Urban Hiker on the Road: Portland

Urban hiking is about finding opportunity anywhere. Even if I don't know a place well, I try to get the lay of the land on foot. It's often much more interesting and rewarding than exploring by car.

An example of this was that I was recently in Portland for Chris Guillebeau's World Domination Summit. The night before the conference, my cousin, a Portland native, invited me over for dinner. I hadn't rented a car, so I started thinking of ways I could get to his place. I turned to Google Maps and realized his house was located fewer than 5 miles away from my hotel downtown.

When I looked at potential hiking routes to my cousin's home, I saw there were 3 parks on the way. My decision was made - I was going to urban hike to dinner!

This ended up being a great experience. I hiked through Duniway Park, Marquam Nature Park, and Council Crest Park, which I learned is one of the highest points in the entire city. Council Crest was definitely the highlight of the hike as it had views of three mountains from its summit overlook! Here is the route I took.

Wherever you find yourself, it's easy to plan an urban hike. All you need to get started is Google Maps - and if you get lost, just use your cell phone to get back on track.

At the Council Crest Park Summit

Mount Hood as seen from Council Crest Park

Sun starting to set in Marquam Nature Park

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