PORTLAND, Ore. — In this week's Let's Get Out There, we're trading out tranquil trails for something a little bit closer to the city. Our adventure starts paved and ends off the beaten path at Portland's Gateway Green Park.
“I try to tell everybody I know. People are tired of hearing about it,” said Jesse Bruya, with a smile.
Gateway Green Park is a small pocket of green space cradled by the Interstate 84 and Interstate 205 interchange. It was occupied by the Rocky Butte Jail from 1942-1983, now it’s a playground for walkers and bikers.
“We don't have a lot of parks on the east side, so we're really excited about the progress of this whole park," said Linda Hardin, who lives nearby. She and her dog walk around the park at least once a month.
“I think it's going to be great when they finish it," she said.
TriMet improvements to the Max Red Line mean parts of the park are closed until 2024. The third phase of work is currently underway. The easiest way to get to Gateway Green Park is by parking at the Gateway Transit Center to the south and biking or walking on the I-205 bike and pedestrian path.
Jesse Bruya and his son Vander come to the park to bike about twice a week.
“I want like six more of these around town. Every neighborhood should have pump track,” Bruya said.
The Northwest Trail Alliance partners with Portland Parks and Recreation to maintain the bike features. More work needs to be done to some of the trails and jumps due to the recent months of rain.
Seth McCarty is looking forward to what he calls “bike season.” Rather than keep this place a secret, he wants to see more folks out enjoying it.
“I wish everybody knew about it because I was coming down, and first thing I'm hoping is to see someone else riding so I'm not like completely alone here. So definitely, the more people know about it, the better,” he said.
Aside from biking, other features of the park include a picnic area, nature play area, restrooms and water fountain.
“Come check out this place,” McCarty said. “If you got a bike, let's go ride.”
Let's Get Out there airs once a week on KGW's 4 p.m. newscast and The Good Stuff, which airs Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. We're including viewer photos for this series. You can text your photos to 503-226-5088 or post them on the KGW Facebook page.