Tilikum Crossing

Catch a glimpse of Mount Hood and the Willamette River while riding across the largest car-free bridge in the US.

Named after the local Chinook word for “people,” the bridge honors the Native American civilizations indigenous to the area, while helping to connect all people who ride, cycle, walk and run across it.

Tilikum Crossing connects Portland’s South Waterfront with the Central Eastside. This cable-stayed bridge boasts roomy bike and pedestrian paths (14 feet wide!) and shuttles light rail, streetcar and bus passengers across the Willamette. As you cross the bridge, keep an eye out for the things that make it so unique. The bridge’s lighting changes depending on the temperature, depth, and speed of the river. And if you look closely, you can find osprey nesting poles at either end.

Here are two rides, depending on which side of the bridge you’re coming from. Grab a BIKETOWN bike from:

  • The Eastside at SE 2nd Pl at Tilikum Way station. Ride across the bridge, then make your first left toward downtown on SW Moody Ave. Drop your bike at the SW Moody at Aerial Tram Terminal station. Then take flight via the Portland Aerial Tram.
  • The South Waterfront at Tilikum West at SW Moody station. Ride across the bridge towards the Central Eastside, and drop off your bike at the base of the bridge at SE 2nd Pl at Tilikum Way. Next, you can walk a few blocks north to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).

The total distance of this ride is 0.6 miles, which takes most people about 10 minutes on a BIKETOWN bike, depending on how often you stop to admire the view.

If you want to take a longer ride, make your way over to the Eastside, head north along the water and connect with the scenic Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade. With 12 bridges crossing the Willamette, Portland has earned the nickname ‘Bridgetown.’ Which bridge will you visit next?

See more information and maps on the waterfront loop rides. Additional pricing info here.