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Difference between revisions of "Marquam Trail to Council Crest Hike"

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide

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=== Hike Description ===
 
=== Hike Description ===
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Wending its way through a patchwork of city parks and greenspaces, the Marquam Trail stretches five miles through peaceful, secluded forests in Southwest Portland. As part of the city's 40-Mile Loop trail system it connects the Terwilliger Trail in the south with the Wildwood Trail to the north. This Field Guide entry details the southern portion of the trail, from Terwilliger Blvd. to [[Council Crest]]. The majority of the hike is in the Marquam Nature Park, and the upper third of it is on a section of trail that is also part of the [[Council Crest Hike]], which starts from a different trailhead.<br><br>
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Winding its way through a patchwork of city parks and greenspaces, the Marquam Trail stretches over five miles through peaceful, secluded forests in Southwest Portland. As part of the city's 40-Mile Loop trail system it connects the Terwilliger Trail in the south with the Wildwood Trail to the north. This Field Guide entry details the southern portion of the trail, from Terwilliger Blvd. to [[Council Crest]]. The majority of the hike is in the Marquam Nature Park, and the upper third of it is on a section of trail that is also part of the [[Council Crest Hike]], which starts from a different trailhead.<br><br>
 
Easily one of Portland's best close-in hikes, the Marquam Trail is as pleasant as any in Forest Park and features an outstanding four-mountain view from Council Crest Park, once the site of a [http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/council_crest.html popular amusement park.] The hike has about 1100 feet of total elevation gain, so it's perfect for anyone looking for a good workout without expending the time or gas to reach hikes farther afield. It's also a perfect winter hike for those rainy, foggy days when you can't buy a view in the Columbia Gorge. Bonus: the trilliums are outstanding in early spring!<br><br>
 
Easily one of Portland's best close-in hikes, the Marquam Trail is as pleasant as any in Forest Park and features an outstanding four-mountain view from Council Crest Park, once the site of a [http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/council_crest.html popular amusement park.] The hike has about 1100 feet of total elevation gain, so it's perfect for anyone looking for a good workout without expending the time or gas to reach hikes farther afield. It's also a perfect winter hike for those rainy, foggy days when you can't buy a view in the Columbia Gorge. Bonus: the trilliums are outstanding in early spring!<br><br>
 
Starting from the [[Marquam Trail Trailhead (at Terwilliger)]], the trail climbs through dense forest that feels secluded even though it's within a stones throw of OHSU. After about a mile you will reach Marquam Hill Road. The trail splits here; you can either go left up the road for about a tenth of a mile to pick up the trail again, or you can take a shorter route by going downhill to the right a hundred yards and pick up the trail there. If you take the shorter route [http://portlandhikersfieldguide.com/w/images/0/05/G_marquam_hill_2.jpg stay left of the guard rail] just past the water tank. The shorter route switchbacks down into a ravine. At the bottom follow the old access road a hundred feet or so [http://portlandhikersfieldguide.com/w/images/1/18/Stairs_in_ravine.jpg to the stairs] and continue up the other side of the ravine. You'll soon come to a "Y" shaped junction that is not marked. Be sure to [http://portlandhikersfieldguide.com/w/images/3/31/Stay_right.jpg stay right here] or you'll just circle back to Marquam Hill Road. From this point on the trail is well marked and easy to follow. You will cross three more streets before reaching Council Crest. Here's a PDF of a [http://www.ohsu.edu/greenteam/mnp_trail_map.pdf nice brochure & map] produced by the Friends of Marquam Nature Park. There's quite a labyrinth of trails in this park, so you might want to print out the map and take it with you. Most of the junctions are marked though, so it's pretty easy to stay on track.<br><br>
 
