Trails
Springwater Corridor: The Unpaved East End
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| An unpaved portion of the Springwater Corridor. |
Another rail-trail for you this month: Many of us are familiar with the Springwater Corridor, a 21+ mile paved multi-use path connecting the Sellwood area with Gresham and points east. This history-laden former trolley line is a nice escape from traffic, with every half mile marked and most major intersections guarded by a traffic signal. Currently the pavement ends where the trail crosses SE 267th Avenue, around mile 19; from here to Boring (a distance of a little over two miles), the trail is gravel/dirt. A very nice, "new" section has been opened beyond Boring an additional three miles, making for a 5+ mile off-pavement experience. Traffic noise quickly gives way to the sounds of North Fork Deep Creek and the surrounding forest. The secluded path ends all too soon, at a dead end where a long-gone trestle once crossed the creek. A very informative (but dated, circa 2003) description of this section of trail, as well as an overview of the trail's general history, has been compiled by a local off-road enthusiast and history buff and can be found at http://www.brian894x4.com/Springwaterrailroadwriteup.html. Convenient trialhead parking is located just south of the trail's intersection with Highway 212 as it enters Boring from the west. And for those of you who, like me, have bemoaned the paving of other area rail-trails, rest easy: This section is state-owned, and due to budget limitations is not destined to be paved any time soon!
(First published in Footnotes, March 2011.)