Along a hiking trail in the middle of the forest lies a ruined stone house decorated in moss and clouded in mystery. I’m talking about the Witch’s Castle in Portland, Oregon, one of the weirdest sites in a city that celebrates the weird. Brave enough for a visit? Read on.
Backstory
The Land
The Witch’s Castle (also known as the Stone House) sits on land that was claimed in 1850 by Danford Balch, who had ventured west on the Oregon trail with his wife and children. At the time, the land was mostly thick forest and Balch needed help clearing enough of the area to build his home. He hired a man named Mortimer Stump to assist with the task. Stump moved in with the Balch family and it didn’t take long for Balch’s eldest daughter Anna to fall in love with him.
Balch was appalled at this thought of his daughter marrying a common working man like Stump (he owned much of Portland by this time) and immediately forbade her from going through with it. If history has taught us anything, forbidding a young girl from marrying the love of her life never ends well. Ahem… Juliet.
The young couple fled to Vancouver to elope, and upon their return to Portland, Mortimer paid the price…Balch shot him in the face with his shotgun while he stood on a riverboat. Yikes. According to some accounts, Balch himself claimed his wife “bewitched” him into committing the crime, so that she would once again have her daughter by her side.
The logical conclusion is that Stump is haunting the woods he helped clear, in revenge of that brutal attack. Balch was later hanged for his crime, and his ghost is also said to guard the forests he once called his home.
The House
The house itself was never a house at all. Originally constructed in the 1930s, it functioned as a public restroom for hikers along the forest trail. In 1962, a violent storm badly damaged the structure. Moss and graffiti took over. Eventually, the roof caved in and the little house became abandoned and forgotten.
Local high school students rediscovered it sometime in the 80’s and used it as a place for secret parties on Friday nights. They nicknamed it the Witch’s Castle, and the name has stuck ever since.
It didn’t take long for ghost hunters to hear the tale of a Witch’s Castle in the haunted forests of Portland, and the legends of Balch’s and Stump’s ghost to be remembered. After that, people have claimed to see flickering orbs surrounding the house, hearing children’s whispers and horrifying screams in the middle of the night. Ghost hunters love to tell the tale of Stump’s and Balch’s ghosts using the Witch’s Castle as a place to continue their immortal feud.
Getting There
The Witch’s Castle in Portland is located in Forest Park, about a 5-minute drive from downtown. There are two ways to get there. The first is a short half mile hike from the Upper Macleay Parking Lot near the Portland Audubon Society. The other is a slightly longer, 3/4 mile hike from the Lower Macleay Parking Lot located at NW 30th and Upshur. Both are beautiful hikes through the forest taking you right to the Witch’s Castle.
The trails are very easy to walk. They are wide and flat, perfect for hikers of almost any level. On the way, you will pass gorgeous streams, tiny waterfalls, and moss-covered branches. It probably took me twice as long as it should have to find the castle because I was constantly taking pictures!
For detailed maps and directions for all the trails of Forest Park, click here.
What to Expect
I have visited the Witch’s Castle in Portland on two different occasions. Once, it was totally covered in graffiti. The other time it looked like it had just been cleaned and only moss and cobwebs remained. Both variations had their own unique charm.
There is actually a lot of debate surrounding graffiti on the Witch’s Castle. Some consider it art and argue it makes the house even more unique. Considering the amount of street art and culture in Portland, I can understand where this view is coming from. Of course, there is the other side who wants it to stay totally natural and graffiti free. Since I have seen both, I can say I prefer the look of the natural stone, but the graffiti (if it is not offensive or vulgar) does lend it a cool, funky vibe to the house!
Since the trail is easy and close to the city, there will be lots of people jogging, hiking or walking dogs. The time I visited solo I was a little nervous to be on the trails alone but felt much better after passing at least 10 other solo female hikers.
I was never alone at the castle, but on each visit people were very courteous and gave each other plenty of space to take photos.
If you dare, visit close to dusk for the ultimate spooky experience.
I’m from the uk I would love to visit Portland but seems so expensive 😭
Stay in Salem or a neighboring City!
I’ve never been to Salem, Oregon! I’ll have to check that one out.
If you’re from the UK, Portland will not seem that expensive 🙂 It’s about like London or maybe even a bit less because there’s no sales tax.
Your article about the Witch’s Castle truly made me miss Portland so much. It is my second home and my most favourite city apart from my home city of Seattle, WA and I’ve lived not far from the castle. So glad to see it featured on here and your photos of it are stunning and absolutely magical. I’m equally delighted that the parks personnel are maintaining it. Living in London, UK now and hopefully will be home again soon. Thank you. This feature brought back such wonderful memories. 💖
Zahra
The forest certainly seems spooky. I would never dare visit the Witch Castle after hearing the story. The moss all over the house looks absolutely stunning. The forest is so dense I would love photographing there.
Witch Castle sounds like an interesting place to visit. I love your photos, they are so beautiful. I love exploring forests too.
It’s not spooky. It’s a pretty little hike. I grew up in Portland and remember going when I was a little girl. It isn’t scary at all.
We are all entitled to our own opinion! I have hiked this trail many times and a moss covered stone building in the woods, especially at dusk, is something I find spooky.
That story isn’t even true. It was never a home. And it was not built in the 1800s. The “Witch’s Castle ” was built in the 19 40s or 50s and was a ranger station and public bathrooms until it was damaged by a storm in the 1960s. Such an elaborate tale someone made up. Now it’s just a party place for college kids to have kegggers in.
Hi Angel, you are correct when you say it was never a house. In fact, I say that specifically in the post. I also never said it was built in the 1800s. Per my post- “The house itself was never a house at all. Originally constructed in the 1930s, it functioned as a public restroom for hikers along the forest trail.” The story comes from the land it was built on.
What an awesome discovery in Portland. How funny that such an elaborate tale has developed around the Witch’s Castle yet it turns out to have been built much later for a very functional reason. But tragic stories are always more fun. I think I prefer the natural look of the stone and I’m also glad you addressed that it’s safe for a solo visit. What a great addition to a Portland itinerary.
I was looking up things to do in Portland Oregon and this is definitely a different one! Who could turn that down?
This is a much see Jessie! When are you headed to Portland? Feel free to email me if you need any other recommendations.. it’s one of my favorite cities in the US!
It looks so much older than 1930! I love how nature takes over so quickly! What a beautiful spot. I think it is good that they have removed the graffiti, it looks more magical now.
What a cool post! I’ve never done any research on Portland or been to the city, but if I ever make it there, this will be near the top of my must-do list! The history of the building is really cool. I love exploring places that have a darker history- it adds a different dimension to the attraction. The pictures are stunning! I feel like I would personally appreciate seeing it in its natural stone state rather than with graffiti on it, but I can only imagine how difficult it is to keep it graffiti free.
The story behind the house was quite entertaining. You are so right – love stories like these never have a great ending. I can quite imagine all of those tales playing through the mind as you explored the moss covered mansion. The green trail also, looks promising.
Yes, I imagine that this would be rather spooky at dusk or evening. I guess it’ll be popular around Halloween. I’m surprised that something so close to Portland was only re-discovered in the 80’s. It must have been hidden well by the forest. Lovely pictures, by the way!
The story of Balch and Stump is really saddening, however interesting. The Witches Castle is actually a cool place to visit if Portland. I will prefer the natural, mossy look over the grafitti though.
Great pictures! I ran along that trail a couple times and enjoyed checking out the Witches Castle! I talk about that trail as well as other running routes! https://262.run/2019/04/16/portland-or/
Thanks Laura! That would be a beautiful trail to run. I’ll have to do that next time i’m in Portland.