Hike to the hilltop overlooking the coastal range or hop on the Banks-Vernonia trail, Oregon's first rail-to-trail.
First off, this park connects to the mid-way point of the Banks-Vernonia rail-to-trail! What is the Banks-Vernonia trail, you might ask?
A 21 mile stretch of old railroad track converted into paved bike path (such a fabulous idea!) The picturesque trail is relatively flat and passes through forest, fields, farms, ravines, and little towns to stop and catch a bite to eat.
One highlight is the Buxton Trestle, a 700-foot-long wooden bridge built in 1920 running 80 feet above Mendenhall Creek valley. You can't see the height from this photo, but trust me, it's very cool.
Just note that Stub Steward is not one of the official 6 trailheads to the trail; you can hop on the path here but you'll need to park your car at the Hilltop Day-use Area, which is an INCLINE.
That said, the Hilltop Day-use Area is pretty amazing in and of itself! At 1,250 feet you're high enough to see the broad expanse of the coastal mountains stretching out to the ocean.
(Side note: When looking at their website I saw you can buy a stargazing permit?! Never heard of this before and it strikes me as a very sci-fi concept. But surely the view of the stars here is incredible!)
We camped at Stub Steward overnight, so rather than biking up the to the hilltop we hiked up to check it out. On our way we saw a glimpse of the countless other recreational activities here - there are nearly 30 miles of hiking areas, 15 miles of mountain biking trails, and horseback riding routes.
You can stay in a super adorable cabin higher in the hills, tent it up like we did, hike-in to a more secluded camp site, or even stay at the horse camping area! (If you have a horse, which we, sadly, do not.)
Anyway, its was an awesome place to stay the night - we saw deer wandering around and heard wolves howling in the night! That was a first for us. A bit scary, but very, very neat.
Distance from Portland: 45 minutes / 37 miles
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