Venture Into Portland’s Urban Woods

At just over 30 miles long, the Wildwood Trail is the country’s longest within a city.

(Joe Riedl)

The Wildwood Trail (forestparkconservatory.org) is essentially Portland’s crown jewel of urban outdoorism. At just over 30 miles long, it’s the country’s longest trail within a city, twisting and turning the majority of the way through Forest Park. Within minutes of slipping into the woods, you feel miles from downtown. But even if you’re not planning to hike that far north, the segment that passes through Washington Park offers a scenic, connect-the-dots path to all of the area’s major attractions. You can start at the Oregon Zoo trailhead, and on the way to the Portland Japanese and International Rose Test gardens, detour through the Hoyt Arboretum and past an iconic Mount Hood viewpoint.

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