Map of bike paths / walking paths in the Portland area

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Recreational trails for walking, running and cycling in Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon, is located on Willamette River as it flows into the Columbia River in the northwest portion of the State of Oregon. It is directly across the Columbia River from Vancouver, Washington and about 60 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Other communities in the area include: Gresham, Fairview and Wood Village.

Portland is the largest metropolitan area of Oregon and is known for the beautiful views of Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Tabor, the nearby forested foothills, the many bridges across the Willamette River, a beautiful downtown skyline, rainy winters and warm dry summers. The river valley is relatively flat, but the area is surrounded by hills, with lofty glacier covered peaks to the east. The Columbia River Gorge is just to the east along Highway 30.

The communities of the Portland area have an extensive network of paved and unpaved recreational trails for walking, riding a bike, commuting to work or for seeing the local sites. The trail system is constantly improving and expanding into new areas. You can ride along the Columbia Waterfront with views over to Vancouver, Washington or wander through the thick hilly woods of Forest Park. It could be that you need to commute down the I-205 Multi Use Trail maybe you would like a hike around Mt. Tabor and look out over the city.

Marine Drive Trail

The Marine Drive Trail is a paved path that parallels Marine Drive on the north side of Portland. The bike path follows along the south banks of the Columbia River. There are pretty views of the river and Mt. Hood in the distance. This is a very level ride and suitable for any abilities. It can be windy along this stretch.

On the very west end, the paved trail starts at the curve of N. Lombard Street as it turns into N Marine Drive, near Kelley Point Park. The Marine Drive Trail heads to the east up the Columbia River with Smith Lake to the south. The trail follows N. Portland Road for a short ways. You could head to the south at this point to hook up with the Columbia Slough Trail. To stay on Marine Drive Trail, head north along N. Portland Road then cross N Marine Drive to ride along the river side of the road.

At the Interstate 5 bridge that crosses over the Columbia River to go to Vancouver, Washington, the Marine Drive Trail follows along side the off-ramp then you can keep going on the main trail to the east for another 1/3 of a mile. At this large interchange, you can catch a trail to ride over the bridge as well. The southeast corner of this interchange is the location of Delta Park - Owens Sports Complex. There is parking and other amenities at this large park. An access trail can take you from the Marine Drive Trail to the park.

A separate stretch of the Marine Drive Trail extends 5 miles from NE 33rd Drive to the Interstate 205 bridge over the Columbia River. At this point you can connect to the I-205 Multi Use Path and head over the bridge into Vancouver or you can head south along th I-205 Multi Use Path. This multi use path extends south for 12 miles to the Milwaukie Expressway.

There are a couple other stretches of paved trail along Marine Drive, and the plans are to connect all of these separate stretches into one continuous trail system.

Read more about the Marine Drive Trail

Columbia Slough Trail

The Columbia Slough Trail is a walking path located along the Columbia Slough waterway which is located on the north end of Portland and south of the Columbia River. The Columbia Slough waterway is a system of channels and levees that was created to help prevent flooding along the Columbia River. As a result, this area is a mixture of greenbelts, waterways, wetlands, agricultural areas, channels, golf courses and lakes. It is a fantastic place to see waterfowl and other wildlife. The trail along the Columbia Slough is a portion of the 40-mile Loop Trail system and there are plans for its expansion.

Currently, you can travel for about 3-miles along the Columbia Slough Trail from N. Portland Road on the west end to N. Vancouver Avenue on the east end. The trail also connects to the separate bike path along N. Portland Avenue which then connects to the Marine Drive Trail

Eastbank Esplanade & Waterfront Trails

There are walking paths along both sides of the Willamette River near Downtown Portland. These paved pathways connect several city parks and other local attractions as well as allow you to cross the river on the SW Hawthorne Bridge, the SE Morrison Bridge or the Steel Bridge. These walkways are a lovely place for an after dinner stroll or to bring out-of-town visitors to see the views of the Willamette River as it flows by Downtown Portland.

In some stretches, you may need to walk or ride alongside roadways to get to the next section of paved pathway. There may also be sections where riding a bike is not allowed and cyclists will need to walk their bikes. This is a popular area, so be courteous to others so everyone can enjoy their visit.

Read more about the Eastbank Esplanade and Waterfron Trails

I-205 Multi Use Path

The I-205 Multi-Use Path is a 16.5-mile long paved pathway that follows alongside Interstate 205 from Vancouver to Gladstone in the Portland area of Northern Oregon. The pathway starts on the south end ov Vancouver, Washington and runs between the lands of Interstate 205 as it crosses the Columbia River. the pathway then follows alongside the freeway on one side or the other through most of the Portland area, as far south as Gladstone. The route takes it past multiple parks and natural areas as well as commercial districts, office parks and residential neighborhoods, crossing many of the major roadways in this section of the city.

