Susan S. BradleyIf you’re an intrepid Portland walker and looking for a long, easy walk with a wide diversity of landscape and neighborhood, this Willamette Greenway walk is made for you.
This gorgeous walk on the Willamette Greenway begins in the North Pearl District, moves quickly across Naito Parkway to the Willamette River Greenway Trail, skirts the iconic McCormick Pier Condos, traipses over the Steel Bridge Pedestrian Bridge, hops on the Eastbank Esplanade, detours to the fast-evolving Inner Eastside’s Buckman neighborhood, partakes of locally roasted coffee at Water Avenue Coffee, hits the retro icons City Home, Rejuvenation, Urbanite, and Cargo, returns west over the Hawthorne Bridge to Tom McCall Park in Portland’s Downtown neighborhood, and then circles back to the finish line along the south end of the Willamette Greenway Trail.
Interactive Route Map: Two Bridge, Willamette Greenway & Eastbank Esplanade
Group Walk: Join PDX Women Who Walk for this iconic Willamette River walk.
Start
- Ovation Coffee (941 NW Overton St.)
Route Out
- NW Overton St. | West/Left, toward river
- NW 9th Ave. | Northwest/Left, toward river
- Willamette Greenway | South/Right
- Steel Bridge Crossing | Northeast/Right
- Eastbank Esplanade | South/Right
- Exit SE Salmon St. | East/Left
- SE Water Ave. | North/Left
- SE Taylor St. | East/Right (Water Avenue Coffee & City Home)
- SE Grand Ave. | North/Left (Figlia Americana & Rejuvenation)
- SE Yamhill St. | West/Left (Urbanite & Cargo)
Route Back
- SE Water Ave. | North/Right
- Morrison Bridge Exit | East/Left
- Eastbank Esplanade | South/Left
- SW Hawthorne Bridge Exit | East/Left
- SW Hawthorne Bridge | West/Right
- Willamette Park Trail | North/Right
- Continue back through steps 3, 2, and 1 to Start & Finish point. (Same trail Back as Out.)
Finish
- Ovation Coffee (941 NW Overton St.)
Distance
About 6 miles for the complete loop.
Time
About 3.5 hours, including mid-walk coffee break and brief explorations of City Home, Asia America, Rejuvenation, Urbanite, and Cargo retro emporiums.
Terrain
Mostly flat with paved sidewalks, a couple of exit ramps, and two bridge crossings.
Difficulty
Mostly easy.
Gear
Sturdy, well-fitting running/walking shoes are a must on Portland’s notoriously uneven, poorly maintained sidewalks and trails. Walker beware!
Portland weather can change in a matter of minutes (especially in winter), and it’s not unusual to need several varying levels of warmth, plus rain coverage on a given walk. Dress in layers and pack a collapsible umbrella and drinking water.
Coffee
Best bets for coffee and pastries are Ovation Coffee, Water Avenue Coffee, and Coava.
Willamette Greenway, Eastbank Esplanade, Inner Eastside Photo Gallery. Click an image to watch the gallery full screen.
Portland Walkabouts
The SkyBlue Portland team hosts monthly group walks through some of Portland Metro’s most beautiful and interesting neighborhoods.
For info on our Portland Walking Tours, check out our PDX Women Who Walk Facebook page and sign up for a walk on corresponding PDX Women Who Walk Meetup page. Hope to see you soon!
Copyright 2018-2024 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.
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