Portland - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 440

( www.forestparkconservancy.org ) With over 5000 acres under its belt, this is the USA's
largest park within city limits. There are more than 80 miles of trails for hikers, runners
and dog-walkers, and some excellent fire roads for cyclists. The Wildwood Trail starts at
the Hoyt Arboretum and winds through 30 miles of forest, with many spur trails allowing
for loop hikes. Some other trailheads into Forest Park begin at the western ends of NW
Thurman and NW Upshur Sts.
Tryon Creek State Natural Area STATE PARK
( 503-636-9886; www.oregonstateparks.org ; 11321 SW Terwilliger Blvd) This verdant 670-acre
forest offers a nature center, streamside wildlife and 8 miles of trails, including a 3-mile
paved bike path. Late March brings wondrous displays of trillium, a wild marsh lily.
Located south of Sellwood, in Southwest Portland.
Cycling
Portland has been voted the USA's top bike-friendly city (most recently by Bicycling
Magazine ) and also boasts the highest percentage of bicycle commuters. For you, this
means that great trails for both road and mountain bikes exist, including pleasant paths
along the Willamette River downtown, and the fine 21-mile Springwater Corridor
( www.40mileloop.org/trail_springwatercorridor.htm ) , which heads out to the suburb of Boring.
Mountain bikers can head to Leif Erikson Doctor , an easy dirt logging road leading 11
miles into Forest Park and offering occasional peeks over the city. Most hiking trails here
are off-limits to bikes, so please don't ride them. For single-track and technical trails, the
Hood River and the Mt Hood area (both about an hour's drive away) have great options.
For scenic farm country, head to Sauvie Island , 10 miles northwest of downtown
Portland. This island, the largest in the Columbia River, is prime cycling land - it's flat, it
has relatively little traffic and much of it is a wildlife refuge.
Try to snag a free Portland by Bicycle ( www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/
39402 ) or Bike There! map ($9) from a visitor center or a bike shop; both detail bike-
friendly streets and trails.
If you're a visiting cyclist and want to meet like-minded folk, check out Friendly Bike
Guesthouse ( Click here ) . And for local bike news, see www.bikeportland.org .
A few cycling events worth taking part in:
Bridge Pedal CYCLING EVENT
( www.bridgepedal.com ) Thousands of Portlanders bike over bridges closed or partially
closed to vehicular traffic; held in August.