The Marine Drive multi-use path is a sweet little section of biking/hiking/walking and generally…read moreanything-without-a-motor-ing path that hugs the Columbia River from NE 33rd out past the I-205 bridge. It's mostly flat and set down a bit from Marine Drive in many areas, so while on the path you definitely feel like you're out on the river. However in some areas, like near the airport, it's set up above Marine Drive, offering fun views of aircraft landing and taking off, etc. I've biked this path a few times on the section between 205 and the airport. On weekdays during the daytime it's pretty deserted. As this path connects with the 205 Multi-Use Path, it offers a lot of miles of fairly un-interrupted dedicated paved path for riding. The zero inclines along the path add to ease for family outings. There's pretty much no cover from the sun, however, so anyone planning to go the distance on this path should definitely be rocking the sunscreen, especially with the water right there next to the path. There are some spots available for parking along the length of the path however I've always accessed this path via the 205 connection, which you can take across the river to Washington (exhaust is an issue) or down south all the way to Oregon City. All told, this is part of a much larger system of trails that lets you stay out of traffic and get some serious mileage in. As an added bonus, once you get east of the 205 bridge, the views of Mt. Hood up the Columbia are stunning.

Safe and easy to access, this is beginning to be one of my favorite walking paths. It stretches…read morefor miles, and I appreciate the Columbia / Mt. Hood views, especially to the east of the 205 bridge. Fellow walkers and cyclists are friendly and respectful of each other's space, and there's lots of space out here. If I'm driving to this pathway, I like parking at the Brighton Beach area.

This spot gets 5-stars for: - The incredible views of up to…read more6 mountain peaks on a clear day. It's a small park, so if it's cloudy, there isn't much else to do here and you may want to save it for another day. - Being completely ADA accessible with the ability to drive up to the top to drop off individuals who can't make the steep walk up to the top, and there are 2 handicap parking spaces at the top as well. - Paved path circling around the top, with a low-rise so you can easily navigate with someone in a wheelchair or walker. - There's a small restroom facility at the top. - One covered picnic area, at least one other picnic table, and some benches. - Informational signage around the park explaining the history and wildlife of the area in 3 languages (English, Spanish and, I believe, Russian). - Engraved metal plaque & stones at the lookout point showing you exactly where to look to see each mountain peak. -Small parking lot at the entrance/bottom of the park.

To get here, you drive through a fancy new neighborhood. There is free parking. Walk up the asphalt…read morehill (or drive to the top for drop-off and ADA parking) to a very short paved loop trail. A few benches and picnic seats are available, as well as some educational signs about the area. From the top elevation of 930 feet, you can see Mt Hood, Mt St Helen's, Mt Adams, Mt Rainier, the Gorge, and the city of Gresham... if it's a clear day. If not then you've got great views of the trees. Near the parking lot is a 1928 house with a neat history as a speakeasy. Would be cool if they opened it up for tours or private events! There is a restroom at the top.

This is the perfect trail. First of all it is really close to where we live. Second it's not super…read morelong. Finally, it has a variety. Parking is fairly easy; since, you are a net neighborhood with plenty of space. When you get to the trailhead, you could either go left down the hill or go up the gravel road. Do you recommend going left down the trail first. Few minutes into the hike, you come up to a four-way intersection. Turn right to stay on the trail which is fairly easy with some downhill and uphill paths. The second third of the trail is fairly steep which I enjoyed even though it was short. You finally reach a gravel road which takes you gone back to the trailhead. What I like about this hike the most was the scenery which was beautiful and secluded. The smells and sounds were nature at its best we even saw a young deer...

What's the point? You hike up and you hit a dead end. There's no view up there, no scenic outlook,…read morejust a hike to nowhere that has a "no trespassing private property" sign at the end. There's another path that goes down, but after the long hike up there was no way we were going to take it. There's also no dogs allowed at this location with some bs reason stated. Oddly enough this seems to be the only butte in the area with that sign.

Stunning series of well-maintained trails with clear signage to help one navigate the network of…read moretrails. The trails stay in good shape even in the winter. There are muddy spots here and there but nothing that you can't side step. The trees are also identified with signs so you can learn and expand your tree vocabulary and appreciation for the forest. It's my favorite place to hike.

As a destination, there's not much going on here. It's a shady pullout off the side of the road…read morewith some parking spots (not many though) and a giant metal shelter with some signs and picnic tables. But if you're a hiker, it's probably a good spot to enter a number of urban trails that either start or run through here. Unremarkable scenery-wise.

Another great trail system in the metro. Seems to be a favorite of trail runners. The paths are…read moremostly narrow, lots of winding and ups & downs. Most of the trail surface is dirt, so the trails get pretty muddy and can be a bit slippery. Peaceful and shady environment, with decent street parking and good signage.

One of my favorite local hikes. There's a lot of variety here in various trails and some great…read moreinclines to get my heart pumping. It's clean, well-used, and feels safe. Bathrooms are always clean and well stocked. The trails are in great condition and the bridges are both beautiful and not slippery. I've been hiking here for over 10 years--it's a wonderful place to enjoy a few hours in nature. Plus, there's lots of shade in the summer.

Love this trail! There are three parking lots available, two on the smaller side. There are…read morerestrooms available during summer months. This park is very lush with picnic tables and grills spread out for privacy. The view of the lake is gorgeous! There are over 6 miles of trails, some of which intertwine. If you're new to these trails, a map is a good idea; one could easily get lost if not familiar as the trails aren't all marked. I just took a picture of the trail map by the parking area to have as reference in case I needed it. The trails are lush and mainly dirt and rocks. If you walk down to lower falls the trail can be a little more treacherous. Some of the hills are steep and some rocks loose. Make sure you wear the proper footwear. There are a few falls to see, many creeks, a dam and a couple lakes (Lacamas and Round). Overall a wonderful place to get outside for fresh air and beautiful scenery. Highly recommend.

