Oregon Forest Ruins
Witch’s Castle: Portland’s Moss-Covered Ruins and Dark History
Portland, Oregon, United States
By the Wicked Cool Places editors · Published · Updated
Why it’s cool
These moss-draped stone ruins in Forest Park blend a grizzly 19th-century murder tale with the skeletal remains of a 1930s park station, creating a hauntingly beautiful destination for hikers and local legend-seekers.
Tucked away within the lush greenery of Portland’s Forest Park, a roofless stone shell stands as a silent witness to a century of local lore. While its popular name suggests a supernatural origin, the reality of the site is a mix of mundane public works and a violent pioneer tragedy that predates the building itself.
Why It Stands Out
Long before the stone walls were erected, the surrounding woods were the setting for Oregon’s first legal execution. In the mid-th century, landowner Danford Balch hired Mortimer Stump to help clear the wilderness.
When Stump and Balch’s daughter, Anna, eloped against her father's wishes in late , the conflict turned deadly. Following a period of heavy drinking and despair, Balch tracked the couple to a ferry on the Willamette River and killed his new son-in-law.
This act led to Balch's hanging in . The structure visible today actually dates back to the s, when it was constructed to serve as a park ranger outpost and public restrooms.
Other parks also feature repurposed ruins, such as the Old Zoo Picnic Area. It remained functional until a powerful storm in caused significant structural damage, leading the city to abandon the site to the elements.
The Roosevelt Island Smallpox Hospital Ruins are another example of abandoned stone structures. Over the following decades, nature reclaimed the building, covering it in thick moss and ferns.
A similar process of natural reclamation can be seen at Mount Moriah Cemetery. By the s, the ruins became a favorite haunt for local teenagers who dubbed it the "Witch’s Castle," a name that stuck despite the lack of actual occult history.
Today, the graffiti-covered walls continue to host Friday night gatherings, maintaining its status as a cornerstone of Portland’s urban legends.
Before You Go
The ruins are accessible via a few different routes. A shorter trek of about half a mile begins at the Upper Macleay Parking area, situated near the Portland Audubon Society.
Alternatively, hikers can start from the Lower Macleay trailhead at Northwest th and Upshur for a slightly longer walk of three-quarters of a mile. The Aspen trail provides a scenic connection, and many visitors find that approaching from Thurman Street offers the most straightforward access to the trailhead.
Questions worth answering
Is there actually a supernatural history here?
The name is just a invention of local teenagers from the 1980s. While there's no occult activity, the ground was the site of a 19th-century murder and the state's first legal execution.
What was the building used for before it became a ruin?
It was a simple ranger station and restroom facility built in the 1930s. The city stopped using it after a 1962 storm caused enough damage to leave it abandoned.
How do we get to the stone walls?
You've got options depending on how much you want to walk. The half-mile path from Upper Macleay is the shortest, but starting at Northwest 30th and Upshur adds another quarter-mile to the trip.
Where did the research for this guide begin?
We used a report on The Witch's Castle as our starting point and built our own editorial from there. It's a standard piece of Pacific Northwest lore that we've refined for you.
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