Powell Butte West Loop Hike

Overview

A 10 million-year-old Boring volcano, Powell Butte's 612 acres is East Portland's largest outdoor space and offers trails through lovely mature woodland and mountain-top meadows with views of the surrounding Cascade peaks. Parts of the park were closed during construction of the 50 million gallon Reservoir #2, which was completed in 2014. During the construction of the reservoir, new trails were created, some old trails saw some new alignments, and several existing paths were renamed. In addition to the new visitor center at the Powell Butte Trailhead, yellow-painted metal trail posts were put in at every junction. This loop hike begins on the west side of the nature park and allows you to visit most of the new trails while also taking in the summit vistas and forested lower slopes. From the Holgate Boulevard Trailhead, hike in past the information kiosk, which displays a detailed trail map. Walk up maple-shaded Holgate Lane with a split-rail fence on your right and reach the junction with the Dogwood-Holgate Connector Trail opposite a mossy boulder wall that is sometimes the target for graffiti taggers. Drop down the connector trail among Douglas-fir, big-leaf maple, vine maple, hazel, and sword fern passing large boulders. Reach the junction with the Dogwood Trail, now an official loop that explores the northwest corner of the park. Go left and wind around this lovely flat area under tall Douglas-firs and drooping vine maple bowers. Pass the spur leading out to a neighborhood trailhead off Center Street. Come to the junction at the east end of the Dogwood Loop and make a left into a grove of mature Douglas-firs, one of which is five feet across. A spur leads left to the 148th Avenue Trailhead, an alternative start for this hike. Keep right on the Elderberry Trail and hike up the north slope of Powell Butte, switchbacking three times, to reach the Holgate Lane-Elderberry Trail Junction and go left. You’ll follow a galvanized water pipe as you make the gentle ascent before the pipe turns up the forested slop

Trail Stats

Photos

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