter loop, go left on Melinda to reach 160th Avenue and the Burntwood Park Trailhead.) At the T-intersection with Bany Road, cross Bany and walk left one block to Hargis Road. You’ll walk south on Hargis approximately five blocks. After passing Sarala Street, Hargis makes a 90-degree turn to the left and, in one block, you can pick up a connector trail that leads between homes down to Summercrest Park.

You’ll come to a grassy area above South Johnson Creek with picnic tables and a play area with spreading oaks overhead. Go left to pass through riparian thickets along the creek, where you can keep your eyes peeled for beaver activity, and cross 165th Avenue. Pass a pair of tennis courts and a small wetland with plantings of ponderosa pines. A couple of large oaks extend their heavy boughs over the trail as you pass backyard fences and reach the powerline corridor and Hart Meadows Park. Go left (north) at the junction with the Westside Regional Trail, and drop to cross South Johnson Creek in a thicket of willow, red osier dogwood, and invasive reed canarygrass. Cross Bridle Hills Drive, and rise up the slope, getting views backs to Sexton Mountain and Bull Mountain. Pass a play area and soon reach Hart Road. Use the pedestrian crossing to reach Burntwood Park and your vehicle.


Fees, Regulations, etc.

  • Dogs on leash
  • Respect private property

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Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. While we make every effort to fact-check, information found here should be considered anecdotal. You should cross-check against other references before planning a hike. Trail routing and conditions are subject to change. Please contact us if you notice errors on this page.

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