TRAIL #6: Goose Hallow to Tryon Creek
Neighborhood(s): Goose Hallow, Southwest Hills, Homestead, Hillsdale, Burlingame, Markham, Marshall Park
Length: 10.6 Miles
Elevation (ft): Min: 102, Max: 961, Change: 859
Starting Point: Goose Hollow
Ending Point: Tryon Creek State Park
Map Links: Mobile* Browser Google Maps KML/GPX Download
Attractions: Goose Hollow District, Council Crest Park, Marquam Nature Park, Dewitt Park, Hillsdale Farmers’ Market, Ida Wells High School, Hillsdale Library, Tryon Creek State Park, Lake Oswego businesses.
Summary of Trail:
This is one of two north-southtrails in the urban trail network (the other is Trail 7). The trail begins at Goose Hollow MAX Station and winds its way up through the Portland Heights Neighborhood. It meets Trail 1 at the SW edge of Marquam Nature Park and continues south skirting the edge of Terwilliger Parkway. The elevation gain is great, but the views of east Portland are greater! The trail continues south on 19th St to Marshall Park and connects with Tryon Creek State Park. A proposed extension of the trail will continue along B Ave in Lake Oswego to the Lake Oswego shopping district.
Description:
Although you may begin this trail anywhere along the way, this description begins at the MAX stop at Goose Hollow & SW Jefferson Street. Find the round-about for Jefferson St, Columbia St and 18th Avenue. Turn right on 18th Ave and walk south. After you’ve crossed under Sunset Hwy 26 turn left onto the walk/bike path and walk along the highway to 16th Ave. Turn right here and walk one block, then turn right again onto Montgomery Street. At the left turn in the street the name changes to Montgomery Drive. Follow this for one long block through a sharp right-hand turn until you reach a staircase on your left which you will use to ascend to Vista Avenue. After one block turn left onto Carter Lane. Follow it for one block and take another left onto Jackson Street. After one short block turn right onto 18th Ave and follow it south for six blocks to Elizabeth Street. Turn right onto it. At the left turn in the street the name changes to Terrace Drive. Continue on it for two blocks where it intersects Gerald Avenue. Turn right onto it and follow through one ninety-degree left turn and then, at #2660 Gerald Ave, follow the staircase on your left down to Broadway Drive.
Turn right on Broadway Dr and follow it for one block to an intersection where you shall enter Sherwood Drive. Follow Sherwood Dr for quite a while, passing Nottingham Dr on your right at a ninety-degree left hand turn in the road. Eventually you will come upon Sherwood Place on your right. Turn right onto it. Follow this road as it meanders for several blocks and finally T’s into Fairmount Boulevard. Turn left onto it and follow it for an even longer meander until Mitchell St comes up on your left. Turn left onto it. After a block keep left to enter Hessler Drive. Follow Hessler until, at a lovely eastward overlook, it T’s into Northwood Avenue. Take a right onto it and follow it until it T’s into Westwood Drive. Turn left and follow it until Cheltenham Ct appears on you right. Follow it; keep to the right; after a block it becomes Cheltenham Street. After two blocks Dewitt Street appears on your right; follow it for one block, past the Hillsdale Library, and then turn left on Sunset Boulevard. Cross Capitol Highway and follow the driveway onto Ida Wells (formerly Wilson) High School grounds. Turn right before the bleachers and follow the edge of the parking lot east of Rieke Elementary school until you come to Vermont St which you cross to enter 13th Avenue. After a block turn right on Chestnut Dr. After three blocks cross Bertha Boulevard and enter Stephens Creek Natural Area. Pass through the Natural Area and emerge onto Capitol Hill Road. Be careful.
Take a left on Capitol Hill Rd and walk a few hundred yards until you can turn left onto the trail on the 19th Ave right-of-way. Now follow it for about eighteen blocks, over Barbur Boulevard and I-5, past Capitol Elementary and St. Clare schools until it T’s into Taylor’s Ferry Road. Cross it, turn left and walk a block to 18th Place. Turn right on it and follow it for a block until the entry to Marshall Park appears on your left. Enter, keep right and walk down through the elongated park reaching first the north side of Tryon Creek then the playground. Continue south and cross Tryon Creek on the stone bridge and follow the main trail south until it reaches Maplecrest Dr and continues on the other side of it. You will too. You will be walking for a few hundred feet on a wide forest road. Look out for a smaller trail that takes off to your right. Take it and follow it through the park, over a small bridge and onto SW 11th Drive. After a couple of blocks it T’s into Arnold Street. Turn left on it and (after the spring of year 2021) use the new staircase on your left and the new trail under the new Boones Ferry Rd bridge to cross safely underneath the road to its eastern side. Walk south on the sidewalk/extended shoulder of Boones Ferry Rd until, after a few hundred yards, you encounter the North Creek Trail head to Tryon Creek State Natural Area. Now follow Tryon Creek downstream and south by walking in sequence first on North Creek Trail, then Middle Creek Trail, Red Fox Trail, South Creek Trail and, finally, now following Nettle Creek upstream, by walking south on Iron Mountain Trail to Andrews Rd in Lake Oswego.