Trail Facts at a Glance
Name: Upper Newton Road trail
Location: 9799 Newton Rd, Portland, OR 97231
Hours: 5:00 am—10:00pm
Public transit: Not available.
Length: proposed hike is ~1.5 miles round trip
Permitted activities include pedestrian, cycling, and equestrian use on Newton Road. Cycling and equestrian use are prohibited on Wildwood Trail. 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: February 28, 2024
Summary
The Upper Newton Road trailhead is an access point for Newton Road, the Wildwood Trail, and Firelane 10 in Forest Park. The closest address is 9799 Newton Rd, Portland, OR 97231. The described hike begins at this trailhead and follows Newton Road until its intersection with the Wildwood Trail, then traces Wildwood until a connector trail brings visitors back to the trailhead and parking area. The hike is entirely within the forest and is characterized by rolling hills along a wide road along Newton Road, then more narrow, hard-packed soft-surface single-track route along the Wildwood Trail. 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 down Newton Road, just off of Skyline Boulevard. The parking area has space for approximately 9-10 vehicles. There is a trash can and port-a-potty at the trailhead. Park visitors can access Newton Road, Wildwood Trail, and Firelane 10 from this parking area. There are gates blocking vehicular access to Newton Road and Firelane 10. 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 Upper Newton Road trailhead is 9799 Newton Rd, Portland, OR 97231. It can be found on Google Maps.
To access the parking area, turn off of Skyline Boulevard and travel down Newton Road approximately .3 mile to the parking area. Newton Road is relatively steep and can feature potholes.
The parking area at the trailhead has space for 9-10 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 Upper Newton Road trailhead features limited amenities. There is a garbage can which is emptied a few times per week by Portland Parks & Recreation staff and a port-a-potty which is regularly serviced. Gates block vehicular access to Newton Road and to Firelane 10. Each gate features a sign naming the road or trail behind it. There is a pedestrian-only access to the Wildwood Trail, which is marked by a green rectangular sign and several small square signs displaying allowed uses on that trail.
Description of Trail
This hike begins at the parking area and travels along Newton Road until its intersection with Wildwood Trail. From the parking area, hikers will travel down a short moderate slope of gravel towards the Newton Road gate. When the gate is closed, there is a generous opening of 56 inches for hikers to travel around the gate to the right. After hikers pass the gate, the road is wide and mostly flat, with a surface of hard-packed gravel.
At about 500 feet from the parking lot, hikers will cross a small rivulet. Shortly thereafter, a slight incline begins. The slope grows to 9-10% for about 225 feet, then the road flattens again briefly. After another 125 feet, the road slopes up again at a 7% grade for about 100 feet.
At about 1,000 feet from the parking lot, hikers will begin to descend at a grade of 10% for about 50 feet until reaching an intersection with a trail that can connect hikers to the Wildwood Trail. This connector trail enters on the right. On the left, hikers will pass the site of a potential future frog pond. Agency ecologists are currently monitoring this area to assess viability. The surface of the road at this point is large compacted gravel.
At about 1,500 feet from the parking lot, the road begins a slope up, first at a grade of 9% for about 20 feet, then increasing to 18-20 for another 300 feet. After this, the grade lessens to 7-11% for another 200 feet.
At about 2,000 feet from the parking lot, hikers will reach the ¾ mile marker for Newton Road. At this point the road becomes mostly flat with a very slight incline, until a pleasant wide spot in the road about 300 feet later. From here, hikers will encounter a downward slope at about 18% grade for about 150 feet. After another 350 feet of mostly flat, the road transitions to a substrate that is more like a wide soft-surface trail with hard-packed dirt, and less hard-packed gravel.
For the next 400 feet, the trail features some downhill grades of 13-18% for 150-200 feet, mixed with some flat areas, until it reaches a junction with the Wildwood Trail. To follow the recommended hiking route, hikers should turn right onto Wildwood Trail.
Wildwood Trail at this location is a single-track, soft-surface trail with a dirt substrate. Sections of the trail contain roots or rocks protruding from the trail.
The narrowest point of the trail along this section is approximately 28 inches wide, but most of the trail is 3-4 feet wide. The trail features rolling grades with a maximum grade of 9% for a short distance. The trail winds through the forest, with frequent views of sections of the trail ahead as it traverses a hillside. There is some background noise at a hum – a distant road and the sounds of industrial development. While surrounding vegetation on this trail is generally closer to hikers than on Newton Road due to the narrower width of the trail, Wildwood Trail is well-maintained and due to the sloping hillside, the vegetation does not crowd the trail. There are a few sections which feature a camber to the downslope, moderate to significant.
At about 5,200 feet from the parking lot, hikers will encounter a connector trail to the right that leads back to Newton Road. This trail is approximately 740 feet long. There are no notable roots or ruts in the trail, and no outsloping camber. The trail is slightly crowned inward so that the trail resembles a V in some sections. At the time of writing, there is one small tree over the trail that is about 6 feet off of the ground with passable trail underneath.
Back on Wildwood Trail, at about 6,000 feet from the parking lot, hikers will encounter a bridge over a small creek that is 17 feet long and 6 feet wide, with no handrails. This bridge is not flush with the trail leading up to it; there is a lip between the bridge and the trail of approximately 5-6 inches maximum at one spot. Again approximately 700 feet later there is another bridge over a small creek, this time narrower with a minimum width of 39 inches.
Shortly afterwards, at about 7,000 feet from the parking lot, hikers will find another trail junction to the right. This trail leads back to the Newton Road Trailhead. The connector trail is narrow and winding and contains slopes of up to 25. Vegetation along the connector trail is more constrained than on Wildwood Trail.
Signage and Wayfinding
The turn to the trailhead on NW Skyline Blvd (from both directions) is marked by a brown sign that says “Forest Park” and includes a picture of a person hiking.
This trailhead features minimal signage at the gate. The existing signs include the following on or adjacent to the gate: No Parking, Newton Road, Stay Alert (car prowling warning), and Leash Pets.
The intersections of other trails are marked with wayfinding signage at the Wildwood Trail connector trail, the Wildwood Trail itself, and the connector trail to the Newton Road parking lot.
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.