The I-205 Multi-Use Path is used by people commuting to work and to school. It provides access to many major roadways and other points of interest. There are also several stations for the Portland Mass Transit System, TriMet, TC MAX Stations.

The I-205 Multi-Use Path also intersects the 40-Mile Loop Trail that wraps around the Portland area.

Read more about the I-205 Multi Use Path

Interstate 84 Pedestrian Trail

The Interstate 84 Pedestrian Trail is a 5-mile long paved trail that follows alongside Interstate 84 on the northeast side of the city. It starts on the east end at NR 122nd Avenue and extends to the east stopping at Fairview Parkway. There are several access trails into the local neighborhoods.

Springwater Corridor Trail

The Springwater Corridor Trail is a pathway system with 20.5 miles of paved trail located in the Portland, Oregon area. The route of the trail follows an abandoned railroad right-of-way and extends from Downtown Portland to the community of Boring to the southeast of the Portland Metropolitan area. The trail follows alongside the Willamette River for 2.4 miles then has short gap along SE Linn Street. The trail then heads to the east for 17 miles going through residential areas and past multiple local parks.

The Springwater Corridor Trail is a portion of the 40-Mile Loop system of trails that wrap around the Portland area. The Springwater Corridor Trail is near to the Eastbank Esplanade and the Waterfront Park Trail along the riverbanks of the Willamette River. The I-205 Multi-Use Path also crosses the Springwater Corridor Trail. At the southeast end of the Springwater Corridor Trail in the community of Boring, the Cazadero Trail heads off along the natural areas of the North Fork Deep Creek.

Read more about the Springwater Corridor Trail

Trolley Trail

The Trolley Trail is a 6-mile long paved and unpaved trail that runs through residential neighborhoods on the south side of the city between the cities of Milwaukie and Gladstone. The trail follows the historic right-of-way for the streetcar line that ran from 1893 to 1968.

The north end of the Trolley Trail is located in Milwaukie at SE Lava Drive and SE 17th Avenue. Going south, the trail runs through Milwaukie Riverfront Park and follows SE McLoughlin Boulevard for about one mile. The trail then heads southwest and goes past Oak Grove Elementary School and stops at SE Arista Drive. Follow SE Arista Drive for 0.7-mile and the trail heads to the southeast, between the two lands of Arista Drive.

At SE Vineyard Road the trail separated from the roads and goes past Stringfield Family Park. Eventually the Trolley Trail crosses Se McLoughlin Boulevard and then runs alongside SE Abernethy Lane. The trail stops at Portland Avenue and Jersey Street.

Butler Creek Greenway Trail

The Butler Creek Greenway Trail is a system of soft-surfaced trails located in Gresham. The mile long trail system runs along Butler Creek from just south of the Springwater Corridor Trail to Butler Creek Park on SW 27th Street and then down to SW Willow Parkway. The trails are adjacent to residential neighborhoods and take you through lush green forest and include a 135-foot bridge over Johnson Creek.

Gresham-Fairview Trail

The Gresham-Fairview Trail is a 2-mile long paved trail located in Gresham on the east side of Portland. It connects to the Springwater Corridor Trail on the south end near W. Powell Loop and W Powell Boulevard  The trail goes over W. Powell Boulevard and rides through Southwest Park. The trail crosses NW Division Street at street level and continues north to SE 202nd Avenue near the railroad tracks.

Tyron Creek State Natural Area

The Tyron Creek State Natural Area is located in south Portland and extends into the City of Lake Oswego. This is an excellent place to take the family to experience the wildlife of Oregon in a natural setting. 

There are many soft-surfaced trails for exploring the park by foot or by horseback. These trails include a number of bridges that cross Tyron Creek. The park entrance and nature center is off of SW Terwilliger Boulevard.

A 1.5 mile long paved trail runs along the east side of the park adjacent to SW Terwilliger Boulevard.

Forest Park Trails

Another very popular location for hiking and biking trails is Forest Park, located northwest of Downtown Portland and above the Willamette River. This is a densely forested area with many hills and streams. The park has an extensive network of trails. We did not venture to show all of these trails on our recreational trail map, but we have provided links that you may find useful in the Resource Section at the bottom of the page.

40-Mile Loop Trail System

The 40-Mile Loop is a system of interconnecting trails that wraps around Portland and other communities in the area. Completed in many sections, the plans for the loop trail actually includes 140-miles of trails for a combination of uses. Portions of the trail are wide and paved and suitable for walking or riding a bike. Some sections are more for hiking or even horseback riding.

When completed, the 40-Mile Loop system of trails will connect multiple other trails, go through over 30 parks, and include all of Multnomah County. These parks are along the Columbia, Sandy and Willamette Rivers and Johnson Creek.

See the links in the Resource section of this page for maps for the 40-Mile Loop.

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Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the recreational trails in Portland, Oregon.