The Stone House – Portland, Oregon
There were such amazing reviews of the Pittock Mansion, Stone House, and the trails leading there that I just had to check them out for myself while I was in Portland. When I did this hike, we stopped at the Stone House for a little bit and then continued on to the Pittock Mansion. If you are only interested in doing this hike and then heading back, double the distance and elevation change.
Distance: 1.1 miles
Elevation change: 295 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Driving to The Stone House
During our side trip to Stone House we found this Little Free Library in the nearby neighborhood.
We drove to the Lower Macleay Trailhead to start our adventure towards the stone house. On the way to the trailhead we discovered a minor setback that the trailhead and trail were closed for renovation! This was only a minor setback as we were able to park in the neighborhood.
We parked on NW Upshur Street and walked through the neighborhood towards NW 29th Avenue. We then took a left on NW Vaughn St and had to walk through a small wooded area to continue. Another left onto NW 32nd Avenue and a right onto Franklin Court were we ran into a great surprise. I absolutely love finding Little Free Library’s around town and we found this great one pictured right on this court. A left onto NW Aspen Avenue and one final right onto NW Raleigh St and you start in the woods on Holman Lane. The neighborhood section was the most difficult part of this hike with some steep pathways.
Arriving at Macleay Park
Some of the great Wildwood Trail on the way to The Stone House!
While Wildwood trail is a little bit of a round about way to get to the Stone House, it was definitely a great hike. A little bit of the way down the Holman Lane trail you run into a connection with Wildwood Trail. Taking a left at this intersection will put you on the path to the Stone House. It was a hot day and the neighborhood walk definitely got me starting to sweat. The Wildwood trail was shady and a little breezy, which felt amazing after the hard walk getting there. The surrounding woods were beautiful and the trail was well maintained. A short hike on this trail will lead you to an intersection with Lower Macleay Trail on the left and the Stone House on the right.
The Stone House
Arriving at the Stone House!
While it goes by many different names such as Witch’s House and Trail House, the most common name and my favorite is the Stone House. The roof, doors, and plumbing have been removed from the building leaving only the stone structure. It’s a great little place to rest next to Balch Creek or to just explore. The bottom of the building contains a large open area under the upper section as well as a smaller section under the stairs. Going up the stairs leads to a large open area that has a guard rail and is a popular place to take photos.
Continue the Hike
After exploring the Stone House, and maybe having a little picnic, you can continue along the Wildwood Trail. If you continue along the Wildwood trail you will arrive at the Pittock Mansion which offers great views of Portland!
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