Walking the Greenway Trail on Swan Island

By Francie Royce

Swan Island, an industrial hub in North Portland, home to heavy industry and distribution warehouses, would seem an unlikely location for a wildlife trail on the east side of the Willamette River.

This one mile trek is part of the future North Portland Willamette Greenway Trail, and it offers walkers a nice mix between viewing both wildlife and a working river. It is one of the few locations for public access to the Willamette River in North Portland.

One October afternoon I made this walk. I stared at the north-flowing Willamette River, watching two-toned Canada Geese calmly sit on the water in floating formation. Tug boats chugged by, and fishermen in small pleasure craft dangled their lines into the water.

A wide concrete trail starts on the south end of Swan Island, with a branch trail connecting to the street. After parking my car in a gravel lot off North Port Center Way, I strolled down this short branch towards the riverside trail. Marked with a simple “Trail Access” sign, it winds past a sewer pumping station and joins the riverfront trail. From there I turned left, walking upstream for a short exploration to the end, peering through the chain link fence that marks the end of the trail — for now. I saw a large ship, docked at a concrete plant wharf.

I began to walk downriver, looking out across to the green hills of Forest Park and the long wharves of a barge company at the shoreline on the west side. The sandy beach below the trail is littered with logs and assorted flotsam left over from the last time the Willamette reached flood stage in 1996.

Beavers have been occasionally spotted paddling along the shoreline. For beach explorers and those who want to dip a toe in the water, a 50-yard gravel walkway leads down to the beach and water line. The path passes by a glass-windowed office building. Landscaping, well established oak trees, and wooden slatted benches set against low stone walls line a curved overlook that invites one to take in the view. It’s also a good spot for snacking, especially if walking with children. On that late afternoon the sun streamed through the oak leaves and shimmered on the water. The rhythmic sound of waves gently splashing the sandy beach joined with the louder pulse and buzz of various river boats cruising by.

Continuing on downriver, a wooden arched bridge marks the place to turn right and wander through the lower level of an office building. Going into the ground-level courtyard, I headed toward a brick arched exit onto a sidewalk along a parking lot for a few steps. At a clock tower, it’s a left turn and onto a path again, officially McCarty Park.

Back at river’s edge, the sight was now that of the active industry of barge and large iron truss construction, where the replacement bridge for Sauvie Island is being built and will be floated downriver to its new home. In a small niche along the path stands the first of two historical interpretive signs. This is placed next to a couple of old iron ship dock anchors that give the place a nautical theme. In the 1930s Swan Island became Portland’s first airport, and some photos are worth studying.

Moving on, I passed a canoe launch and edged past another parking lot, aiming for a small grove of sequoias planted close to the river. This stretch of trail is landscaped to screen another office building, but the trail will be your own on most days.

Another historic sign tells the story of thousands of women who came to work in the Swan Island ship yards during World War II. A 1978 photo of the largest floating dry dock in the world coming up the Willamette River to Swan Island deserves a look. The liberty ship yards are gone and the dry dock was sold off, but the ship yards produce ocean-going barges to this day. At the north end of the trail, you can peer through another chain link fence at the huge cranes used in building these barges.

The walk back yields a whole different view. The skyline of downtown Portland and three bridges in a row spanning the river: the high arched green Fremont, the red Broadway, and workhorse black Steel.

Some geese flew overhead, honking their way south. Winter was coming but even then this path will still be one of my favorites. Bundled up in a warm fleece hat, my Goretex jacket, and rain pants, I recommend this paved Swan Island trail as a good trek even on muddy days.

Francie Royce is a co-founder of npGreenway, the Friends of the North Portland Willamette Greenway Trail. She loves to walk and bicycle around Portland. Visit her travel blog at www.francieroyce.blogspot.com and www.npGreenway.or.