TRAILHEAD NW Germantown Road near its intersection with Bridge Avenue
DISTANCE 6.1 miles round trip
DURATION Two hours and thirty minutes
ELEVATION A total change of 730 feet, with a low point of 260 feet and a high point of 990 feet
CONDITIONS This is a great trail for walking in the dry months, as both the Waterline and Wildwood trails can be muddy during the wet season. Both Springville Road and Leif Erikson Drive are well graveled. The lower portion of the Waterline Trail (below Leif Erikson) has some unimproved steep portions that offer less-than-adequate footing in wet weather. With good boots it’s navigable, but slippery with shoes lacking adequate traction.
FROM DOWNTOWN This hike begins 7.2 miles from West Burnside and Interstate 405. Driving north on Highway 30 (also called St. Helens Road), continue past NW Saltzman Road and beneath the St. Johns Bridge. Turn left at the traffic light immediately after the bridge. This puts you on NW Bridge Avenue (the access road to the bridge). Take the first right, onto NW Germantown Road. Follow Germantown Road as it climbs the slope, about a third of
a mile. At this point the road takes a sharper left turn, then a right turn as it navigates in and out of a ravine. In the elbow of the turn you will see a small graveled area sufficient to hold two or three parked cars. Immediately beyond this you should note a steep, graveled road leading up into the forest. Park here and proceed up the road. (Note that further up Germantown Road there are more such elbow turns, with roads penetrating the forest, but they are clearly marked as private drives.)
TriMet: From downtown, take bus 17 (NW 21st Avenue/St. Helens Road). Disembark at the intersection of Bridge Avenue and Germantown Road (bus stop 597). Walk up Germantown Road 0.3 mile to the entrance of the Waterline Trail.
ALTERNATE ROUTE An alternate (and parallel) route into the park can be accessed by proceeding past NW Germantown Road on NW Bridge Avenue until you reach NW Springville Road (500 yards beyond Germantown Road). Turn right and ascend Springville (staying right) until it turns into a gravel road. It will pass through the small community of Springville, ascend behind the small homes, and pass through an open gate into a steep stretch that takes you directly into the park—all the way to the second and final gate. The second gate is located opposite the entrance of a private dwelling. By proceeding up Springville Road beyond the barrier (650 feet elevation) for 0.1 mile, you’ll find yourself at the intersection with Leif Erikson Drive. From there you can follow the directions for this hike, beginning at waypoint 8 and proceeding northwest to the Willalatin Ridge. From there you will ascend the Waterline Trail to the Wildwood Trail and, turning south, complete the hike via Springville Road. Using this approach you will miss the lower portion of the Waterline Trail.
The Willalatin Ridge Loop features an unusual access route that takes you deep into the heart of Forest Park. Although you may encounter some traffic along the Wildwood Trail and Leif Erikson Drive, this seems a small price to pay for a walk through gorgeous stands of hemlock and cedar, with tall groves of Douglas fir in the deeper valleys and on the Willalatin Ridge.
This access route, referred to as the Waterline Trail, is little used and only partially improved. But in just 1.2 miles it penetrates the park and gets you up to Leif Erikson Drive without having to compete for parking or suffer through trailhead congestion at the Germantown access points to the Wildwood Trail and Leif Erikson.
Loki on the Wildwood Trail
The Waterline Trail begins as a fire lane broad enough to accommodate four-wheeled vehicles. It climbs upward, doubles back, and eventually emerges into a meadow at the top of the ridge.
As you pass through the meadow, be conscious that this kind of open, sun-drenched spot provides ideal growing conditions for poison oak (Rhus diversiloba). Although this dreaded plant is relatively rare in the mostly shady expanse of Forest Park, it may be lurking in more open areas.
Poison oak is a small, straggly shrub, typically only 2–3 feet high, with three-lobed, oaklike leaves. The foliage is often reddish and glossy as it first appears in spring but turns crimson by midsummer. The white berries (resembling the blisters they cause) emerge by late summer, though many plants fail to fruit at all. Poison oak is not common in the western valleys of Oregon, but it does occur, so knowledge of the plant and a bit of caution are in order.
