Portland Adventures: Hike to the Tram

For years, I've wanted to take my boys on the 4T trail in Portland. On our last trip to Oregon's "big city", I knew they could handle the four mile hike, but they wouldn't have enough energy to do everything else we had planned that day. This is the 1.3 mile alternative that I discovered.

In case the 4T trail is new to you, it stands for Train, Trail, Tram, Trolley. They system forms a loop from downtown to the zoo, OHSU (the hospital on the hill), the South Waterfront, and back to downtown.

The Tram is the connection between the lower buildings of OHSU and the upper buildings. You'll want to check the hours to make sure it's available.  Fare is $4.55 for the trip up, and free on the way down. Kids under 6 are free both ways. The hike outlined here is a little uban adventure in itself and it's your ticket to a free ride down on the tram.

Step by Step Directions:

1. Starting at the lower tram tower (SW Moody and Gibbs), take the elevator on the West side of Moody up to the Pedestrian bridge level.
2. Cross Interstate 5 on the Pedestrian bridge and continue west on Gibbs, taking a right on SW Water. Walk North one block before going left on the sidewalk.
3. The sidewalk becomes a pedestrian tunnel crossing under Naito Parkway/Hwy 99.
4. Go left (south) on SW 1st Ave, turning right at Gibbs. As Gibbs dead-ends into Barbur Blvd, take the stairs to the left and use the well-marked crosswalk to cross SW Barbur Blvd.
5. Go south on the west side of Barbur for a half block and take the stairs up through the retaining wall. When you reach the top of the stairs, you will cross kitty-corner to a narrow sidewalk heading west. A brown sign reading "SW Trails 1" will confirm that you are on the right track.
6. You'll head up some stairs past a couple of houses, and you'll be wondering if you took a wrong turn. the stairs will deteriorate, and you'll reach what looks like a long curving driveway. Continue up the driveway to SW Terwilliger Blvd. Go right for a block, then left on Campus Drive.
7. Take the steps and trail up to the parking garage.
8. Once you're at the garage, follow the signs to the .

The ride down is a short 3 minutes. You will load from the middle of the platform. The views are best toward the North. You will be standing in the car with (likely) dozens of other passengers so you'll want to plan your strategy for getting a good place to stand.

If you're afraid of heights, this might not be your favorite adventure. The maximum height off the ground is 175 ft. The car does sway a little as it leaves the station, and considerably more as it crosses the lower tower. Nothing major, but you might want to prepare the kids ahead of time.