This article is by our resident route master and ride leader Tom Howe. See more of his fun local routes here.
We know how Portland loves its crows… and soon there’s going to be an animated movie about them called Wildwood. What does all this have to do with bicycling and Portland? Well, quite a bit!
The film’s storyline takes place in Portland. In the trailer for the movie, the main character (named Prue) sets out on a rescue mission by bike, with her friend Curtis tagging along. They are determined to find her baby brother after he’s flown away by a large number of crows. Their journey takes them through the streets of Portland and deep into the mysterious Wildwood Impenetrable Forest – a fantastical landscape reminiscent of Portland’s Forest Park, with what looks like hints of inspiration from the Columbia River Gorge. Along the way, they encounter challenges beyond anything they could have imagined as they follow the trail of the crows deeper into the unknown.
As part of a wonderfully creative marketing campaign, LAIKA (the company that made the film) has once again teamed up with local artists and community sponsors, following in the tradition of the beloved Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail statues. This time, 30 larger-than-life, six-foot-tall CROW statues, each uniquely painted and crafted from steel and fiberglass, have taken wing and landed in locations across Portland.
While there is a free paper map (or a $1.49 app) to help you track them down, finding all 30 crows by bike is its own Portland adventure with one-way streets, busy intersections, and sporadic bike paths. It takes a little planning to get from one crow to the next safely, so I’ve created five Ride with GPS routes for self-guided adventures, allowing you to explore at your own pace. I’ll also be leading several fun group rides in collaboration with BikeLoud PDX to help others come ride, explore, and discover something new!
NOTE: The crow statues will be removed from their various locations on October 30. On the weekend of October 31 to November 1, all 30 statues will be displayed together at the Darcelle XV Plaza on Harvey Milk Blvd. They will be auctioned on November 15th at Lewis & Clark College with proceeds supporting the OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
Ride With GPS Self-Guided Routes
- Wildwood – 25 Crows Downtown – visit all 25 in Downtown on this 9.6-mile route starting at OMSI and taking you back to Steel Bridge.
Or split into two parts of 13 and 12 crow sculptures each.
- Wildwood Part 1 – Thirteen Crows Downtown – 5.0-mile route starting at OMSI and ending at Pioneer Courthouse Square.
- Wildwood Part 2 – Twelve Crows Downtown – 4.6-mile route that starts where Part 1 left off at Pioneer Courthouse Square and ends at the Steel Bridge.
The remaining crows are located further out, with 3 statues in the West Hills and 2 statues in North Portland.
- Wildwood – 3 Crows West Hills – a challenging route! Includes 5.7 miles riding with 800-foot elevation gain plus a 1.5 mile 500-foot elevation change hike on the well-maintained Wildwood Trail to the Bird Alliance (note: bicycles are NOT allowed on the Wildwood Trail, either riding or walking the bike). Route starts at Lincoln High School, goes to the International Rose Test Garden, and then to the Pittock Mansion before looping back to Lincoln High School in downtown Portland. The Pittock Mansion has bike racks for locking bikes if you do the trail walk.
- Wildwood – 2 Crows North Portland – a 6.8-mile bidirectional route starting at the crow near the Moda Center and ending at the crow at the St. Johns Library. It mainly follows the North Greeley Multi-Use Path and Willamette Boulevard to get to St. Johns.
Group Rides (organized by BikeLoud PDX):
The downtown route has been split into two parts for Family-Friendly mileage, and will be duplicated on multiple dates:
- Sunday, Sept 6th 1pm start @ OMSI – Part 1 to 13 crows, ends at Pioneer Square. Ride details on Shift Calendar.
- Sunday Sept 6th 2:30pm start @ Pioneer Square – Part 2 to 12 crows, a continuation of Part 1 ending at the Steel Bridge. Ride details.
After the movie release on October 23rd, we’ll repeat it:
- Sunday, October 25th 1pm @ OMSI – – Part 1 to 13 crows, ends at Pioneer Square. Ride details.
- Sunday, October 25th 2:30pm @ Pioneer Square – Part 2 to 12 crows, a continuation of Part 1 ending at the Steel Bridge. Ride details.
To close out this article, I’d like to quote the question the movie trailer asks us, “How far would you go for those you love?” Putting a cyclist’s twist on it: “How far will you ride for the things you love?” …For the love of crows, the love of art, love of Portland – or simply for yourself. Sometimes the best way to discover what you love is to simply ride toward it.
