Walking Portland: SE Sellwood-Westmoreland & Oaks Bottom Nature Refuge

This scenic 4-mile walking Portland loop features the SE Sellwood-Westmoreland neighborhood and one of the city’s most beguiling, expansive nature preserves.

Check out our Guide to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge.

Interactive Route Map

Check out our interactive route map of Oaks Bottom and the Sellwood-Westmoreland ridge overlooking the refuge.

Sellwood Boulevard-Oaks Bottom Walking Loop

Join Women Who Walk for a guided tour of this remarkable nature refuge.

Directions

Start

Fairlane Coffee

Heading Out Route

At SE Milwaukie Ave. & SE Claybourne St. | Head West
SE 14^th | Left
SE 19^th | Right
SE Sellwood Blvd. | Right
Sellwood Parking Lot | Oaks Bottom JEH Trailhead
Oaks Bottom Bluff Trail | Right

Heading Back Route

North Parking Lot & Se Milwaukie Ave. | Right
SE Ellis St. | Right/West
SE 15th Ave. | Left/South
SE Knight St. | Right/West
SE 14th Ave. | Left/South
SE Martins St. | Right/West
SE 13th Ave. | Left/South
SE Carlton St. | Left/East
SE 14th Ave. | Right/South
SE Bybee Blvd. | Left/East

Distance

About 4 miles for the complete loop.

Time

Allow 2 hours to walk the basic route, longer to explore a few of the side paths, linger in the wonders of the wetlands, and enjoy the panoramic views above the refuge.

Terrain

Freshly graveled, barely graveled, and paved paths mingle within the wetlands, with sidewalks and dirt paths in the neighborhoods overlooking the preserve. In the wetlands, the trail is mostly flat, with quite a few short inclines and declines mixed in.

Difficulty

Fairly easy, but good walking/hiking shoes are a must as gravel is loose in some places.

Coffee & Lunch

Best bets for coffee and pastries are nearby Fetch Coffee and Fairlane Coffee.
Good lunch options are PDX Sliders, Nama Ramen, Jade Teahouse and Papa Haydn.

Portland Walkabouts

The SkyBlue Portland team hosts monthly group walks through some of Portland Metro’s most beautiful and interesting neighborhoods. For info on our Portland Walking Tours, check out our Women Who Walk Facebook page and sign up for a walk on our Women Who Walk Meetup page. Hope to see you soon! 🙂

More Great Walks

Did you know that we create new walks every week all around Portland Metro? So yes, wee have more! Check out our 10 Most Popular Walks in West Linn, Oregon.