The Goose / Be a Tourist in Your Own Town. In Hiking Boots.
Great Outdoors
Issue 1
Be a Tourist in Your Own Town. In Hiking Boots.
Skip the boozy brunch and pull out those hiking boots. It’s time to impress your friends on Strava with not only your step count, but also with your Portland icon selfie count. All in one hike. But how?
First, open up AllTrails. It is 2025 after all, and we need as many apps as possible to spend time in nature. Select “Hoyt Arboretum – Lower MacLeay Trailhead.” Now don’t be too alarmed by the trail length of 6.2 miles. You’ll only be climbing 675 feet of vertical as you hike and reward yourself with an adult beverage at the end.
This is a point-to-point hike, but never fear, instead of a sag wagon for support, here in Portland we have public transit! Starting in Goose Hollow, you can ride either the red or the blue Max line to Washington Park, and you can take the TriMet 15 bus back after you’ve enjoyed some victory drinks.
See the Trail Notes on the right page for transit tips and intel on trail attractions and viewpoints.
Let’s take a virtual hike, shall we? Hop on the MAX line and ride 7 minutes from the Goose Hollow station to the Washington Park station. Hop off. Drink some water. It is never too early to hydrate.
Gear up the GPS and find the Marquam Trail near the south entrance to Washington Park. Located by Goose Hollow and the southwest neighborhoods of Portland, Washington Park is chock-full of selfie-worthy destinations including the Hoyt Arboretum, the International Rose Test Garden, the Oregon Zoo, the World Forestry Center (where the Timbers Victory Log is blessed) and much more.
You won’t hit all of these stops on this trail, but don’t be a rule follower. Feel free to veer off-course whenever the mood strikes.
he Marquam Trail takes you past the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and then intersects with the Wildwood Trail.
Follow the Wildwood Trail back across the park, where you’ll be in close proximity to the Hoyt Arboretum.
Continue to be wild about Wildwood and you’ll find yourself adjacent to the Portland Japanese Garden.
The Wildwood Trail ALMOST circumnavigates the Arboretum and then it makes a deliberate turn to cross W. Burnside Road and step out of Washington Park and into Pittock Acres Park.
Here you’ll get into at least Zone 2 with a bit of climbing up to the Pittock Mansion and some truly jaw-dropping city and Mount Hood views.
What goes up must come down, and as you pass into Forest Park, the Wildwood Trail will take you down to the Pittock Bird Sanctuary where you can peer through the trees for winged specimens.
The next stop honors a different kind of airborne projectile, the Witch’s Castle. At the ruins that celebrate broom flying, you’ll finally leave the Wildwood Trail and skip like Dorothy down Lower Macleay Trail.
Can you smell the barn? You’re almost there!
Lower Macleay Trail weaves through Balch Canyon.
Depending on the season, you’ll appreciate the waters of Balch Creek, or the mud it creates for your boots. Mud. It is a part of PNW living. Embrace it.
Lower Macleay Trail concludes at what else, Lower Macleay Park! The park and it’s trailhead parking area are a short 10-minute walk to Great Notion Brewery for a burger and a much-deserved beer.
You’ve earned it!
Trail Attractions
Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial: Dedicated in 1987, the memorial was created by Oregon Vietnam Veterans to honor the Oregonians who gave their lives in the war, or who are missing in action.
Hoyt Arboretum: Even in 1928, Portlanders cared deeply about trees. Hoyt Arboretum was created to conserve endangered species and to teach the community about the forests around them.
Portland Japanese Garden: Take a detour and enjoy a tea at the authentic Japanese Tea House, wonder at the eight unique and carefully curated gardens, cross charming bridges and soak up the view of Mount Hood.
Pittock Mansion: A French Renaissance-style chateau, the Pittock Mansion sits on 46-acres and was built in 1914 for Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock and his wife Georgiana Burton Pittock. Definitely pull out the camera phone for this stop with views of Portland’s skyline. On a clear day, count five Cascades: Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Rainier, and Mount Jefferson.
Pittock Bird Sanctuary: Stop and listen. How many birdsongs can you hear? Now look. What do you see? The Sanctuary is an important habitat for Portland-based birds and migratory species alike, providing a safe refuge and place to rest as they journey north and south.
Witch’s Castle: Ruins of a stone structure that was Works Progress Administration pavilion and restroom for hikers in the 1930s.
Trail Notes
Leashed dogs are allowed. Woof!
Downloading the AllTrails app will make it easier to stay on the trail. Give it a try! No, AllTrails isn’t a sponsor. We just like it.
Transit: The red and blue MAX lines will both take you from Goose Hollow/Jefferson Station to the Washington Park station. You’ll need to walk just a few minutes from there to the trailhead.
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