Tag Archives: urban hiking

The Portland Journal _ F2.8

Portland’s Public Stairways

I saw a OPB documentary on Laura Foster’s book “Portland Hill Walks” about the public stairways that were built in the 1920’s along the city’s hillsides to allow easier travel between neighborhoods. These were invaluable for kids going to school and people going work or shopping. I went exploring in the Northwest Hills from the western end of NW Northrup to the top of Kings Heights and back down to NW Overton. This is what I found.

Walkway6

Walkway3

Walkway12

Walkway8

Trailhead1

Walkway17 Walkway16Walkway14Walkway7 Walkway4Walkway15

Walkway11 Walkway10 Walkway9

Portlands Stairs and Public Paths

My route was,

NW Northrup St. Stair
Connects NW Northrup Street and NW Cornell Road.
NW Summit Ave. Stair
Connects NW Summit Ave and NW Westover Road.
156 stairs 3 flights with landings between, each flight has 52 stairs.
NW Fairfax Terrace Stair
Connects NW Fairfax Terrace and NW Shenandoah Terrace.
NW Cornell Rd Stair
Connects NW Cornell Road and NW Summit Ave.
NW Overton Stair
Connects NW Cornell Road and NW Overton Street.