A variation on the Terwilliger Boulevard trail detailed earlier, this run culminates at Council Crest, the highest peak of the Tualatin Mountain range at 1,071 feet. (We stop a little short at 976 feet.) Running through Portland State University and the shaded part of Terwilliger Boulevard, this route gives a taste of downtown, urban crowds, and the outdoor, natural beauty that surrounds Portland. Both Mt. St. Helens & Mt. Hood can be seen from the top of Council Crest. Once at the top, feel free to explore some of the Marquam Trails.
Features:
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Essentials
- 6-mile LOOP
- Start and finish downtown - SW Taylor & SW Broadway St.
- Southwest Portland
Current Weather & Forecast
Portland, US
4:11 pm,
Jun 3, 2026
broken clouds
21°C
L: 20°
H: 23°
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2:00 pm
20° / 23°°C
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22 mph
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Friday
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Today
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Today
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Tomorrow
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Tomorrow
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Tomorrow
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Tomorrow
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Other Routes in Portland, Oregon
The signature run along the Willamette River in Portland. Includes the longest floating pedestrian bridge in the world! Numerous landmarks, bridges for loops, and great water views. Cherry blossoms in spring!
An exploration of the south section of the Willamette River trails, between the Tilikum Crossing and Sellwood bridges. Nice water views, and pleasant sections in Willamette Park and Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge.
2+ mile linear park is a great running option close to downtown. It's a winding road with a separate running/walking path along the boulevard, running up a wooded hillside. Popular with runners. A bonus is it's well lit at night. Hilly!
This 700 foot climb starts at the Lower Macleay Trail and the Kings Heights neighborhood, and follows that into the Wildwood Trail and up to the Mansion, which has been used in a number of motion pictures, and in The Amazing Race.
Another way to run to the Council Crest Peak is through Washington Park, home to some of the more scenic landmarks in Portland including the Portland Japanese Garden, the Portland Children’s Museum, and the Washington Park Ampitheater.
The Springwater on the Willamette Trail runs through downtown Portland and south to Sellwood Riverfront Park, along the east side of the Willamette River. Numerous bridges, river islands, and more park-like at the southern end.
Part of the extensive Springwater Corridor trail system. This paved multi-use trail stretches for 17 miles from south Portland east to Boring. Scenery includes woods, wetlands, buttes, agricultural fields and pastures, residential & some industrial.
Some nice residential streets and parks for running in East Portland. A highlight is Mt. Tabor Park, with ~3 miles of trails and nice views. In the northern section of E. Portland, nice paths at Laurelhurst Park and residential streets just south of there.
The largest urban forest in the United States. 80+ miles of soft-surface trails, fire lanes and forest roads, stretching for 7 miles along the eastern slope of the Tualatin Mountains. Tons of options here. We've mapped the first 3 miles of Lief Erickson Rd.
This National Recreation Trail meanders for 30.2 breathtaking miles, from the southern end of the trail at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington Park to the Northwest terminus of the trail at Newberry Road.
Good options near the airport are along Marine Drive, a 12-mile long bike path; and Blue Lake, with 100 acres of trails, wetlands, and the titular lake, which is formed from underground springs.
A runner's pilgrimage -- gotta do the jogging trail around Nike's world HQ in Beaverton, and some laps around the Michael Johnson Track! Connect to other trails in Beaverton: Tualatin Hills Nature Park, Waterhouse Trail, Rock Creek Trail.
The best places to run in Hillsboro are the 8-mile Rock Creek Trail, a linear park trail that heads toward Beaverton; the scenic trails around the Jackson Bottom Wetlands; and the Jackson School Woods Trail, where there's a nice running track at Hare Field.
Great destination run, 35 miles west of Portland/Vancouver. This 23-mile paved multi-use path features wonderful views of the Coastal Range, 13 bridges, & two long railroad trestles. South end more open farmland, north end more wooded. Hilly!
Nice run in southern Portland combining the small, nicely manicured campus of Lewis & Clark College with good trail running options at Tryon Creek State Natural Area south of campus & less developed River View north of campus.
A guide to running options in Vancouver, Washington, directly across the Columbia River from Portland. Several wonderful waterfront routes, multi-use trails, Lacamas Lake, & more!
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