Forest Park hides a roofless stone “castle” in a Portland creek canyon, and the walk there is under 2 miles round trip
Most people in Portland have heard of the Witch’s Castle, and a surprising number have never actually walked to it. That’s a shame, because this moss-swallowed stone ruin sits at the end of one of the shortest, easiest woodland walks in the whole city.
It’s tucked into Balch Creek Canyon inside Forest Park, a 5,200-acre forest with more than 80 miles of trails. You can see the ‘castle’ and be back at your car in well under an hour. Ready to trade a coffee run for a ruin?
The walk to the castle
Start at the Lower Macleay Trailhead near NW Upshur Street. The out-and-back to the Stone House runs about 1.8 miles round trip with roughly 210 feet of elevation gain, so it’s a stroll with a gentle tilt rather than a workout. Balch Creek chatters alongside you the whole way, and the canopy closes in until the city noise just drops away.
Parking is the easy part: there’s free street parking on NW Upshur Street past 29th Avenue, plus a small lot at the park itself. The park is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and dogs need to stay on a leash.
If you’d rather not deal with any climbing, the first 0.2 miles of Lower Macleay is a paved, ADA-accessible segment that drops into the canyon.
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Why it looks like a ruin
The Stone House wasn’t built as a castle at all. It went up in the 1930s as a rest stop for hikers, and after a storm damaged it in the 1960s the city pulled out the roof, doors and plumbing rather than repair it.
Decades of moss, ferns and lichen have taken over what’s left of the stone walls, which is exactly why it photographs like a fairy-tale set. Fair warning: there’s graffiti on it too, so the vibe is part storybook, part reality check.
My take: the castle is the headline, but the canyon around it is the real show. Give yourself ten minutes by the creek before you turn around.
Keep going to Pittock Mansion
If you’ve still got legs, the castle makes a great first stop on a longer loop. The hike from Lower Macleay Park up to Pittock Mansion runs about 5.7 miles round trip with around 950 feet of climbing, and it’s rated moderate. You follow Balch Creek through old-growth Douglas-fir, climb on the Wildwood Trail, and finish with views of downtown Portland and Mount Hood.
The mansion grounds and gardens are free to wander, though touring inside the house requires a ticket, so check the mansion’s current hours before you plan a stop. Want a shorter version? A 3.7-mile option starts at the Tunnel Trailhead on Cornell Road and skips the creek canyon entirely.
Make a day of it
Forest Park’s Wildwood Trail stretches about 30 miles end to end, so this little castle walk is really just the front door to a much bigger forest. Pair it with a longer loop from our guide to the best hikes in Forest Park, or save the mansion for a clear day when Mount Hood is out. Which version are you picking: the quick castle fix or the full mansion loop?
Trip tips: grab a rental car to get around Portland, or lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone.
Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.
