Portland has an unearned reputation as a bicycle-friendly city. There are but a few sanctioned off-pavement cycling or mountain bike single-track recreation opportunities. For local residents, Powell Butte Nature Park is the only legal multi-use destination in town.
TLDR;
Powell Butte Nature Park features the only multi-use single-track trail system within Portland city limits. Open to a wide range of users, the trails are best ridden during off-peak hours, as it is heavily used by the public.
The bulk of the trails are beginner-friendly and green and blue-rated trails as well as double track (gravel roads) access corridors.
Many of the trails feature off-camber corners and turns that can present a challenge to novice riders, especially at speed.
A bell is recommended due to the number of dog walkers, hikers, and runners.
How to find it
Main entrance:
16160 SE Powell Blvd
Portland, OR 97236
Hours:
Park hours: 5:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Vehicle access is restricted to the visitor center and parking lot. The entry gate is closed promptly without exception, and all visitors should plan on returning to the parking lot in time to vacate the park before closing time.
For more information on the park including historical information, visit the city’s webpage.
PDF map of the trails: Powell Butte Trail Map.pdf (PDF Document, 97.8 Kb)
The parking area for the park can be accessed by vehicle via the turn off on 162nd and NE Powell Blvd, but if you’re traveling by bike, the park has numerous entry points.
Unless I’m riding with a beginner, I typically ride my bicycle to the park, taking the 205 bike path to the Springwater Corridor to the park entrance off the paved path.
Any bicycle with knobby tires is suitable for riding here. These days, my personal go-to for the trails is a hardtail mountain bike with fast-rolling tires, though I’ve ridden the park on both full suspension mountain bikes as well as gravel bikes. The trail surfaces are hard-packed, and they can be slick after rain. Riding here in wet weather is not recommended; aside from the occasional root or the loose gravel found on the meadow areas, it is relatively mellow terrain.
Hardtail mountain bikes can make even tame trail experiences fun.
Powell Butte vs Forest Park
The largest green space in the Portland area is Forest Park. While one could argue that Forest Park is another recreation option with almost 30 miles of dirt and gravel roads, it’s more of a gravel cycling destination, as only one mile of the single-track trail network is officially legal and accessible to cyclists.
In contrast, Powell Butte has its network of single-track multiuse trails — though there are far fewer available to cyclists today, as several routes are now signed as off limits to bikes.