Willamette Stone State Heritage Site

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 The exact point from which ALL land in Oregon and Washington is surveyed — the Willamette Stone marks the intersection of the Willamette Meridian and Willamette Base Line (1851). Every property description in OR and WA references this point!

Visitor Information

About Willamette Stone

Willamette Stone State Heritage Site preserves the original survey monument — the Willamette Stone — that established the baseline for all land surveys in Oregon and Washington. Set in 1851, this unassuming stone marker in the West Hills of Portland is the initial point from which every legal property boundary in the Pacific Northwest was measured. It’s essentially the “Point Zero” of the entire region’s land grid.

Things to Do

A short interpretive trail leads to the stone monument, with signs explaining the history and mechanics of the Public Land Survey System. The forested setting in the West Hills offers pleasant walking. The site appeals primarily to history buffs and surveyors, but the forest path is enjoyable for anyone. It connects to the extensive Wildwood Trail system in Forest Park — the largest urban forest park in America.

Getting There

Located at the end of NW Skyline Boulevard in Portland’s West Hills. Limited trailhead parking. Free to visit.

About Willamette Stone

Willamette Stone State Heritage Site in Multnomah County (Portland) preserves the Initial Point of the Willamette Meridian — the survey point from which all land in Oregon and Washington was measured and divided. Placed in 1851, this humble stone marker determined the boundaries of every property in the Pacific Northwest. It’s one of the most historically significant (yet little-known) sites in Oregon.

Things to Do

Viewing the Willamette Stone initial survey point, hiking the surrounding West Hills trails, learning about how the Pacific Northwest was surveyed and settled, and visiting this obscure but historically pivotal landmark.