The Portland Streetcar leaves a station near the Tilikum Crossing bridge.

It’s easy to find something fun to do outside in Portland, a city that’s home to tons of hiking trails, an array of amazing parks, many great attractions and beautiful river beaches. But Portland’s best urban adventure might be the one that combines them all.

A MAX Train pulls into the Washington Park station near the Oregon Zoo.

The 4T Trail is a roughly 9-mile loop that takes adventurers on a sweeping tour of Southwest Portland, from the Willamette River way up to Council Crest, over to Washington Park and down to downtown. The four T’s stand for the four modes of transportation used throughout the journey: tram, trail, train and trolley.

An entrance to the Marquam Trail is found on the side of Southwest Patton Road.

A loop with many access points, the 4T Trail can be approached from any direction. You can start at the Oregon Zoo, Council Crest Park, Marquam Nature Park, Oregon Health & Science University or virtually any part of downtown. That said, the Tilikum Crossing, where bus, train and streetcar lines all intersect, is a great place to begin. You can take any number of public transit options to the west bridgehead or find parking nearby at OHSU.

Those adverse to hiking uphill might want to read this backward. For everyone else, here’s how to tackle Portland’s spectacular 4T Trail.

Tram

The lower terminal of the Portland Aerial Tram is found on South Moody Avenue near Whitaker Street. A ride on the tram, which only takes a few minutes, is $8.50 per person, with tickets available both onsite and online. While that ticket is good for a round trip, you’ll only be going one way on this journey. The tram primarily draws tourists and OHSU employees, and if you’re neither of those, odds are you’ve never taken it. Enjoy the ride and make sure to take in the views at the top before moving on.

People rest on benches with a view at Council Crest Park in Southwest Portland.

Trail

The roughly 4-mile hike from OHSU to Washington Park is by far the longest of the four legs of this adventure. It’s also by far the most beautiful part of the journey. Make sure you bring along a trail map – find one on the 4T Trail website or on AllTrails – to navigate the many twists and turns through the forested parks of Southwest Portland.

From the upper tram terminal, walk through the hospital building and turn left onto Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road. In about 1,000 feet, turn right onto Southwest Ninth Avenue to find a trailhead that dips into the forest. Follow this trail, the Connor Trail, for half a mile, then turn right onto the Basalt Trail, which leads to the parking area for Marquam Nature Park. Take a minute to enjoy the mosaic here, then head uphill on the Shadyside Trail, which dead-ends at the Marquam Trail – one of Portland’s longest continuous trails. Go right and continue for about a mile to Council Crest Park, where you’ll find benches, a great viewpoint and a portable toilet.

A hiker walks through the winding forested trails in the hills of Southwest Portland on the 4T Trail, a route that uses four modes of transportation to explore Southwest Portland.

Next is a short section of the 4T Trail that requires walking along the shoulder of some fairly busy roads. From the Council Crest viewpoint, walk along the park road until you find a trail leading north, which spits you out on the street at a four-way intersection. Cross over Southwest Fairmount Boulevard, then turn right and continue along Southwest Talbot Road, being mindful to stay on the shoulder. Go right at the crosswalk to Southwest Patton Road, then look for a set of stairs leading back down to the Marquam Trail. (Again, a map is really helpful.)

In half a mile, the trail reaches the shoulder of a freeway onramp to U.S. 26. Turn left and walk along the shoulder, then cross the road to an overpass. The sidewalk quickly leads into Washington Park, taking you right up to the entrance of the Oregon Zoo. Keep walking to find the Washington Park MAX station.

Train

Take an elevator down to the MAX station, which is found just across the street from the World Forestry Center. TriMet fare for most adults is $2.80 per ride, with a maximum of $5.60 per day. If you don’t have the Hop Fastpass app, you can use any contactless credit card at the Hop reader. You can take either the blue or red line toward the city center, which run to the same stops in this part of town. The train trip here is short – hop off only three stops later at the Library/Southwest Ninth Avenue stop. This is a great place to find lunch, with casual, affordable restaurants in every direction.

The Portland Aerial Tram leaves the upper terminal at OHSU in Southwest Portland.

Trolley

The Portland Streetcar – er, trolley – makes up the last leg of the 4T Trail, connecting downtown to the south waterfront where you began. Start at the Southwest 11th and Taylor stop downtown and take any of the cars that come. Just like the train, you can pay with a Hop Pass or a contactless credit card, though fare is a little bit cheaper, at $2 for adults. Take the streetcar to the South Moody & Meade stop, right at the foot of the Tilikum Crossing, to complete the loop and reach the journey’s end.