Explore the best rated trails in Portland, OR. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Frenchman's Bar Trail and I-205 Multi-Use Path. With more than 43 trails covering 249 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The McLoughlin Promenade offers a unique trail experience overlooking the Willamette River in Oregon City. Stretching about a half mile along the river bluff, the paved pathway offers beautiful views...
The I-205 Multi-Use Path spans 18.5 miles through five cities and 15 neighborhoods along Interstate 205 and the TriMet MAX Green Line light rail service. In addition, it joins with the 21.5-mile...
The Moulton Falls Trail follows an old logging railroad grade between Hantwick Road and the East Fork High Bridge. The trail travels along the East Fork Lewis River within a canopied corridor of...
The Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Trail—also known as the Chelatchie Prairie Rail-with-Trail—is currently open from Battle Ground Lake State Park to a point nearly 1 mile southwest. The paved trail runs...
The Coweeman River Trail follows the dike on the west side of the river for 4 miles, giving access to the riverfront and Tam O'Shanter Park. The setting on the northern section is residential, and the...
Portland's Steel Bridge across the Williamette River was built in 1912 and is the second-oldest vertical lift bridge still in operation in North America. Over time, the railroad bridge has become more...
The Waterfront Bike Path follows the Willamette River in downtown Portland from the Marquam Bridge north to the Steel Bridge. Although short, the trail offers scenic views of the city skyline and...
When complete, the Fanno Creek Greenway will be a 15-mile paved network of fully accessible urban trails, linking two counties and five cities: Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Durham, and southwest...
Salmon Creek Greenway Trail offers a scenic natural getaway in northern Vancouver. The paved, tree-lined trail winds along the creek and through wetlands for 3 miles, offering access to Salmon Creek...
Cazadero Trail is currently completed in two disconnected segments that total just over 4 miles in the southeastern outskirts of Portland. In the future, the rail-trail is planned to stretch farther...
The Highway 26 Bike Path is a paved commuter route in west Portland that parallels its namesake roadway (also known as Sunset Highway). A small segment is located in a busy shopping area of the...
The developing Westside Trail in Portland's western suburbs will be a 25-mile paved, multi-use path between the Willamette River to the north and the Tualatin River to the south. Currently, 8 miles...
The Logging Road Trail runs along the eastern outskirts of Canby, about 20 miles south of Portland. The road was once used by logging trucks, but is now closed to vehicular traffic. Views along the...
Start the Edgewater Trail on Water Street at the north end of Riverfront Park. The 23-acre park is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon and enjoy river views. It has two unique features: a carousel...
The bike path connects Oregon's capital Salem to the neighboring city of Keizer in the Williamette Valley. The trail starts along Salem Parkway on Cherry Avenue and heads north, connecting schools,...
The Columbia River Dike Trail—also known as the Captain William Clark Park Trail and the Cottonwood Beach Trail—follows the Columbia River from Steamboat Landing Park to the border of the Steigerwald...
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The Trolley Trail follows the Portland Traction Company's Oregon City Line streetcar right-of-way, serving Portland’s metro area, that ran between Milwaukie and Gladstone from 1893 until...
The Columbia Slough Trail follows its namesake waterway on the northern end of Portland. Although there are currently gaps in the trail, it will one day follow the entire length of the narrow 19-mile...
The Padden Parkway Trail provides a paved, 5-mile route across northeastern Vancouver, connecting neighborhoods and shopping areas. Trail-goers are separated from the busy four-lane roadway by a wide,...
The Eastbank Esplanade traces Portland's Willamette River from the Steel Bridge on the north end to SE Caruthers Street on the south end. The trail is named for former Portland mayor Vera Katz, who...
Marine Drive Trail follows its namesake roadway along the south shore of the Columbia River. You'll often find you're just feet from the river and can enjoy lovely views of the water, boats and...
,a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/trails/locations/mta-0059-whistle-punk.shtml">US Forest Service: This trail is a barrier-free interpretive trail that tells the story of forest...
