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The scenic Riverton Rail Trail—also known as “Sandy Road” by residents of Portland’s Riverton neighborhood—follows the former corridor of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Railroad, which stopped carrying passengers in 1933. The trail connects to a number of neighborhood streets along its 1.5-mile length.
The trail is mostly flat as it runs through dense woodlands, and sounds from an adjacent freight railroad line occasionally interrupt the natural serenity. Portland Trails plans to extend the trail to connect with others in its extensive network. That work is ongoing.
A few on-street parking spots can be found at the end of Harris Avenue, as well as at the ends of the next two parallel streets, Luke and Farragut.
Like many of Portland's trails I feel that looks can be deceiving. You think, "How can walking a trail in Portland, a city, be interesting?" I have never been disappointed when choosing from one of Portland Trails' walks. Tucked away near outer Forest Avenue this trail offers a peaceful getaway. The majority of it is level and sandy and there is one steep slope at the far end of the trail where it branches off to a connector trail. I often see joggers, dog walkers and people on mountain bikes but the trail has never been crowded or seemed "busy".
In the winter you can snowshoe, ski the trail as well as skate on the pond.
It has two small ponds near the trailhead on Harris and I have seen a variety of ducks, both green and blue herons, and lots of smaller birds there. Winter berries offer a splash of brilliant red along the banks of the ponds during the fall, There is a small stream near the end of the trail and plenty of nice places to stop and birdwatch.
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