Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10
HAWTHORNE BRIDGE TO STEEL
BRIDGE: RING AROUND THE RIVER
BOUNDARIES:
Steel Bridge, SW Front Ave., Hawthorne Bridge, I-5
DISTANCE:
3 miles
DIFFICULTY:
Easy
PARKING:
Free street parking, metered near Hawthorne side of Eastbank Esplanade
PUBLIC TRANSIT:
TriMet Buses 4, 10, and 14 (SW Main St. and 2nd Ave.); MAX Blue
and Red Lines (Yamhill District Station)
This is an easy, pleasant (in nice weather) waterfront loop walk that includes two of
Portland's more noteworthy, character-defining civic projects, both of which exist
mainly thanks to the progressive vision of city leaders who were intent on preserving
the city's reputation for pedestrian-friendly travel and that old magazine favorite, “liv-
ability.” Along with great views and fresh air, this walk provides some tangible ex-
amples of that often-vague concept, in the form of the Eastbank Esplanade and Water-
front Park. It's also a great way to get a feel for Portland's overall layout, the differen-
ce in character between the east side and the west side of the Willamette River, and
the importance of bridges and the Willamette River in the city's general atmosphere.
Start at the Salmon Street Springs fountain, at the foot of SW Salmon St.
near the riverfront. Busy with frolicking toddlers and teens all summer
long, the fountain is a familiar and oft-photographed city landmark, as
well as a handy meeting point. Fun fact: it has 185 water jets, whose
three shifting patterns are controlled by a computer stored underground.
From the fountain, head toward the river and left along the seawall. The
original version of this wall was built in the 1920s to keep the Willamette
River from flooding downtown every year. What is now Tom McCall
Waterfront Park was a major traffic thoroughfare for years, until the
opening of the Marquam Bridge and I-5 provided a more efficient altern-
ative. In the late 1960s, then-Gov. Tom McCall started looking at plans to
replace the outdated road (called Harbor Dr.) with some type of public
space. (One suggestion, which in retrospect seems borderline-insane, was
to make Harbor Dr. even wider.) The park was finished and dedicated in
1978 (and was officially named after McCall in 1984). A tremendously