When complete, the Fanno Creek Greenway will be a 15-mile paved network of fully accessible urban trails, linking two counties and five cities: Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Durham, and southwest...
Located in the Portland suburb of Clackamas, this trail extends just over 1 mile. The paved pathway begins on SE Mather Road, in an industrial part of town, and heads southeast, paralleling the...
The Lombard Street Path stretches nearly 2 miles through an industrial area of northern Portland. At the southern end of Kelley Point Park, the path makes two important connections: It meets the...
The Columbia Slough Trail follows its namesake waterway on the northern end of Portland. Although there are currently gaps in the trail, it will one day follow the entire length of the narrow 19-mile...
The Cowlitz River Trail follows its namesake river along a dike on the east bank. The trail is asphalt and connects Kelso residents with the riverfront. The trail parallels the active BNSF line that...
Cazadero Trail is currently completed in two disconnected segments that total just over 4 miles in the southeastern outskirts of Portland. In the future, the rail-trail is planned to stretch farther...
The I-84 Bike Path begins at the I-84 intersection with Fairview Parkway and continues west along the interstate for nearly 5 miles. A fence and concrete barrier separate trail-goers from traffic....
The Padden Parkway Trail provides a paved, 5-mile route across northeastern Vancouver, connecting neighborhoods and shopping areas. Trail-goers are separated from the busy four-lane roadway by a wide,...
The Moulton Falls Trail follows an old logging railroad grade between Hantwick Road and the East Fork High Bridge. The trail travels along the East Fork Lewis River within a canopied corridor of...
The Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail is an innovative road-to-trail conversion constructed on portions of the Historic Columbia River Highway. The trail is considered to be from milepoint...
The Lacamas Heritage Trail parallels Lacamas Creek and the western shore of Lacamas Lake under a canopy of old growth forest. Along this scenic gravel pathway, trail-goers can catch glimpses of the...
Providing a useful link between the Polk County communities of Monmouth and Rickreall, the Highway 99W Bike Path offers over five miles of paved trail for cyclists and pedestrians. Useful both as a...
The bike path connects Oregon's capital Salem to the neighboring city of Keizer in the Williamette Valley. The trail starts along Salem Parkway on Cherry Avenue and heads north, connecting schools,...
The Waterfront Bike Path follows the Willamette River in downtown Portland from the Marquam Bridge north to the Steel Bridge. Although short, the trail offers scenic views of the city skyline and...
The Gresham Fairview Trail is a north–south corridor that will one day link Portland's 40-Mile Loop Trail (Marine Drive section) with the Springwater Trail's section through Gresham. As of spring...
The Eastbank Esplanade traces Portland's Willamette River from the Steel Bridge on the north end to SE Caruthers Street on the south end. The trail is named for former Portland mayor Vera Katz, who...
The Columbia River Dike Trail—also known as the Captain William Clark Park Trail and the Cottonwood Beach Trail—follows the Columbia River from Steamboat Landing Park to the border of the Steigerwald...
The Coweeman River Trail follows the dike on the west side of the river for 4 miles, giving access to the riverfront and Tam O'Shanter Park. The setting on the northern section is residential, and the...
The Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail is an innovative road-to-trail conversion constructed on portions of the Historic Columbia River Highway. The trail is considered to be from milepoint...
The Coweeman River Trail follows the dike on the west side of the river for 4 miles, giving access to the riverfront and Tam O'Shanter Park. The setting on the northern section is residential, and the...
The Banks-Vernonia State Trail stretches through the hills (east of the Coast Mountains) between its two namesake towns. The former railroad corridor—once part of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle...
The Logging Road Trail runs along the eastern outskirts of Canby, about 20 miles south of Portland. The road was once used by logging trucks, but is now closed to vehicular traffic. Views along the...
As its name implies, the Peninsula Crossing Trail cuts through a peninsula between the Willamette and Columbia Rivers in northern Portland. The tree-lined trail traverses urban neighborhoods and...
The McLoughlin Promenade offers a unique trail experience overlooking the Willamette River in Oregon City. Stretching about a half mile along the river bluff, the paved pathway offers beautiful views...
