Hike # 12: Gabriel, to Woods Park

Our Twelfth hike is a tour of three neighborhood parks with wooded or natural areas.  If you haven’t yet ventured to these parts of SW Portland, here is your chance for another unique self-led hike!  Read on for more details:

Name: Gabriel/Woods/April Hill Parks
Neighborhood: Multnomah Village, Ashcreek and Maplewood
Distance: 5.5 miles
Rating: Hard
Elevation Change: 700 feet
Start/End Location: Gabriel Park
Map Links:  Interactive Map

Summary:
This hike connects 3 neighborhood parks, Gabriel, Woods Memorial and April Hill, all with wooded or natural area trails. The trails between the parks use mostly side streets, sections of SW Trails # 3 and #7 , and some connecting trails. The hike starts and ends at Gabriel Park by the tennis courts parking area which has access from 45th Ave at Nevada St. But the loop could be started at other locations, such as by Smith School where 52nd Ave has lots of on-street parking.

Interactive Map Directions:

• Touch the “Interactive Map” link at the top of this page to launch a web-based version of the route map from your mobile browser (i.e. chrome, or safari).
• Touch the locate me button in the top-left corner of your display to activate a ‘blue dot’ showing your current location
• Your blue dot will now follow the highlighted route from your mobile device!
• Note, you may have to grant permission to allow the application to access location services.

Step-by-step Directions:
From the start by the informational sign near the Gabriel tennis courts, go east by the tennis courts on the blacktopped trail, across the small stream and past the first right turn until you reach the 2nd right turn by the trash bin and water fountain. Take this sharp right downhill turn and continue meandering downhill and across 2 bridges. From the 2nd bridge, follow the trail with the split-rail fence through the mixed conifer forest, bearing right at the first 2 ‘Y’ intersections before heading uphill at a ‘T’ intersection with a sharp left turn. (If you cross a creek on this trail you have gone too far.) Continue to the community gardens and out to the street. Turn left on Canby St. and walk for 1 block, then turn right on SW 40th Ave and go by the Post Office. Go straight across Multnomah Blvd for 1 short block and turn right on Garden Home until the left at the stairs in the stone wall. Follow SWtrail #7 to Woods Memorial park and enter on the Alice trail. You will soon come to the ‘Y’; take the Woods creek, to the right downhill. Follow it until turning left at the intersection with Marigold trail. Take the Marigold trail across 45th Dr. and then left and up to where the trail continues uphill to Marigold St. Walk west on Marigold St. to 52nd Ave in front of Smith school. Then jog right and catch the westbound trail by the school field. Next, go right, through the gate in the fence, to 54th St. Go 1 short block then left on the Dolph Ct trail with a jog right at 56th, through to 59th. Then go right (north) to SW Garden Home. Turn left (west) on Garden Home, before going right onto 61st to Multnomah Blvd, going down the steps at the north end of 61st . Go right (east) on Multnomah Blvd, using the pedestrian & bicycle path until you are across from West Hills Health & Rehabilitation entrance. Cross Multnomah Blvd and walk down the nursing care facility driveway and then left and through the gateway to 60th Ave. Continue north on 60th to a right at Miles and then straight for 1 block, turning right (south) on SW 59th Ave to April Hill Park Natural Area on the left. Follow that trail across the bridge in the wetlands and then up the hill past the April Hill playground, then right on the eastbound trail that comes out on SW Logan Ct. Continue east to a right on SW 54th Ave, then a left onto Custer St. Take Custer to 52nd with the Maplewood Cafe on your right. Just a few feet further on Custer, go left (east) onto SW Maplewood Rd. Take Maplewood to a left on 48th then a right onto Miles Ct and down to a path on the left onto the Multnomah Presbyterian Church driveway. Go down the church driveway to another trail, on the left, connecting to 45th Ave. Cross 45th Ave to a trail in the woods, then go left on the first trail intersection and follow this trail as it zig zags, always taking the uphill option. This trail soon comes out to an open area and a main trail in Gabriel Park. Turn left (north) and continue downhill. This trail crosses a bridge and goes up to the parking lot where you started.

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #swtrails to share your very best pictures.

Happy Trails,

SWTrails