Hop on the Trolley Trail with us!
By Heather Durham
In the modern tradition of rails to trails, Milwaukie’s Trolley Trail is the latest success story. This six-mile stretch was formerly the site of the Portland Traction Company’s interurban streetcar line, which ran between Milwaukie and Gladstone from 1893 to 1968. Passenger service stopped in 1958 when the popularity of cars outcompeted demand for local rail service; freight service continued for ten more years before the line was abandoned.
The right-of-way was purchased in 2001 by Metro and North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District to be developed into a multi-use path connecting schools, parks, and business districts in the area, and it is nearly complete. Ultimately, the trail will be part of a continuous 20-mile loop in Metro’s regional trail system linking Portland, Milwaukie, Gladstone, Oregon City and Gresham.
On Saturday, February 15, Friends of Trees — in partnership with North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District, Clackamas Soil & Water Conservation District, North Clackamas Urban Watershed Council, and Oak Lodge Sanitary District — will be planting native trees and shrubs along recently completed areas of the Trolley Trail between Risley Avenue and Stringfield Family Park.
This project is part of a long-term plan to control invasive weeds and restore healthy native plant communities along the trail — and we’d love your help!
Want to get involved?
Join us on Saturday February 15 at Stringfield Family Park: 3614 SE Naef Road in Milwaukie
Please arrive around 8:45am to get registered and assigned to a crew. We’ll have hot coffee, chocolate and tea, as well as breakfast pastries and snacks, to get you started. We’ll also provide gloves, tools and trained volunteer guidance – all you need to do is simply show up dressed for the weather.
To take advantage of this multi-use path, some volunteers will be planting by bike! If you might be interested in that option, check out our bike planting form:
Friends of Trees :: Plant By Bike! sign-up form
If you have any additional questions about volunteering or would like to sign-up your group to attend, please don’t hesitate to contact Jenny Bedell-Stiles in the Volunteer & Outreach Program at 503-5[nine]5-0213.
We hope you can join us next weekend!
– Heather is a Green Space Initiative Specialist with Friends of Trees.