South Marquam Nature Park trails

[bobcat]

My wife and I went on a short outing to explore the new trails at the south end of Marquam Nature Park on the slopes of Sentinel Hill. We began at the Marquam Trailhead on Terwilliger Boulevard and, after crossing the first gully, came to the junction with the Flicker Trail. This new trail heads up the slope and then traverses past a junction with the new Warbler Trail. We continued to traverse on Flicker, crossing two solid new footbridges and passing the junction with the Towhee Trail. The Flicker Trail then drops into a gully to cross a huge new bridge and rejoin the Marquam Trail near 12th Avenue (The trailbuilding crew, contracted by the City of Portland, usually accessed the area from the 12th Avenue Trailhead).

We returned to the Towhee Trail and took it up a ridge to an old logging landing. The new trail construction ends here, but three use trails fan out in a bird’s foot. A trail to the right (north) keeps to a logging road bed on a contour and eventually joins Fairmount Boulevard. This trail is marked with stakes and may be up for improvement. A scrappier use trail to the left does the same thing and heads up to Fairmount. We took a steep use trail a short distance up the slope to a pullout on Fairmount and then walked south (left) 300 yards on Fairmount to the beginning of the Warbler Trail. This trail drops down some steps and then switchbacks steeply to join the Flicker Trail, whence we returned to the Marquam Trail and then Terwilliger.

The native vegetation on this slope is typical of the area: Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western red-cedar, and big-leaf maple over sword fern, red huckleberry, Oregon grape, etc. One thing a little unusual are stands of fairly large grand fir. Invasives, such as cherry-laurel, ivy, English holly, and spurge-laurel, compete with the natives and are everywhere.

A section of the Flicker Trail is graveled; other sections of the trails are a little muddy at this time of year, but all the treads are nicely compacted. The new bridges are built to withstand a nuclear holocaust. The official opening is slated for March sometime once proper trail signs, like the one below on the trail connection between Terwilliger and Barbur, have been installed. Right now, there are perfectly adequate maps posted at each junction.

Here’s a map of the project: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/54709

[pablo]

Thx for posting this report on this network of really fine forest trails in an urban desert - Portland has done a really outstanding job of building and maintaining these trails - this fall they actually had a crew go over the main trails with leaf blowers. I work on Marquam Hill and hike these trails nearly every day - there are many loop opportunities with these paths and the trails on the north side of OHSU with the Conner Trail and trail to Council Crest. You'd think there would be lots of traffic but I seldom see anyone.

--Paul

[aquadoggie]

Thx for posting this report on this network of really fine forest trails in an urban desert - Portland has done a really outstanding job of building and maintaining these trails - this fall they actually had a crew go over the main trails with leaf blowers. I work on Marquam Hill and hike these trails nearly every day - there are many loop opportunities with these paths and the trails on the north side of OHSU with the Conner Trail and trail to Council Crest. You'd think there would be lots of traffic but I seldom see anyone.

--Paul

I've done the Council Crest trail twice and I'm from Texas. That whole area is beautiful and awesomely convenient for an out of towner staying in downtown Portland. Good to see there are so many other options branching off of it.

[Alpine Annie]

...You'd think there would be lots of traffic but I seldom see anyone.

--Paul

You should come on the weekends! We regularly run up to Council Crest from John's Landing and there are usually lots of runners and hikers on these trails on the weekend. The trail was packed with families on this past Christmas Day, in fact. It was nice to see.

From Council Crest, it's easy to connect to Washington Park and the Wildwood Trail at the Vietnam Memorial via the Marquam trail (at Patton Rd.). Both SW Trails and Friends of Marquam Park websites provide good maps.

Be warned - these trails are not for those who don't like mud...which is ok, since it just makes more for those of us who do!

[R11]

I've been doing a nine mile route around the marquam nature park trails 2-3 times a week with one loop down into that southern area using a couple of the new trails. The whole area is really kind of crappy and I wouldn't recommend anybody go there myself . BTW, that right hand trail that takes off up the old logging roadbed from the top of the towhee trail actually comes out on Marquam Hill road, (conveniently right across the street from the end of the Upper Marquam Hill Trail going back down into the Marquam canyon).


ron