PORTLAND RECREATION AND ATHLETIC CLUBS

Portland is in a great location for outdoor and indoor activities. Located in the scenic Willamette Valley, the urban center is surrounded by large parks with extensive trail systems and recreation facilities. Scenic rivers, hills and mountains and the Pacific Ocean are just out your Portland doorstep. From hiking, to rock climbing, to mountain and road biking, to kayaking, to snow and water skiing, to kite boarding, Portland is the ideal location for the outdoor adventures.

Portland is proud to have the largest urban wilderness in the United States- Forest Park. With over 50 miles of trails dense with old-growth forests, Forest Park is a hiker's, runner's and biker's paradise. Well maintained and accessible trails make this park a popular Portland destination for locals and visitors alike. If you prefer to run along the river, the Waterfront extends for miles along the east and west banks of the Willamette River. A trail connecting the South Waterfront, downtown corridor, the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade and the Springwater trail is 40 miles of paved trails for runners and bikers to enjoy. With these extensive trail systems, it is no surprise Portland was named one if the top 10 running cities in the nation.

The Oregon Coast is just a ninety-minute drive and features spectacular scenery with great sites for hiking, exploring the tide pools, relaxing on the beach, scuba diving, flying kites, surfing and fishing. Cannon Beach is known for its long beaches with distinct rock formations- especially Haystack Rock. Visit Tillamook and take a tour of the Tillamook cheese factory with cheese and ice cream samples. Seaside, Astoria and Lincoln City are great locations to gobble up our famous Oregon Coast clam chowder after a day of beach combing.

The Columbia River Gorge is 45-minutes to the east and is known internationally as the hot spot for wind surfing and kite boarding. Look to the south on your way up the Gorge to see Multnomah Falls with extensive hiking trails and rock climbing on Smith Rock. This is definitely a site not to miss.

For the downhill skiing enthusiasts, there is a range of Mountains in Oregon that offer year-round skiing with slopes for beginners to experts. Mt. Hood Meadows and Timberline are just an hour's drive from Portland and great spots for skiers and snowboarders year-round. Mt. Bachelor is outside of Bend, OR in central Oregon- a great vacation spot for skiing and summertime outdoor activities.

The southern Oregon coast is unique for its sand dunes allowing for adventures in dune buggy racing and first-class golf at the elite Bandon Dunes. If you enjoy wine tasting, Oregon has many areas that specialize in rich Pinot Noirs and crisp Chardonnays and Pinot Gris. The Willamette Valley is a perfect location for the growth of mature grapes and with over 200 wineries in the region, any wine lover can discover a new favorite varietal.

As you can see, Portland prides itself in being rich with outdoor activities. Subsequently, in 2006, Portland was named the Best U.S. city for walkers by Prevention Magazine. Portland was also named the Best U.S. city for cyclists by Bicycling Magazine. And in January 2007, the Cooking Light magazine named Portland the second-healthiest city in the U.S. based on 15 criteria including number of health clubs, number of healthy restaurants, percentage of fit individuals and access to outdoor sporting.

Multnomah Athletic Club

The MAC is a private not-for-profit athletic and social club located in downtown Portland, Oregon at 18th Street and SW Salmon Street. Formed in 1891 by 26 football players, the Multnomah Athletic Club means as much to families as it does to athletes. A complete club, with first-rate facilities, superb cuisine, fun social activities, MAC is a second home to many members.

>> Visit MAC Club website

Portland Athletic Clubs

There are any number of public sporting clubs throughout the city of Portland including:

24 Hour Fitness
Bally's Athletic Club
Riverplace Athletic Club
LA Fitness
YMCA Metro Center and YWCA
Willamette Athletic Club

SPORTS TEAMS

Portland has a proud history of athletic achievement and those of us who live here fanatically support our local teams and collegiate sports including the University of Oregon Ducks, the Oregon State Beavers, University of Portland Pilots and the Portland State Vikings. The Trail Blazers are set to have a great season in 2008 with their #1 draft pick- Greg Odem. PGE Park hosts both the Portland Beavers baseball and the Portland Timbers soccer teams throughout the spring and summer seasons. Originally built in 1926 and renovated in 2001, PGE Park holds 18,616 energetic fans.

Portland Trail Blazers Basketball at Rose Garden Arena - Website: www.nba.com/blazers
Portland Beavers Triple-A Baseball at PGE Park - Website: www.portlandbeavers.com
Portland Timbers Minor League Soccer at PGE Park - Website: www.portlandtimbers.com
Portland Winter Hawks at Rose Garden Arena - Website: www.winterhawks.com