Portland Stair Walks

Why is it so satisfying to walk up and down stairs? Maybe it's the new layer of discovery with each step up—a new far-off view and a new close-up look at the plants and buildings. Maybe it's the fleeting proximity one has to passing strangers. Maybe it's the great feeling of propelling yourself upward and then floating downward. Maybe it's the best workout you can get without putting on gym clothes. Whatever the reason, stairs are an excellent way to get yourself up or down a landscape, and Portland, Oregon has a whole lot of them built into our public sidewalk and trail infrastructures.

With Portland Stair Walks as your guide, you'll have 18 urban adventures on foot (or even bike) with:

-142 staircases

-22 hidden paths

-26 bridges

-2 tunnels

-1 island

-1 floating sidewalk

-1 aerial tram

-and several beaches

And you'll enjoy views of:

-2 rivers

-16 river bridges

-4 volcanos

-3 creeks

-many city vistas

-and innumerable small details that make the city and its history come alive!

Microcosm Microcosm was started by Joe Biel in a bedroom closet as a distro and record label in 1996 and is now among the oldest independent book publishing houses in Portland, OR. Microcosm focuses on relating the experiences of what it is like to be a marginalized person and strives to be recognized for spirit, creativity, and value. All books are printed in the U.S., and the company doubles the industry average in number of women authors and prioritizes hiring of special needs employees. Microcosm constantly poses the question “How can we remove barriers to success for marginalized people in our industry?”