5 BEST things about Witch's Castle Portland

Take a creekside walk to the famous Witch's Castle in Portland.

The Witch's Castle is located in northwest Portland, inside the 5,000 acre Forest Park.

Visitors can follow the Lower Macleay Trail 0.7 miles along the Balch Creek ravine, until they reach the castle. Only the first half of the pathway is paved, and the remainder of the dirt trail has steep drop-offs.

Start: The entrance to the Lower Macleay Trail is in northwest Portland at the western end of NW Upshur Street. NW Upshur Street dead-ends at a turning circle, just below the Thurman Street Bridge. There's no parking lot, but plenty of parking spaces along NW Upshur.

5 best things about Witch's Castle Portland

1. It's popular with photographers.

The mysterious ruins of the Witch's Castle are a big hit with photographers, nestled amongst the lush, forested surrounds of Balch Creek. The entire area is shrouded in mystery, with a landscape festooned in lichen and mosses.

2. The land was once owned by a murderer.

Pioneer Danford Balch staked a claim on this land in 1847, after crossing the Oregon Trail with his wife and two children. His cabin was located very close to the Witch's Castle, and eventually housed his expanded family of nine kids. Balch hired an employee, Mortimer Stump, to help him clear the land. However, it wasn't long before Mortimer fell in love with Balch's eldest daughter. Balch disapproved of the relationship, and so the two eloped across the river in Vancouver. Balch shot Mortimer dead when the newlywed couple returned for supplies on the ferry, and he was sentenced to Oregon's first execution in 1849.

3. The stone castle was constructed in 1929 as a rest stop.

The land eventually passed into the hands of the Bureau of Parks. A stone structure was constructed in 1929, designed by architect Ernest F. Tucker. It was originally known as the Macleay Park Shelter, and had restrooms, a picnic area and tool room. It then later became a ranger station. Today's hikers can continue past the Witch's Castle along a 1.9 mile trail, uphill to historic Pittock Mansion.

4. The architect was inspired by the Olmstead Brothers.

The Olmstead Brothers had encouraged architect Ernest F. Tucker to build something akin to a woodsman's cottage, sympathetic to the forested landscape around it. The Olmsteads were passionate about preserving the wild, natural environs of Forest Park. The end result was a cottage constructed from basalt rocks, with a steeply pitched, shingled roof.

5. The Witch's Castle was destroyed by the Columbus Day storm in 1962.

The roof of the Witch's Castle collapsed in a storm in 1962, and the stone walls were eventually vandalized and covered in graffiti. The elements then took over, covering the walls in thick moss. During the 1980s the Witch's Castle became a popular location for high school parties.