Starting from the [[Marquam Trail Trailhead (at Terwilliger)]], the trail climbs through dense forest that feels secluded even though it's within a stones throw of OHSU. After about a mile you will reach Marquam Hill Road. The trail splits here; you can either go left up the road for about a tenth of a mile to pick up the trail again, or you can take a shorter route by going downhill to the right a hundred yards and pick up the trail there. If you take the shorter route [http://portlandhikersfieldguide.com/w/images/0/05/G_marquam_hill_2.jpg stay left of the guard rail] just past the water tank. The shorter route switchbacks down into a ravine. At the bottom follow the old access road a hundred feet or so [http://portlandhikersfieldguide.com/w/images/1/18/Stairs_in_ravine.jpg to the stairs] and continue up the other side of the ravine. You'll soon come to a "Y" shaped junction that is not marked. Be sure to [http://portlandhikersfieldguide.com/w/images/3/31/Stay_right.jpg stay right here] or you'll just circle back to Marquam Hill Road. From this point on the trail is well marked and easy to follow. You will cross three more streets before reaching Council Crest. Here's a PDF of a [http://www.ohsu.edu/greenteam/mnp_trail_map.pdf nice brochure & map] produced by the Friends of Marquam Nature Park. There's quite a labyrinth of trails in this park, so you might want to print out the map and take it with you. Most of the junctions are marked though, so it's pretty easy to stay on track.<br><br>

Revision as of 21:12, 10 January 2008

Marquam Trail sign on Council Crest. (Gordon Smith)
GPS track of the Marquam Trail. (click to enlarge)
Scenery in Marquam Nature Park. (Gordon Smith)
One of several bridges along the trail. (Gordon Smith)

UNIQ86c60743b27cbd53-GPSTrack-00000000-QINU

Contents

Hike Description

Winding its way through a patchwork of city parks and greenspaces, the Marquam Trail stretches over five miles through peaceful, secluded forests in Southwest Portland. As part of the city's 40-Mile Loop trail system it connects the Terwilliger Trail in the south with the Wildwood Trail to the north. This Field Guide entry details the southern portion of the trail, from Terwilliger Blvd. to Council Crest. The majority of the hike is in the Marquam Nature Park, and the upper third of it is on a section of trail that is also part of the Council Crest Hike, which starts from a different trailhead.

Easily one of Portland's best close-in hikes, the Marquam Trail is as pleasant as any in Forest Park and features an outstanding four-mountain view from Council Crest Park, once the site of a popular amusement park. The hike has about 1100 feet of total elevation gain, so it's perfect for anyone looking for a good workout without expending the time or gas to reach hikes farther afield. It's also a perfect winter hike for those rainy, foggy days when you can't buy a view in the Columbia Gorge. Bonus: the trilliums are outstanding in early spring!

Starting from the Marquam Trail Trailhead (at Terwilliger), the trail climbs through dense forest that feels secluded even though it's within a stones throw of OHSU. After about a mile you will reach Marquam Hill Road. The trail splits here; you can either go left up the road for about a tenth of a mile to pick up the trail again, or you can take a shorter route by going downhill to the right a hundred yards and pick up the trail there. If you take the shorter route stay left of the guard rail just past the water tank. The shorter route switchbacks down into a ravine. At the bottom follow the old access road a hundred feet or so to the stairs and continue up the other side of the ravine. You'll soon come to a "Y" shaped junction that is not marked. Be sure to stay right here or you'll just circle back to Marquam Hill Road. From this point on the trail is well marked and easy to follow. You will cross three more streets before reaching Council Crest. Here's a PDF of a nice brochure & map produced by the Friends of Marquam Nature Park. There's quite a labyrinth of trails in this park, so you might want to print out the map and take it with you. Most of the junctions are marked though, so it's pretty easy to stay on track.

Enjoy!

Maps

  • Maps: Hike Finder
  • See the image of the GPS track on the right.

Regulations or Restrictions, etc.

None.

Trip Reports

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Related Discussions / Q&A

Guidebooks that cover this hike

  • 50 Hiking Trails, Portland and Northwest Oregon by Don and Roberta Lowe

More Links

Contributors

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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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