TRAILHEAD East fork of NW Springville Road and Skyline Boulevard
DISTANCE 3.4 miles round trip
DURATION Two hours
ELEVATION A total change of 130 feet, with a low point of 850 feet and a high point of 980 feet
CONDITIONS Most of this hike follows the Wildwood Trail, which can be muddy in winter. However, since this portion of the Wildwood is well removed from most of the popular access points, the traffic is lighter and the mud factor somewhat less. Trillium Trail, which runs between Fire Lane 7 and the Wildwood Trail, is a short, lightly marked path, but once located it is easy to follow. Although it descends in twists and turns, it should pose little difficulty. Alternatively the hike can be shortened by using Fire Lane 7 to connect to or from the Wildwood Trail. The Hardesty Trail, which leads from the Wildwood Trail back up to the top of the ridge, was chosen because it has been improved and has lots of reinforced steps in all the right places.
FROM DOWNTOWN This hike begins 10 miles from West Burnside and Interstate 405. Drive west on NW Lovejoy Street until it turns into NW Cornell Road. Turn right onto NW Thompson Road and right again onto NW Skyline Boulevard. Proceed northward past the cemetery, past NW Saltzman Road, and just past the intersection with NW Springville Road on the left. Proceed up the hill, and as Skyline curves to the left, turn right onto Springville Road—a dirt road at this point. You will find good parking near the Springville Road gate.
This pleasant mid-park walk traverses a long ridge along which Fire Lane 7 descends into the park. Though the hike encircles the ridge, you can choose to either descend or return up the ridge to shorten the walk. Fire Lane 7 is a lovely hike in the fall, as the trees arch over the trail to form a verdant cathedral effect.
The parking lot is located on Springville Road, one of the original tracks across the Tualatin Mountains. Both the Ridge Trail Loop and Willalatin Ridge Loop are also accessed by or partially use Springville Road.
Proceed past the gate on Springville Road and along the ridgetop following Fire Lane 7. This is a very pleasant (and mostly level) fire lane. Overhanging groves of alder trees give it the feel of a long, wooded corridor.
The first trail that you encounter will be the Hardesty Trail, which climbs up to join Fire Lane 7 from the left. Continue on past this trail; you will return by this route on the final leg of the hike.
Trilliums
Almost immediately beyond this trailhead (0.2 mile from the parking lot) you will see a small unmarked trail heading off to the right, just before the red-striped marker for the gas line. This is the Trillium Trail, which you will use to reach the Wildwood Trail. The Trillium Trail is clear enough to follow down the slope, but it is narrow, with lots of overhanging limbs and many twists and turns. A quarter of a mile later you will emerge at Doane Creek, where the Trillium joins the Wildwood Trail.
Walking the Tualatin Mountains provides frequent opportunities to appreciate the many varieties of edible berries found in western Oregon. From late May through the end of September these woods offer a constant progression of ripened berries to snack on. During late July and August I’ve frequently been able to find (and eat) as many as six different varieties of ripe berries, including huckleberries, thimbleberries, blackberries, salmonberries, wild raspberries, and salal berries. Even my dog Loki has come to appreciate these treats and in late summer can be observed snuffling through the blackberries to see if they are ripe yet.
The season’s first berry is usually the huckleberry, which begins to ripen in June. Growing in the shade of deep forest cover, huckleberries are expansive bushes with small leaves. They can produce a range of fruit from prolific to sparse depending upon the growing conditions and seasonality. The deeper the shade, the fewer the berries you’re likely to find, but even a few huckleberries make a special treat for an appreciative walker. In general these berries are mildly tart and especially well suited for jam or preserves.
Among the most frequently spotted berries, and one of my favorites, is the delicious thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus). This berry sits on its stem like a crimson cap, readily popping off when ripe. The consistency is pastier than the juicy blackberry, but the flavor is more intense than a strawberry. This humble berry has a more prosaic value as well: its leaves are big, broad, and velvety, making them an ideal substitute for soft paper should the need arise far away from civilized amenities.
At the point where the Trillium Trail meets the Wildwood Trail, turn left and follow the trail eastward for about a mile to the end of the ridge. This trail, which skirts along the south-facing slope of the ridge, passes through some pleasant stands of nearly mature timber. Halfway along the slope you’ll traverse a buried gas line crossing.
Keep an eye open for the mourning dove (Zenaida macroura), one of the most ubiquitous birds of the Tualatin Mountains. This slender gray dove is recognized by its long, tapered, white-tipped tail as well as by its mournful song: listen for its “ooahh . . . coo . . . coo . . . coo” or quavering “poooo” coming through the trees. Like its cousin the pigeon, this dove drinks up to 15 percent of its bodyweight on a daily basis, sucking the water directly into its esophagus rather than dipping its beak into the water and letting it roll down its throat as is common among all other birds.
At the eastern end of the ridge you’ll pass the junction with Fire Lane 7 (Oil Line Road). If you want to shorten this hike you can ascend Fire Lane 7 all the way back to the parking lot on Springville Road.
Half a mile later you’ll pass the junction with Fire Lane 7a (Gas Line Road).
A further mile will bring you to the intersection with the Ridge Trail junction. This trail also drops all the way down to the St. Johns Bridge and is described in another hike: the Ridge Trail Loop.
Finally, after 3 miles of winding around this long ridgeline, you’ll return to the lower end of the Hardesty Trail. Along the way you can often see some of the repairs made to areas of the trail damaged by heavy winter rains. Ascend the Hardesty Trail for about half a mile to where it meets Fire Lane 7.
At the intersection of the Hardesty Trail and Fire Lane 7, turn right to return to the Springville Road gate.