The
Springwater Corridor
is the major southeast segment of the 40-Mile Loop. Extending from
Southeast 4th and Ivon in Portland (near OMSI), the
alternative transportation and recreational trail extends 21 miles,
currently ending in Boring. To view a map of the trail, click
here.The Springwater Corridor is a multi-use trail. The
paved surface is 10-12 feet wide with soft shoulders. The hard
surface trail is designed to accommodate walkers, joggers, hikers,
bicycles, wheelchairs, and strollers. Equestrian use is more common
east of I-205 where a separate soft surface path meanders away from
the main trail where topography allows.
History
The Springwater Corridor began life in 1903 as the
Springwater Division Line, a commuter railway that took folks from
downtown Portland to outlying communities such as Estacada and Eagle
Creek. At its peak in 1910, Portland's 160 miles of rails carried 16
million passengers a year. In the 1950s, the automobile became
the preferred method of travel and passenger service was dropped in
1958.
In 1990, the city of Portland acquired portions of
the corridor with the rest being picked up by Metro in the
intervening years. The first stretches of the trail opened in
1996. In 2006, three bridges connecting the trail over McLoughlin Boulevard,
were constructed which closed most of the gaps in the trail.
The Route of the Trail
The trail winds through
Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, a 163-acre tract of wetlands within the city. Oaks
Bottom, a birdwatcher’s paradise, is home to a wide variety of
species, although the Great Blue Heron is the star of the show, and
the official bird of the City of Portland.
The Springwater Corridor currently winds on-street
for about .2 mile through the southeast corner of the Sellwood neighborhood
(commonly referred to as the Sellwood Gap). A local freight
hauling railroad has a lease for the tracks for this section.
The off-street paved trail continues eastward
through
Tideman-Johnson Park and eastward, passing nearby
Powell
Butte Nature Park, skirting
Leach Botanical Gardens, located only .5
mile south of the paved trail at the 122nd Avenue crossing, and on
to Gresham, where the building of a “modern compromise” of the
original structure of historic Linnemann Station was celebrated in
2004.
Linnemann Station is named for early Gresham
pioneers Catherine and John Linnemann, who followed the Oregon Trail
by oxen from Illinois and settled here in 1852. This historic site was formerly a train stop on the 1903
Springwater Division Rail Line. The trailhead facility contains
railroad artifacts and related displays from the Gresham Historical
Society, parking for 15 cars and a public restroom. The trailhead is
located on 182nd Avenue just south of Powell Boulevard.
The Springwater Corridor passes through Gresham’s
Main City Park and continues eastward where the trail currently ends
in Boring, Oregon.
Additional planning efforts are currently underway
for the addition of a 10.8-mile section heading south from Boring to
Estacada. This right-of-way is currently held by the State of
Oregon, and offers the possibility of a future trail connection to
the Mt. Hood National Forest and ultimate access to the Pacific
Crest Trail.
For more information and maps, visit these links:
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