Hall Jackson Kelley really wanted people to like Oregon.

Over the course of 40 years, the native New Englander published several pamphlets advocating for the settlement of the Pacific Northwest, and even put out a book, "Settlement on the Oregon River," in 1828.

Yet for all his passionate publishing, Kelley was only able to visit the Beaver State once, a brief stint here in 1834 that came after years of tribulations on his journey across the American frontier. But once he arrived, the northwest stirred the New Englander's imagination enough for his biggest dream of all: a major city at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers.

A city nearby was eventually established, Portland, but it fell about a dozen miles south of Kelley's aspirations. The spot where he envisioned a bustling metropolis instead became property of the Port of Portland, which for years covered the peninsula with tons of river dredgings.

Though his dreams were never fully realized, and his advocacy never fully recognized, Hall Jackson Kelley was at very least memorialized in Portland history, as the namesake of Kelley Point Park, the place where the man envisioned a city, where today Portlanders swim, walk, play and find inspiration all their own.

Kelley Point Loop Hike

Distance: 1.7 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Amenities: Bathrooms, paved trails, picnic areas

NOTE: The map below doesn't include walking along the beach itself, something Google Maps doesn't recognize as a walking path.

Urban Beachfront

Kelley Point Park is, first and foremost, a beach. And while there are trails that run through the small North Portland park, most are paved and a "hike" there is, well, more of a walk. All the same, the scenic park makes for a quick and easy stroll to the point where the Willamette and Columbia Rivers collide - a lovely and important crossroads in the Pacific Northwest.

There are two parking lots for Kelley Point, but for this hike park at the south lot - the first one you come to. Head out on the paved trail and turn left at the junction. This takes you down a short path with a viewpoint of the Willamette River, before it joins up with the Columbia. At the end, head back the way you came and turn left to take the path north through the park.

You'll encounter a lot of user-made trails heading down to the beach, but you're better off waiting for the main paths, of which there are three throughout the park. You'll soon find the first along a sandy bark chip trail to a wide open stretch of beach along the Willamette, where dogs, sunbathers, picnickers and those seeking a little relaxation all spread out along the sand.

Hike north up the beach until the brush stops you, then look for a dirt trail back up the main path. The paved trail will lead you quickly to Kelley Point itself (you'll know it by the anchor statue). Take in the sights and then continue on the paved trail until you hit the bathrooms. From there, the trail leads to the north parking lot (and the final path down to the beach), but to loop back, turn around and look for a sandy trail leading into the trees.

This trail, what appears to be an old dirt road, runs parallel to the way you came, running along the open fields and picnic tables at the center of the park. Eventually the road will run back into the paved pathway - follow it back to the south parking lot.

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