The Eastbank Esplanade traces Portland's Willamette River from the Steel Bridge on the north end to SE Caruthers Street on the south end. The trail is named for former Portland mayor Vera Katz, who...
The Lombard Street Path stretches nearly 2 miles through an industrial area of northern Portland. At the southern end of Kelley Point Park, the path makes two important connections: It meets the...
When complete, the Fanno Creek Greenway will be a 15-mile paved network of fully accessible urban trails, linking two counties and five cities: Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Durham, and southwest...
Frenchman's Bar Trail could not be in a prettier place nestled between the Columbia River and Vancouver Lake on the northwestern outskirts of Vancouver. The paved trail of nearly 4 miles loops around...
The developing Westside Trail in Portland's western suburbs will be a 25-mile paved, multi-use path between the Willamette River to the north and the Tualatin River to the south. Currently, 8 miles...
Terwilliger Trail offers a beautiful, paved route from southern Portland to Lake Oswego in two disconnected segments. Most of the trail corridor runs through Multnomah County; its southern tip lies in...
The Gresham Fairview Trail is a north–south corridor that will one day link Portland's 40-Mile Loop Trail (Marine Drive section) with the Springwater Trail's section through Gresham. As of spring...
Providing a useful link between the Polk County communities of Monmouth and Rickreall, the Highway 99W Bike Path offers over five miles of paved trail for cyclists and pedestrians. Useful both as a...
The Lacamas Heritage Trail parallels Lacamas Creek and the western shore of Lacamas Lake under a canopy of old growth forest. Along this scenic gravel pathway, trail-goers can catch glimpses of the...
The I-84 Bike Path begins at the I-84 intersection with Fairview Parkway and continues west along the interstate for nearly 5 miles. A fence and concrete barrier separate trail-goers from traffic....
Portland's Steel Bridge across the Williamette River was built in 1912 and is the second-oldest vertical lift bridge still in operation in North America. Over time, the railroad bridge has become more...
Minto-Brown Island Park offers a well-loved, natural oasis in western Salem. Spanning more than a thousand acres, the park offers both wooded and open areas for recreational enjoyment. A winding paved...
The Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Trail—also known as the Chelatchie Prairie Rail-with-Trail—is currently open from Battle Ground Lake State Park to a point nearly 1 mile southwest. The paved trail runs...
Marine Drive Trail follows its namesake roadway along the south shore of the Columbia River. You'll often find you're just feet from the river and can enjoy lovely views of the water, boats and...
This is a well surfaced path sometimes a bit confusing as to where to go to continue but google maps and or TrailLink really help. There is a bit of homelessness under the overpasses but well off the trail. Park worker’s were abundant and really trying to keep things picked up. All in all a very pleasant 1.5 hour ride round trip
I rode my gravel bike from the banks trailhead and the path is plenty doable up until around 4.6mi in. At that point it starts getting pretty rough, but it’s a nice fun path otherwise, friendly for all types (there were plenty of families & kids scattered around the first chunk of the path). Parking is quite limited & tight, so plan ahead carefully!
This ride will never be in the Rails-to-Trails Hall of Fame, but if you like a bit of an adventure, and can tolerate a wide variety of settings over a short period of time, give it a go!
I rode the length of the trail, starting and ending in Boring, and extended the ride a bit by crossing over the Willamette to Portland using the Iron Bridge.
Boring to Gresham, lush and green, few streets, very pleasant. About 7 miles in toward Portland, the side effects of America's struggle to provide adequate housing for those that desire it begin to show up: abandoned shopping carts, piles of trash, burn piles. The homeless camps from Mile 13 into about Mile 9 are ramshackle, creative, and sometime surprisingly high tech. Look close, and listen, and you'll see solar panels, hear generators running, and see discarded propane tanks. At no point did I encounter any hostility or aggression from the camp dwellers.