Due to my habits of rummaging deep in the forest and frequently petting my dog, I contract blisters from this nefarious plant nearly every year. Typically I wash thoroughly with soaps designed to neutralize urushiol, the itch-producing oil found in poison oak, and apply a desiccant like calamine lotion or Tecnu scrub. The best advice I can offer is to wash your dog and your clothes, and above all else learn not to scratch the infected area. If you don’t scratch the rash it will disappear within about a week, with the contagious and itchy period lasting only twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
At the far end of the meadow the road ends and a path continues upward along the spine of the ridge. This portion of the trail is unimproved and can prove treacherous in wet weather.
As you approach Leif Erikson Drive the trail levels out and weaves in and out of the cedars that help to keep this upper portion relatively dry. It emerges onto Leif Erikson as one of those semi-concealed paths that might be easily overlooked if you didn’t know it was there. Needless to say this portion of the Waterline Trail is not identified with signage, so you should take note of where it emerges from the woods.
At Leif Erikson Drive proceed southward (turn left) and follow the roadway about 25 feet to where the upper portion of the Waterline Trail ascends. Here you will turn right to climb this more clearly marked trail as it ascends to the Wildwood Trail and eventually to Skyline Boulevard.
This portion of the Waterline climbs 0.3 mile from an elevation of 750 feet (at Leif Erikson Drive) to 860 feet (where it crosses the Wildwood Trail). The ascent is steep at first, but the trek is broken by two relatively level plateaus.
Upon reaching the Wildwood Trail, follow it southward (1.5 miles) until you reach Springville Road. On the way you’ll penetrate deep into two draws as you wend your way to the next big ridge, along which Springville Road descends. As you hike deeper into these draws you’ll find big stands of old Douglas fir as well as much hemlock and cedar. Unfortunately the trail can be pretty treacherous along this portion, so mud-resistant boots are in order during the rainy season.
If you know what to look for, you may spot some wild ginger (Asarum caudatum) growing along this trail. This evergreen perennial sports two dusky green, heart-shaped, 2- to 5-inch leaves on a long stalk. It is typically found in moist, shaded forests, often growing in large, ground-covering mats.
Boring plant, eh? Well, this humble plant has a long history. Although technically unrelated to the ginger plant, the ground-hugging wild ginger has a distinctive flavor and was used as a seasoning by trappers and pioneers. It is known to have antibiotic properties as well, and Pacific Northwest Indians used the roots in a tea for settling stomach pains. They also used its leaves as part of a preparation to combat tuberculosis, and some tribes even wore it as a good luck charm.
Turn left onto Springville Road (990 feet elevation). This road winds fairly steeply down the ridge, with wonderful views of stately Douglas firs to the left. Especially in deep winter, it’s a treat to watch the mist and clouds swirl up through the giant tree trunks. Another 0.4 mile and you’ve reached the intersection with Leif Erikson Drive (700 feet elevation). At this point you may run into more pedestrian traffic coming from the Germantown Road access to Leif Erikson.
At the intersection of Springville Road and Leif Erikson Drive, turn left and follow Leif Erikson for 0.8 mile back to its intersection with the Waterline Trail—a mostly flat walk.
On the way keep an eye open for a tree on the right side of the trail that is riddled with woodpecker holes. Note how the holes are elongated vertically—the sign of a pileated woodpecker at work. (See pages 29–30 for more on this uncommon woodpecker.)
The most common woodpecker in our region is the northern flicker (Colaptes auratus), easily recognized by its brown-spotted wings, black-speckled breast, and black bib. The males have a distinctive red mustache, and both genders exhibit a telltale dipping motion when in flight. Flickers are extremely adaptable and have become an increasingly common part of our urban fauna. Listen for their distinctive cry of “kwik-wik-wik-wik.”
The downhill portion of the Waterline Trail is hidden about 25 feet beyond where its upper portion intersects with Leif Erikson Drive, right in the bend of the road. The final descent to your car is only 1.2 miles. Be careful coming down this trail in wet weather.
