Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Oak Island Trail on Sauvie Island passes through grassy meadows that are home to cattle, wildlife and oak trees.

Natural beauty abounds in the forests, rivers and gorges around Portland, but you don’t have to go far to find a good trail.

Portland itself is a beautiful place to hike, with trails running up extinct volcanoes, through dense forests, neighborhoods and protected natural areas in the city. But while many of our urban hikes are legitimate exercise, there are several that offer nice, easy excursions.

“Easy” is subjective, of course, but for this list it means hikes that tend to be shorter with little elevation gain. All are located in the city proper or on Sauvie Island, which is a great destination for flat hiking trails.

Many of these easy hikes are also accessible to people using wheelchairs and walkers, as well those pushing strollers. You can find more information on universal access hikes around Portland courtesy of the folks at Access Recreation.



READ MORE: Portland Hiking Guide: The 20 best places to hike in the city

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John M. Vincent/The Oregonian

HOYT ARBORETUM

Distance: Varies

Elevation gain: Varies

Amenities: Visitor center, restrooms, water

Wheelchair accessible: Yes



Hoyt Arboretum is home to more than 2,300 species of trees and 12 miles of trails. That allows a lot of flexibility with hiking. A five-mile loop hike is a great way to see the arboretum, as is a three-mile excursion on accessible trails. The trails wind through some truly beautiful forest unlike anyplace else you'll find in Portland.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

KELLEY POINT PARK

Distance: 1.7 miles

Elevation gain: 45 feet

Amenities: Restrooms, water, picnic areas

Wheelchair accessible: Yes



Found at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Kelley Point was once envisioned as the site of a major city before Portland was founded. Now, it's home to one of the city's best stretches of sandy beach (though swimming in the rivers is not recommended following several deaths). An easy walk along paved trails and beaches runs about two miles through the park.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

MOUNT TABOR

Distance: 1.7 miles

Elevation gain: 272 feet

Amenities: Restrooms, picnic areas, playgrounds, water

Wheelchair accessible: Partially



Mount Tabor is one of Portland's most iconic destinations, and there are several ways to go about hiking up and around the extinct cinder cone. Wooden posts mark the Red, Green and Blue trails that go past old water reservoirs, gardens and through wooded areas. The one-mile Red Trail is the easiest, but the Green Trail is still easy enough making a 1.7-mile loop around the perimeter of the park with only mild elevation gain.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

OAK ISLAND

Distance: 2.5 miles

Elevation gain: 10 feet

Amenities: Portable toilet

Wheelchair accessible: No



Technically a peninsula, Oak Island is found at the center of Sauvie Island, where a grassy loop trail meanders through oak-strewn meadows around the bending shore of Sturgeon Lake. There are great views of Mount St. Helens and Mount Hood on the hike, and it's home to protected wildlife as well as a herd of cattle.



NOTE: A parking permit is required at Sauvie Island trailheads. They can be purchased at Cracker Barrel Grocery on the island for $10 daily or $30 annually.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

OAKS BOTTOM

Distance: 2.3 miles

Elevation gain: 125 feet

Amenities: Restrooms, water, picnic area at Sellwood Park

Wheelchair accessible: Yes



Oaks Bottom is a rare urban wildlife refuge in southeast Portland, where easy, accessible trails run through woods along a protected wetland. The area is best known for its non-natural elements – Oaks Amusement Park, the Springwater Corridor and Sellwood draw most of the crowds – but the refuge remains a beautiful getaway in the thick of the city.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

SMITH AND BYBEE LAKES

Distance: 2.1 miles

Elevation gain: 10 feet

Amenities: Restrooms, water, picnic area

Wheelchair accessible: Yes



With a mile-long paved trail around protected wetlands in North Portland, Smith and Bybee Lakes is a great little escape in an otherwise industrial part of the city. As you hike, expect to see herons, eagles, turtles and other wildlife. Covered viewpoints off the side of the trail offer great places to observe without disturbing the animals.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

TRYON CREEK

Distance: Varies

Elevation gain: Varies

Amenities: Restrooms, nature center, water, parking lot

Wheelchair accessible: Yes



A sprawling state park found in southwest Portland, Tryon Creek has many winding trails for whatever kind of adventure you're looking for. The easiest and most accessible trails are found around the park's nature center, including the paved Ruth Pennington Trillium Trail. A two-mile inner loop hike is also an easy way to explore the beautiful forest.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

WAPATO GREENWAY

Distance: 2.2 miles

Elevation gain: 40 feet

Amenities: None

Wheelchair accessible: No



A quiet loop hike on the south side of Sauvie Island, the Wapato Greenway runs alongside the Multnomah Channel and Virginia Lake, passing by beautiful wetlands, towering oaks and hundreds of species of wildlife. The trailhead is found at a small parking area with no amenities to speak of, though there are country stores on the island nearby.



NOTE: A parking permit is required at Sauvie Island trailheads. They can be purchased at Cracker Barrel Grocery on the island for $10 daily or $30 annually.

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Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian

WASHINGTON PARK LOOP

Distance: 3.9 miles

Elevation gain: 585 feet

Amenities: Restrooms, visitor center, water at Hoyt Arboretum

Wheelchair accessible: No



Washington Park is home to some of Portland's best attractions – the Portland Japanese Garden, International Rose Test Garden, Oregon Zoo and Hoyt Arboretum are all there, among others – but you can also explore the park on the sidewalks and trails that wind through it. A four-mile loop hike can be started at the arboretum, rose garden or Sacagawea statue, with many sites and stops along the way.

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Michael Lloyd/The Oregonian

WOODS PARK

Distance: 2.3 miles

Elevation gain: 210 feet

Amenities: None

Wheelchair accessible: No



There are several short trails in Woods Memorial Natural Area (also known as Woods Park), and hiking the length of all them will add up to about a two-mile excursion. The trails run through the forest and across bridges over the two forks of Woods Creek, all tucked into a neighborhood in southwest Portland.

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--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB