Hills, Staircases, and Excellent Views

Portland Heights to PSU to Goose Hollow Loop

This walk is for people who enjoy beautiful old Portland homes, leafy streets, and the quiet thrill of realizing, halfway through a staircase, that their thighs have opinions.

We start in Portland Heights, strolling past houses that quietly flex with phrases like “original hardwood floors” and “this view never gets old.” From there, we drop down via public stairways into the South Park Blocks, a long green ribbon of parkland shaded by old elm trees and surrounded by Portland State University. It is calm. It is civilized. This is the part where you feel smugly accomplished.

Then we head into Goose Hollow, which is where things get funky and vertical.

Hidden stairways appear. Elevation returns. At one point, there is a truly enormous staircase that exists solely to remind us that Portland was built by people who loved hills and apparently hated knees. This staircase will test your thighs, your breath, and your life choices. We will pause. We will laugh. We will make friends with gravity.

Eventually, we climb our way back toward Portland Heights, earning excellent views and a strong sense of moral superiority over everyone who stayed on the couch.

The fine print you should actually read:
- About 500 feet of elevation gain
- Hilly terrain throughout
- One legendary staircase
- Roughly 90 minutes at a relaxed group pace

Wear good shoes. Bring water. Stretch a little beforehand. You do not need to be an athlete, but you should be comfortable with hills, stairs, and light cardiovascular honesty.

Come for the architecture. Stay for the views. Leave with stronger legs and a renewed respect for staircases.