Springwater Corridor Trail — Attraction in Portland

Biked about 10 miles today ...love not having to fight cars for space...😃 Okay so this review was 2 years ago... I've somewhat changed my view of this trail after biking at some 2000 miles back and forth... Alot a bad things happen here... Police officers are few and far between if they ever come down this trail... Homeless camps are rampant and so are fires... If you live next to this trail you're in constant worry that your home is going to burn down because somebody out there lit a fire... And then either just walked away or passed out next to it... If the city actually cared they do something about this and it would be on the news... but no the only thing they report on is more homeless camps more garbage more fires more assaults it's just ridiculous... The level of I don't care from the city is ridiculous... I dare anybody from the city to send me a message that they're doing better than what I say.... Prove me wrong!!! Right now they're making a giant park outside of my house.. . It's just going to be another homeless camp another one where the cops won't go into... You say how do I know that because we had one here a few years ago where there was 200 people... and porta potties and dumpsters.. yeah right here in the wildlife refuge where they say that the salmon are so important that they're going to spend tens of thousands of your...

Just completed the trail from Portland to Boring. As others have said there are portions of the trail that have trash and homeless camps, but I would say they only account for maybe 5% of the trail. not bad enough for me to dissuade anyone from taking a family out. Its mid Feb. the weather is a fantastic 55 degrees and the trail is almost completely dead. I saw at most 15 other cyclists. The ride was smooth and consistent. Great views of the willamette river at the start, cuts through a quiet neighborhood on the southern edge of Portland toward gresham. you'll see a mix of industrial parks and nature as you pass over several gushing creeks. I will say one negative point were the numerous stops between roads, however, the crosswalks were helpful and most people in and around portland seem to be very slow cautious drivers. I recommend stoping at the cartlandia food truck park for a mid-ride snack. The final portion of the trail is most scenic and well kept. you will pass a few vineyards and the gradient will increase slightly before arriving at boring...

The trail has improved remarkably over the past years, with some nice riparian restoration that has been completed. Unfortunately, the City of Portland allows (apparently) unrestricted camping along this route which has resulted in mounds of garbage, excrement, and a definite lack of feeling safety on significant portions of the corridor, especially from Bell Ave eastward. I witnessed two different squatters with unlicensed motorbikes using the trail the afternoon I was last there (you could tell they were "campers", believe me): they've really moved in. I think the city should tear down the signs saying "No Camping", because the Mayor won't enforce it anyway. Why have laws that aren't enforced? It breeds contempt for the law in those who won't follow the rules, and resentment in those who do. I especially feel sorry for the renters and home-buyers in Lents, who are stuck living a few yards away from all of this mess. But City Hall has long ignored east county, so why should anyone be surprised that they are allowing...