Rocky Butte Hike

Overview

Rocky Butte, one of Portland's Boring volcanoes, lay in the direct path of the Bretz or Missoula Floods, some of the largest known on the planet, which blasted down the Columbia Gorge from what is now Montana over a period of about 2,000 years until about 13,000 B.C. The eastern face of the cinder cone was extensively eroded as the Portland area went under 400 feet of water. The west side of Rocky Butte, now known as the Alameda Ridge, became a collection of debris from hundreds of miles away. The northeast side of the butte also hosted a rock quarry, which gave rise to its current name; previous to this, it was known as Wiberg Butte. Stone from the quarry was used in the construction of the former Multnomah County Jail, located nearby and demolished to make way for the freeway. Cliff faces on the northeast side of the butte hold over 100 climbing routes, and bouldering practice can be enjoyed on the stone walls at the summit. The trail route described below crosses public lands belonging to state and city parks and the Oregon Department of Transportation. Head out the exit to The Grotto parking lot and turn right on Skidmore Street, which parallels The Grotto. Pass the chapel, which sits atop administrative offices. Then pass the Skidmore Pump Station on your right. As the street rises from a depression scoured by swirling Bretz floodwaters, find a path that goes off into the woods of the freeway right-of-way. The Douglas-firs here are draped with ivy. Also common are big-leaf maple, cherry-laurel, holly and some western hemlock. Trails left lead back to Skidmore via a mountain bike jump course. Cliffs to the right were quarried for the blocks that shored the Rocky Butte Road and Hill Park in addition to the County Jail. Large mossy boulders lie jumbled among the maples. Come to the I-205 freeway sight barrier and go right, gently ascending with views of the busy freeway to the left and rocky, wooded cliffs to the right. Reach a junction. A trail makes a sharp right up the slope. This is the one you should ta

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