Powell Butte Nature Park

Powell Butte is a 572-acre park situated on an extinct volcano (apparently we're rich in those around here) with over nine miles in trails. The park is waaay out on 162nd Avenue, about 20 minutes from where I live. It connects to the 40-mile trail which circles the city & is the second-largest park in Portland. The City purchased the land in 1925 to use for future water reservoirs. One reservoir out of the four envisioned was completed in 1980; no others have been built. The City declared the area a park & opened it to the public in 1990.

Good thing, too. The summit of the butte yields stunning views of five mountains in the Cascade Range: Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Bachelor, Mt. Adams, Mt. Helens & Mt. Hood (pictured above). I love Mt. Hood. It is gorgeous. Climber-killing, yes, but seriously, why would you climb a mountain in December anyway? Aren't you just flipping God off at that point? Apparently Darwin's rule rewards people who sit at home watching television & eating potato chips. At any rate, sometimes, if it's a clear day, after winding around the last Terwilliger curve on my way home I'm rewarded with the sight of Mt. Hood smack dab in the middle of my vision. Gorgeous mountain, river on the right, silver floating hot dogs - not a bad commute, eh?

The trails at Powell Butte are very pleasant; I took the Orchard Summit Loop to the Meadowland Trail, & it led me up to the top, past fruit orchards, through meadows, & looped through some forested area to boot. Some of the paths were paved, some were wood-chipped (to sop up mud, methinks), some were just muddy (but not too muddy; bikes & horses are mercifully banned during the winter months). Although the scenery was really nice (particularly the silver grass rippling in the wind), I suspect spring & summer are prime times to journey to Powell Butte.

I plan on finding out for sure.