Travel Magazine Confuses Forest Park with Washington Park
In its current April-May issue, the popular travel magazine Endless Vacation has a basic yet entertaining feature on Portland.
Article is entitled “Portland’s New Luster.” Main thesis: some of our in town neighborhoods-especially The Pearl- feel kind of like some European cities.
We’ll always take those props. Still, I was mildly amused because the writer seemed to confuse Washington Park with Forest Park.
Maybe it is because I live across the street from Washington Park that I feel compelled to note that this is not the first time our two big westside natural areas have been transposed by the media.
OK, here’s the paragraph in question. Itals. are mine.
After foraging in town, take a breather in a more familiar sort of Oregon landscape. Less than a 15-minute drive up West Burnside Street, with the river at your back, lies the dense green cathedral of Forest Park. At 5,100 acres, it’s the largest wooded city preserve in the United States, and a playground for Portland’s fanatical trail runners and mountain bikers. Some 70 miles of trails wind among towering Douglas firs and fern thickets.
OK, thanks again for the props Endless Vaca.
But take this from me. I’m writing this entry from the condo on the cliff, just off Burnside. If I step on my back deck and look to the right..now isn’t that Washington Park? And isn’t Forest Park off Thurman?
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No Russ, that is actually part of Forest Park, it starts up around the zoo and fans north… it has a network of trails that reach the hills above Sauvie’s Island. Wildwood trail, a thoroughfare of Forest Park begins just up above Washington Park.
Technically, I believe that the official Forest Park doesn’t start until about the start of Lief Erickson Drive. South of that, there’s Holman Park, Macleay Park, Pittock Acres Park (Mansion grounds) and then Washington Park. Overall, though, I can’t blame them for the confusion. Oh, and WA Pk does abut Burnside.
Jason, technically you’re wrong. Any questions look up at friends of forest park, cut and paste this link
http://explorepdx.com/forpark5.html
The above map shows the far south area of the park… which includes the area above Washington Park
Now for the large overview, cut and paste this link
http://explorepdx.com/forpark.html
Jason, you are right that Washington Park does abut Burnside, but it is not along the Wildwood trail… it is well below that area instead just west of Zupans.