Alder Trail
Photo: Ben Laufer, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 0.8 mi
- round trip
- 400 ft
- climb
- 802 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Alder Trail is a short, easy out-and-back hike in Forest Park, Oregon, on city-managed land. The route covers about 1.6 miles, with a total elevation gain of 400 feet, and it takes roughly half an hour to complete. It starts at an elevation of about 644 feet and reaches a high point of 802 feet before returning to the starting level. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 80°F in July and August to about 75°F in September, with only a few wet days a month. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The trail makes an easy pairing with Dogwood Trail, just 0.3 miles away. Northwest Firelane 1 Road and Northwest Leif Erikson Drive, both about half a mile off, offer mountain biking. Paddlers can find Beaverton Creek about 7 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Wylark Mountaineering4 mi away
- Basecamp Adventure Co.4 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Alder Trail
Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
47° / 37°
19 wet · 1 snow
Feb
51° / 39°
16 wet
Mar
56° / 41°
18 wet
Apr
61° / 44°
16 wet
May
68° / 49°
12 wet
Jun
73° / 53°
8 wet
Jul
80° / 58°
4 wet
Aug
81° / 59°
3 wet
Sep
75° / 55°
7 wet
Oct
63° / 48°
13 wet
Nov
52° / 42°
18 wet
Dec
46° / 37°
20 wet · 1 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Portland Kgw-Tv, OR, 3 mi away at 159 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
