Revision as of 23:57, 9 December 2021

Raccoon tracks on the beach, Burnside Park (bobcat)

Bolton Creek Bridge, Maddax Woods (bobcat)

Christmas light show, Dorothy's Garden, Maddax Woods (bobcat)

• Start point: Territorial Drive Trailhead
• End Point: Edgewater Court Trailhead
• Hike Type: In and out with loop
• Distance: 4.2 miles
• Elevation gain: 200 feet
• High point: 165 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• Seasons: All year
• Family Friendly: Yes
• Backpackable: No
• Crowded: No

Description

A couple of noncontiguous stretches of the Willamette River Greenway in West Linn offer quiet respite from the busy streets above. You are always within sight of the river as you walk under the West Linn-Oregon City Bridge and then the I-205 bridge. You'll pass the historic McLean House and then walk along River Drive before entering the lush mixed forest in Maddax Woods and Burnside Park. A loop option takes you through the historic Bolton Neighborhood of West Linn before descending to Maddax Woods. If you begin this loop at the Maddax Woods Trailhead, you'll get a shorter version of the outing at about 2.1 miles.

The trail heads down along a fence shielding large houses and comes to a fork. Go left down to a cottonwood-shaded field and then a beach on the Willamette. Goat Island is across the water. There’s a boat launch on the opposite bank of the Willamette. Walk along the beach (Look for raccoon and deer tracks), and cross Bolton Creek, which spills into the river at a jumble of large rocks. Very steep use trails lead up into the woods from here, past a fire circle, to connect with the Willamette Greenway, but it's more environmentally sensitive and less destructive to return and pick up the main Burnside Park Trail at the fork.

The wide, graveled trail heads southeast under a high canopy in dense woods of Douglas-fir, big-leaf maple and grand fir. Reach a junction with the steep, ivy-choked trail up to Buck Street (It's 0.2 miles round-trip and 100 feet elevation gain to Buck Street), and then cross Bolton Creek on a high wide bridge over its gully. You are now entering Maddax Woods. Goat Island can be seen through the trees on the left. The trail rises and then drops to a gravel road. The former Maddax residence is to the left. There’s a port-a-potty here and information brochures about the Maddax donation to West Linn's excellent parks system. Dorothy’s Garden is also signed for visitors. The gravel road leads to River Road and into suburbia.

Return to Edgewater Court the way you came.

Note that from mid-November to New Year's Day, the circular path from the Maddax Woods Trailhead through Dorothy's Garden to viewpoints and picnic tables looking over the Willamette is festively lit and decorated with cut outs of forest creatures. The Maddax Woods Trail has lighting along it as far as the Bolton Creek Bridge.

Dorothy Maddax, the "Goose Lady," was a past president of the West Linn Garden Club, and the property was donated to West Linn after her death.

Fees, Regulations, etc.

• Dogs on leash

Maps

• Maps: Hike Finder
• West Linn Walking Paths and Trails Map 2 (West Linn Parks & Recreation)
• West Linn Walking Paths and Trails Map 3 (West Linn Parks & Recreation)

Trip Reports

• Search Trip Reports for West Linn Willamette Greenway Hike

Related Discussions / Q&A

• Search Trail Q&A for West Linn Willamette Greenway Hike

Guidebooks that cover this hike

• none

More Links

• Burnside Park (West Linn Parks & Recreation)
• Maddax Woods (West Linn Parks & Recreation)
• Burnside Park & Maddax Woods (West Linn Parks & Recreation)
• Lighting of Maddax Woods (West Linn Parks & Recreation)
• "Maddax Woods lights, labyrinth of lights fest, ying yang class: West Linn events" (Oregon Live)
• Lights in Maddax Woods (red tricycle)

Page Contributors

• bobcat (creator)