“Step into the Witches Castle”
The famous little stone house in Portland goes by many names: the Witch's House, the Trail House, and the Forest House, though usually it's called by it's most common name, the Stone House. Even though the small, weed-overgrown structure has adopted an overflow of legends about the surrounding woods, and the origins of the house itself, you might not believe what its first incarnation was... Built in the mid-1930s, the little elaborate house was used for a decade as a public trail bathroom before the building's water-line was completely destroyed during the infamous Columbus Day storm of October 12, 1962. "Because the structure had been heavily vandalized over the years, the decision was made to gut the building rather than embark on costly repairs," Mark Ross, Media Relations at Portland Parks and Recreation recently explained to Roadtrippers. "It remains as a favorite spot to rest along the trail." Hikers can find the Stone House on the Lower Macleary Trail, all you have to do is look for the largest tree in the woods, which is located along the path and you can't miss it. If you happen to spot some strange people holding blinking tools while you're there, it's probably because Forest Park is also rumored to be haunted. Ghost hunters have been visiting the woods for years trying to capture the strange lights, and shadow figures rumored to be lurking in the nearby brush. Whether you're an avid hiker, photographer, or just a lover of spooky stories, Portland's Stone House has something for pretty much everyone. And if you're a fan of all three, welcome to your new favorite place!
Reviews
It's only .5 miles to the house from the Upper Macleay Parking lot, near the Portland Audubon Society or .75 of a mile from the Lower Macleay Parking lot at NW 30th and Upshur.
Most people who visit the house actually think it's some kind of haunted remains.It was built in the mid-1930s, and was used for a decade as a public trail bathroom before the building's water-line was completely destroyed during the infamous Columbus Day storm of October 12, 1962!
Checkout this video of me exploring abandoned stone house in skamania https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6bjtNrSWRc
This was a really nice day hike/walk though the woods along a creek. The house was very cool but I didn't see any witch ghosts!
Best decommissioned bathroom I’ve been to! Nice little trail to get there as well and if you’ve got the time, there are several interesting things to see along the trail as it’s part of a very big park.
Been told this place is called the witches castle. Loved seeing it in person, very easy to find. Did the hike as the sun set, so walking thru the woods in darkness gave it a spooky feel. However, it's covered in graffiti and the stairs to the 2nd floor is blocked by a fallen tree - just a heads up!
For starters the map marker is all wrong, it's much closer to Cornell road. It's a short, pretty walk but the building itself is all tagged so it's not really that cool to look at.
The idea is great and the forest were lovely, smelled so good, however I was not able to find the stone house on my limited timeframe. There were other things to find/see, and I would rate this higher on those, but the TITLE is abandoned creepy stone house....have time to search for it.
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Witch's Castle
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 5:00 am - 10:00 pm
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
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