I like being able to hike around the top of this semi-spooky butte. Evidently it's an old bomb…read moreshelter or a hidden bomb shelter or something crazy. I know people that have supposedly been inside there and I guess it has a big painting up on the ceiling of the whole town. I like that there are stairways that go nowhere. I grew up with it sort of in my backyard so I love to hear old stories about what's really going on up there. It's also fun to rip our dirt bikes up and around there. We don't rip up the natural areas we stick to the trails.

Kelly Butte is nearly 30 acres of woods on a volcanic cinder cone on the edge of SE/Outer SE…read morePortland. It has a long history of being used to harm the poorest citizens of Portland. After being stolen from the Chinook by the Kelly family who ran a failed farm, the city of Portland opened a prison for the express purpose if imprisoning houseless people using vagrency laws and forced them to break rocks by hand to pave the city's roads. Nothing ever changes besides location. In the 1950's after I don't know, asphalt was invented and many poor Oregonians had been worked to death as slaves the prison was closed to make way for a state of the art, even by today's standards, nuclear bomb shelter. There's a interesting 50s film called "The Day Called X" documenting a drill where the city is evacuated and government whisked away to Kelly Butte in a couple hours. Officially its was just for government but many who were in the loop say slots were sold to the rich and I tent to believe them because 20,000sq ft is more then city counsel needs for a couple months. Within a couple years though those who profit most from war unveiled the ICBM bringing warning times from 6 plus hours to under a half hour making the bunker a expensive useless concrete hole in the ground. During this time on the other side of the hill there was a hospice where those who couldn't afford health care were sent to die. The shelter was turned into a 911 dispatch Startin in the early 1970's where police were told where to go murder minorities. But workers were getting sick for a unexplained reason and it was abandoned in the mid 90's. For about 15 years it was occupied by houseless people with little care from the city. People used it as a bathroom, stripped it of anything of value, lit fire for warmth setting off the sprinklers repeatedly causing a black mold problem . I'm told people repeatedly ODed and were left for weeks. There was no narcain available them and no cell phones so there wasn't much to do when an OD happened a 20min walk from a phone. In the 2000s it was finally buried. Now the city parks bureau called is a "natural area but that's kinda BS, Kelly Butte had been clear cut many times over the last couple hundred years. The city does no matinence, does not cut grass, pick up trash there's no cans, police do not patrol. The PPB doesn't even have keys to the gate. A few neighborhood people walk dogs but for the most part people don't seem to know it's even there. There's a few houseless people camped, if you stick to the established trails you won't see them, and the y won't bother you. There's a collective of activists called PDXHRC who are sort of like a non-profit helping houseless people but they are operating from a more radical standpoint. They travel around town and embed in houseless community's to help improve their lives by providing tents and other supplies The point being that it improves the whole community. They also help defend from sweeps and stuff like that. They are the ones who do trash collection around the park when they are there. It's their home base so if there not helping out somewhere else there at KB. These people don't panhandle or use drugs they are houseless intentionally to better serve others. If you see them, and you'll know, they look like how you'd expect radicals to look. They are really nice people, with a barking dog that won't bite. They said to tell everyone to let them know if there is any maintenance needed in the park and they will take care of it. They said to do the same about other camps in the neighborhood, they have supplies and make meals to give away. Kelly Butte is a amazing place to have here in city limits. Go there enjoy it. It's a rare place. Oh, near dark be careful with pets, there are coyotes.

Thanks to a Yelp friend, learned about this paved walking path along the Columbia River and had to…read morecheck it out. The walkway is paved, flat and wide - which I love and require - and it runs parallel to the Columbia River so there are gorgeous views the entire way. In nice weather, sailboats, boats and kayaks add to the charm. Something about walking along the water that always elevates the experience for me so this trail is a winner! There is a lot of sun, and some smaller shady area, so if you are sun sensitive wear a hat. I wear a baseball cap and sunglasses to keep the sun from wearing me down. if you do want to rest, there are several inviting benches along the way. Even views of the beach areas and for those wanting to venture closer to the water, the path down is rocky. And beaches not too inviting but people do use them. Would definitely be safer if there were stairs. The trail is five miles and you can park anywhere along the way. Walk, bike or skateboard as far you want and are able. In some areas there are a few restaurants and even an ice cream place. At the east end is Tidewater Cove with the Marina just past the stretch of condos. Depending on the season, there are flowers blooming or in full bloom or trees turning their fall colors. As many have pointed out, there aren't any bathrooms except down at the west end near the newer part of the Vancouver Waterfront. Plan or time accordingly or stop in a restaurant to purchase something and use the restroom.

Such a beautiful trail along the Columbia River. So many birds and flowers to see. The trail is an…read moreeasy walk, not too hilly. Many beautiful photo opportunities. Multiple boat docks along the trail. There are benches scattered along the path as well as restaurants...The Cove, Beaches and McMenamins. All restaurants have beautiful views of the Columbia River and outdoor seating. Wintler Community Park at the end of the trail has a decent beach to relax on, and restrooms are available there as well. They have about 20-25 parking spots. This park is free in off-season, but otherwise charge $5 for vehicles and $3 for motorcycles. Overall highly recommend enjoying this wonderful trail along the beautiful Columbia River.