If you’re biking to Sellwood and south to Milwaukie or Oregon City from the north side of the city, the Eastside Esplanade and Springwater Corridor make getting there pretty convenient. But if you’re walking it’s a pretty unpleasant route crossing lots of non-fun intersections on Powell, under overpasses, etc.
Now the Orange line stops at
- Bybee Street – get off here for Eastmoreland Golf Course, Westmoreland City Park and Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.
- Tacoma/Johnson Creek – get off here for access to the Springwater Corridor trail
- Milwaukie Main Street – access to Dogwood Park and Milwaukie Riverfront Park
- SE Park Ave – leaves you at the beginning of the Trolley Trail (that goes to Oregon City and Gladstone, if in fits and starts) Also not far from Spring Park Natural Area and Elk Rock Island on the Willamette River.
I also love to golf, and it’s one of the few reasons to break out a motor vehicle for me at the moment. With the opening of the new Orange line, there are now 4-5 golf courses you can reach within a mile walk of a golf course:
- Heron Lakes – about 1.2 miles from the Expo Center stop at the end of the Yellow line
- Eastmoreland – right across the street from the Bybee Street exist on the Orange line
- Rose City – about 3/4 of a mile from the 82nd Ave. exit on the Blue, Red or Green lines
- Glendoveer – less than 3/4 of a mile from the E 148th Ave. exit on the Blue line.
- Red Tail Golf Center on Scholls Ferry is less than 3/4 mile from the Hall/Nimbus WES stop, though I have no idea how amenable WES trains are to carrying clubs, so this one is a maybe for me. If you’ve tried it, let me know!
Considering golf itself is a 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hour walk anyway, it’s like playing an extra 3-4 holes. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions from other riders about your gear and where the courses are relative to the max, because you will be one of very few people folks have ever seen try this. I probably wouldn’t try this at rush hours, with all the bicycle areas on the trains already crowded. Nonetheless, if you live close to a station, this is a great way to get out more and pollute even less.
Fussgänger 