Trail Facts at a Glance
Name: Leif Erikson Drive at Germantown Road (also known as Leif Erikson Drive North)
Location: NW Leif Erikson Dr, Portland, OR 97229
Hours: 5:00 am—10:00pm
Public transit: Not available, but TriMet’s 16 bus stops at the bottom of Germantown Road at Bridge Avenue. Note that Germantown Road is narrow and windy, cars travel fast, and there is no designated pedestrian walkway.
Length: proposed hike is ~2 miles round trip
Permitted activities include pedestrian, cycling, and equestrian use on Leif Erikson Drive. Motorized mobility devices allowed for people with disabilities. Dogs on-leash only.
Prohibited activities include off-leash dogs, fires, drones, motorized vehicles, camping, hunting and fishing, and possession of firearms.
Date of trail assessment: March 20, 2024
Summary
The Leif Erikson Drive trailhead at Germantown Road (also known as Leif Erikson Drive North) is an access point for the end of Leif Erikson Drive, the longest park road in Forest Park. The closest address is NW Leif Erikson Dr, Portland, OR 97229. The described hike begins at this trailhead and follows Leif Erikson Drive until its intersection with the Tolinda Trail after approximately one mile. The hike is entirely within the forest and is characterized by a wide trail with a gentle but persistent uphill grade for the beginning, then flattening out for the majority of the route, while winding along the hillside. The described hike is in a more remote area of Forest Park and features a diversity of native plants along the route.
The trailhead begins from a parking area just off of NW Germantown Road. The parking area has space for approximately 20-25 vehicles. There is a trash can and port-a-potty at the trailhead. There is a gate blocking vehicular access to Leif Erikson Drive at this location; the pedestrian opening to the side of this gate is 44 inches. Use at this trailhead is highest on the weekends and during the warmer, drier months. Several loop hikes are possible from this trailhead. See more information about the rest of Forest Park on the Forest Park webpage.
Location and Arrival
The location of the Leif Erikson Drive @ Germantown Road trailhead is NW Leif Erikson Dr, Portland, OR 97229. It can be found on Google Maps.
To access the parking area, turn off of Germantown Road. The parking area is a one-way driving loop with space for 20-25 vehicles with no marked parking stalls. The parking area is relatively flat, hard-packed gravel. It may feature puddles during the wet months of the year.
Trailhead Amenities
The Leif Erikson Drive @ Germantown Road trailhead features limited amenities. There is a garbage can which is emptied daily by Portland Parks & Recreation staff and a port-a-potty which is regularly serviced. A gate blocks vehicular access to Leif Erikson Drive.
Description of Trail
This hike begins at the parking area and travels along Leif Erikson Drive until its intersection with the Tolinda Trail, approximately one mile. From that point, hikers may continue south along Leif Erikson Drive, take Tolinda Trail, or turn around and hike back to the parking area for a two-mile round trip hike. Leif Erikson Drive is a wide road – maximum width of 20 feet, minimum width of seven feet – with a substrate of hard-packed gravel. The hike is entirely within the forest and is characterized by a gentle but persistent uphill grade for the beginning, then mostly flattening out for the majority of the route.
For the first quarter mile, hikers can hear sounds of vehicles on Germantown Road, which winds through the forest nearby to this location. After the first quarter mile, these sounds fade significantly and hikers will primarily experience the sounds of the natural forest, including birds and other animals. Hikers may occasionally hear an airplane overhead, as this location is on the flight path to the Portland International Airport. About halfway through the described hike, the road loops back towards Germantown Road and hikers may hear the sounds of vehicles for a short time once again.
This section of road is popular with runners and cyclists, so hikers may encounter individuals or groups along the road, sometimes traveling at fast speeds. This is a park maintenance road, so hikers may experience occasional vehicle traffic from parks maintenance staff. These vehicles should not exceed 10 miles per hour.
Detailed Description
Beginning at the parking area, hikers will approach the gate to Leif Erikson Drive, with an uphill grade of about 10% for less than 50 feet. The pedestrian opening around the locked gate is 44 inches.
After passing around the gate, hikers will encounter an uphill grade of 12% for another approximately 50 feet, before the grade lessens to 9%. After 350 feet from the parking area, hikers will encounter a garbage can and dog bag dispenser.
From this point, the uphill grade lessens to 7% for the next approximately 1000 feet, when the road flattens out for the remainder of the hike to the turnaround point (another approximately 4000 feet). While from this point the road may have some very gentle up or downhill grade, the maximum is 5-6%.
The generally curvy road traverses a hillside with some straight stretches. Many trees, ferns, and other native plants grow alongside the trail. Because the road is so wide, the surrounding trees do not feel close, but they are present enough for hikers to have a more immersive forest experience.
There are several points on this road where, due to the curve of the road, it can be difficult to see or hear park visitors coming from the opposite direction until they are very close. These locations are located at about 1400, 1750, 2400, 4000, and 4200 feet from the parking area.
Hikers will encounter white bollard mile marker posts along this hike. These mark the total distance of Leif Erikson Drive from its beginning in the southern portion of Forest Park. Proceeding from the north gate at Germantown Road towards the south (the direction of this hike), hikers will encounter the following milemarkers:
- Milemarker 11 at about 900 feet from the parking lot;
- Milemarker 10.75 at about 2,215 feet from the parking lot;
- Milemarker 10.50 at about 3,500 feet from the parking lot. This location features an area of active erosion covered with black plastic sheeting to prevent further erosion on an unstable slope. This area is continuously monitored by Portland Parks & Recreation staff through installation of a pziometer, which measures the rate of the movement of the slope. Erosive forces are part of the natural geology and topography of Forest Park. And;
- Milemarker 10.25 at about 4,800 feet from the parking lot.
Finally, at about 5,100 feet from the parking lot, hikers will encounter the junction with the Tolinda Trail, which meets Leif Erikson Drive from the left. At this point, hikers may proceed along Leif Erikson Drive, take Tolinda Trail, or turn around and hike back the way they came along Leif Erikson Drive, to the parking lot at Germantown Road.
Signage and Wayfinding
The turn to the trailhead on NW Germantown Road (from both directions) is marked by a brown sign that says “Forest Park” and includes a picture of a person hiking. The
This trailhead features minimal signage at the gate. The existing signs include the following on or adjacent to the gate: Do Not Block Gate (Tow Away Zone), Leif Erikson Drive, and Leash Pets.
The intersections of other trails are marked with wayfinding signage at the Cannon Trail (not featured in this profile) and at the Tolinda Trail (the turnaround point for the described hike).
Operations and Maintenance
Portland Parks & Recreation strives to maintain the trailhead, trailhead amenities, trails, and surrounding natural area to provide a safe experience for all users.
Be aware that wind, rain, and high water can leave trails and roads a bit of a mess with hazards like downed trees, landslides, and flooding. Portland Parks & Recreation addresses weather-related impacts as soon as resources allow. Visit Trail Closures and Delays for current information.
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For information about PP&R's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II, visit the Portland Parks & Recreation Civil Rights protections webpage.