Columbia Slough Trail - Airport Way Segment

The Columbia Slough Trail - Airport Way Segment is a portion of a larger trail network paralleling the Columbia Slough through east Portland. 

This trail is the primary access point for visiting the Big Four Corners Natural Area, a wetland area otherwise surrounded by warehouses. The paved trail generally stays flat, and is an easy walk that passes a pond and nearby slough. While the trail offers easy access to a natural area if you're in the area and looking for a quick escape, its downside is also the amount of trash and signs of human use and neglect.

There is no immediate parking, so visitors must find available street parking nearby and walk a bit to reach the trailhead. It is also possible to combine several nearby multiuse trails into a larger loop path, though this also necessitates piecing together a few different trails by walking along and crossing streets in order to join the sections.

The Columbia Slough Trail is a great path for an easy walk or bike ride, however due to the complicated parking, it may not make the best destination if you're looking for a nice path. On the plus side, the smell of trees and some of the natural sounds make an idyllic escape from the bustling city surrounding the area.

The nearest street parking we found was at NE Portal Way off of NE 185th Dr. There are no bathrooms or drinking water located at or along the trail.