SW Trails Urban Hike #9: Riverview to Sunstone
For this urban hike from the Riverview Natural Area to Sunstone, I highly recommend using the interactive Mobile App Map. There are several areas where it’s hard to tell where you are and where to go, so the map will come in handy.
Cemetery Crossings
At the beginning of this urban hike, you go through River View Cemetery. At first, that might seem weird but it’s actually a really lovely space. The grass is green and well-manicured and it’s peaceful. The main thing to look out for is the many bicyclists that go whizzing by on the wide roads that meander through.
River View is also rich in history. It is the final resting place for many notable Portland residents; those who key streets and buildings are named after. If you spend time exploring, you might see familiar names such as Terwilliger, Ladd, and Pittock. You can learn more about these notable locals on the River View Cemetery website. The SW Trails website also provides a quick recap of who you can find here.
One thing the SW trails website didn’t say is that dogs aren’t allowed in the cemetery. We didn’t know that so we had brought our little guy, Beans. It was pretty early on a holiday morning and we walked through as quickly as we could, so we didn’t run into any issue
SW Hike #9: Riverview Natural Area to Sunstone Neighborhood: Collins View, South Portland Distance: 5.1 miles Elevation Change: 450 ft. Starting/End: SW Brugger Street/SW View Point Terrace Mobile App Map
Crossing into John’s Landing
When you leave the cemetery through the main entrance, you have to cross SW Taylor’s Ferry Road without a crosswalk. Be careful. That street can get pretty busy, especially during the week.
You’ll walk up to Corbett and back down again. Between the houses, you can catch a glimpse of the view. If you’re hungry, there are several places you could grab a meal before continuing on.
The first 2/3s of this hike can be pretty warm on a hot sunny day. It’s exposed and/or travels over cement sidewalks and roads. We had our 11-year-old Froston (French Bulldog/Boston Terrier mix) with us. He got pretty hot with his short black fur so he needed to roll around in the grass down at Willamette Park for a while.
Then we still had to walk on the asphalted Park trails along the Willamette River, where it was fully exposed to the sun. It didn’t help that we missed the entrance to the gravel trail. If you start going up the wide ramp that would put you street level with the Sellwood Bridge, you’ve gone too far.
Powers Marine Park
The hike directions say that the trail just leads to a point where you are to meander up to the train trestle. Check the mobile app map to find this point, as well as the path to get to the desired point of Macadam St.
Riverview Natural Area
Here is another area that I always thought was just green space. But there’s actually a few hiking trails through here that will lead you back to your car.
The directions tell you to take Trail #6. Again, I would use the mobile app map but use it with a grain of salt. The area doesn’t allow for great cell coverage so it often looks like you’re going in the wrong direction. Take a close look at the light gray lines that signify the trails. Those will help you figure out the best way to reach the exit.
All in all, besides the heat on this July day, this was an enjoyable hike. It provides a good variety of what you’ll see and the areas you’ll walk through.