A bit farther down the trail (mile 8ish?) there is a discontinuity in the trail, and for possibly a mile you follow a tree-lined city street. If there were signs, I missed them, and was grateful to a bicycle riding couple that got me back on track.
Back on the path, a nice run into Portland, with a very pleasant section that parallels the river, popular with walkers, runners, bikers, twisting along the shoreline, dipping down for a bit onto a very cool pontoon supported metal pathway that is designed to adjust itself for changes in river level. There is one more on the street section here, but it is well marked/signed.
Turn around, head back, mild grade to climb, gaining maybe 600 feet over 15ish miles. Not hard. The street crossings come and go, and do require both caution and patience. With my slight extension to the other side of the river, 47 mies roundtrip.
So..excellent ride to cross off on your Rails-to-Trails list. Best approached with curiosity, patience, and acceptance of life styles that do not resemble your own. Didn't see many kids (some, but not many), and between the fairly heavy human traffic (skate boarders, in-line skaters, runners, walkers, etc.), the frequent street crossings and the sections that are impressively trashed out, I can see why many parents would choose a tamer adventure. Glad I did it (really!), don't feel the need to do it again any time soon.
Good for a quick ride, relatively flat throughout. Watch out if the cottonwood trees are in bloom, and careful of the traction speed bumps on the bridge portion — they can make for an unsteady ride on a road bike for beginners.
This gem of a trail has been my go-to for over 15 years, including the outstanding refurb of Buxton Trestle and the 'final mile' into namesake Banks trailhead (used to just end outside of town). Many happy memories. While the pavement is still fine for mountain bikes and most hybrids, it has become increasingly unsafe for the skinny tire set, and any repairs have been mere band-aids. The unsafe ruts and root heaves have been helpfully painted as a warning, but I was still knocked off-trail into the grass last week by an unmarked bump (with both hands on the handlebars). I hope Oregon State Parks has a plan for repaving, considering they do a great job of cutting back blackberries and equipping trailheads with tools/workstands.
Pro-tip: Just north of the crest, near mile marker 11.5, stop by the small clear-cut on a calm day. Sheltered from traffic noise on highway 47, it's among the quietest spots I've experienced in the Portland metro area.
This ride looks promising based on the photos, but it’s pretty grim in reality. We went with or 6 and 8 year old and they struggled on the many big climbs. The trail crosses a few major roads and is a little daunting for little kids. Much of the trail looks into people’s backyards and/or power lines. And few homeless camps and trash now pepper they area near overpasses. Would not recommend if you’re going for anything other than exercise
What a terrific trail! We took our e-bikes out on their maiden voyage and, boy, was I glad to have the pedal assist! There are some steep hills, and depending on your fitness level or bike type, they may be a deal-breaker. But if you’re intrepid and game, it’s a beautiful, quiet trail with great views. Both Mount Hood and Mount Saint Helens were clearly visible today. We took MAX to the Merlo/158th stop and accessed there and made it all the way down to Scholls Ferry. I’d do this one again.
I started at the Banks trailhead and rode to Vernonia. Plenty of parking when I arrived, and not a ton of people on the trail. It was really beautiful, and pretty quiet almost the entire 22 miles there. There were a few sections that were a bit bumpy but just be aware of your surroundings and you should be fine. Almost every trailhead had a bathroom and bike station to use, and there were also great views!
Lots of garbage and campsites. Some sections are blocked with tents.
Neighborhood greenways are better.
We started at Bonnie Falls trailhead and headed up towards Vernonia. The signage was not very clear and we ended up an a logging road for an extra 4 miles. We should have gone under the bridge at about 14 miles. Instead we went on to the logging road. Good views of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams but on the wrong road. So we backtracked after talking to some people. The trail was quite muddy in spots (mid-March). Most of the trail was packed dirt and gravel. It is paved from Scapoose to Ruley TH. Then it's trees, river, meadows. Very quiet and pleasant.
I ride this almost daily in the summer , I really like having this trail so close to where I live. The only issues is you really need to pay attention the first time you ride it or you may get lost like I did. And since COVID-19 the homeless have really took over this area.
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