Along the western shore of the Willamette River, West Linn, Oregon is considered one of Portland’s best suburbs and is only a few miles south from the big city’s downtown. Real estate website Movoto ranks West Linn just behind Lake Oswego, its neighbor to the north, as the best Portland suburb to live in. Movoto cites well maintained city parks and excellent schools for its choice. Originally inhabited by Native Americans, the area which is now West Linn drew European-American settlers in the first half of the 1800’s. One of the first settlers, Major Robert Moore from Pennsylvania, traveled on the Oregon Trail and arrived in 1839. He promptly purchased land from the Wallamut (Willamette) tribe of Native Americans in what is now West Linn. Moore built flour and lumber mills on the site and named the town Robin’s Nest, but he later changed it to Linn City after Missouri Senator Lewis Linn who was one of the first American politicians to argue that the United States should claim Oregon as a territory. The city became West Linn upon incorporation in 1913. In 2011 the city was the top ranked Oregon city by Money Magazine.
A West Linn tutor will be able to get you caught up in your most difficult academic subjects so you can get out and experience the best things to do in West Linn and the Portland metropolitan area. West Linn boasts more than 600 acres of public parks with a wide variety of amenities. The parks include over 18 miles of hiking and biking trails along with several other recreational activities. Right next to the Willamette River in the northeast section of the city, Mary S. Young Park offers five miles of trails through wooded areas and along the river. The park also features athletic fields, bike paths and picnic grounds. Each Halloween, the park hosts the “Haunted Trail” experience with night hiking through the woods complete with goblins and ghosts. A little bit south of Mary S. Young Park, Maddax Woods has Willamette River access and several miles of hiking trails in a peaceful forested setting.
For those interested in the culture and history of the area, West Linn is the setting of the architecturally significant McLean House on the banks of the Willamette River. Dr. Edward McLean, a country doctor, surgeon and educator built the house in 1927. McLean is noteworthy for his contributions to the American Medical Association and the Oregon Physician Service. The house includes 17 rooms, a full basement and two fireplaces. The house as well as the meticulously manicured gardens are open to the public daily.
West Linn is only a few miles from Portland and a wealth of other cultural attractions. The Portland Culture District is 12 city blocks of museums, art centers and churches including the Portland Art Museum and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The Oregon Historical Society Museum is the best place to discover the history of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. The museum houses a large collection of artifacts, films, manuscripts, books and oral histories.