59 min
Overview
This hike explores the slopes of two of the Portland area's Boring volcanoes with views to others. The Boring Lava Field was active for 2 1/2 million years and became extinct about 300,000 years ago. The Gresham Butte Saddle Trail rises on an old logging road to a saddle between Gabbert Butte, to the south, and Walters Hill (also called Gresham Butte) to the north. The top of Walters Hill/Gresham Butte is in a subdivision, but you can get sweeping views over Gresham from here. The old road bed to the top of Gabbert Hill, once slated for development but acquired as open space by Metro and the City of Gresham in 2007, rewards with the discovery of the Gabbert Butte Truck, apparently a relic of the much-maligned 1970s Mount Hood Freeway project. You can continue down the south slope of Gabbert Butte in Metro's Gabbert Butte Natural Area (Note that no dogs are permitted on Metro-managed property). From here, via city streets, you can make a loop using the Butler Creek Greenway and the Springwater Corridor and then return to the Gresham Butte East Trailhead via the Saddle Trail. Another possible full loop involves heading east around the Springwater to reconnect with your car off of Regner Road. The Gresham Butte Saddle Trail leads up graveled but overgrown S.E. 19th Drive under cottonwoods and alders. A creek runs down to the right. Douglas-firs, cedars, holly, hazel and big-leaf maples make up the woodland vegetation. Near the beginning of the trail, look right across a creek to see a couple examples of the shapely Hogan cedars (An interpretive sign at the Gresham Butte Saddle explains these unique trees). At a junction keep left; the trail rises through an understory of Himalayan blackberry, sword fern, vine maple, and snowberry. Cross a creek bed, wend up, and then dip down to recross the creek. At the Gresham Butte Saddle, come to a four-way crossroads with a bench. One sign here describes the "Hogan Cedars", a unique and particularly shapely variety of the western red-cedar that grows only in this area, espec
Trail Stats
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297 m
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Photos
400px-GreshamButteButlerCreekGreenwayMap
400px-GreshamButteButlerCreekGreenwayMap
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160px-A_Hogan_cedar%2C_Gresham_Saddle_Trail
250px-GreshamButteButlerCreek3
250px-GreshamButteButlerCreek3
250px-GreshamButteButlerCreek4
250px-GreshamButteButlerCreek4
250px-On_the_Gabbert_Loop_Trail%2C_Gabbert_Butte_Natural_Area
250px-On_the_Gabbert_Loop_Trail%2C_Gabbert_Butte_Natural_Area
250px-The_abandoned_truck%2C_Gabbert_Butte
250px-The_abandoned_truck%2C_Gabbert_Butte
400px-GreshamButteButlerCreek1
400px-GreshamButteButlerCreek1