Powell Butte regulars are bringing home more than muddy boots this season. Multnomah County health officials say they have documented a higher-than-normal number of ticks at Powell Butte Nature Park, and hikers and pet owners are backing that up with their own reports from the trails. County vector crews are monitoring tick populations and urging outdoor users to take extra precautions, like wearing long clothing and checking themselves, children and pets after outings. For Portlanders who spend time on the butte, the guidance is straightforward and very local: know how to spot and remove a tick and watch for symptoms in the weeks after a bite.
As reported by KATU, Multnomah County said the western blacklegged tick has shown up in higher numbers at Powell Butte but stressed there is "no cause for alarm." County officials encouraged thorough tick checks and said vector crews will continue surveillance on trails this season.
County guidance for hikers and pet owners
Multnomah County Vector Control recommends staying on trails, wearing long sleeves and pants, tucking shirts into pants and pants into socks, and using EPA-registered repellents such as DEET or picaridin. The county also advises showering after outdoor activity and doing a careful full-body tick check on yourself and your pets, especially in warm, moist areas where ticks like to hide.
How common is Lyme disease here?
The western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) is the Pacific Northwest vector that can transmit Lyme disease, but state surveillance indicates human Lyme cases are rare in Oregon, per the Oregon Health Authority. Local reporting shows Multnomah County has recorded 16 Lyme cases among residents over the past decade, and county officials said those people were likely exposed while traveling outside Oregon, as reported by KATU.
Tick removal and symptoms to watch
If you find an attached tick, remove it promptly with clean, fine-tip tweezers by pulling straight up without twisting or crushing. Avoid burning or smothering the tick, the CDC says. After removal, wash the area and monitor for fever, headache, muscle aches or a rash around the bite and seek medical care if symptoms develop.
How to report ticks or possible infections
County officials say they rely on reports from hikers and residents to map local "hot spots" and encourage people to report tick encounters to Vector Control through the county's information page. Healthcare providers who suspect a patient has a tickborne illness can report a case to Multnomah County Communicable Disease by calling 503-988-3406 or emailing [email protected], according to the county's recent public Q&A on Reddit.
What this means for your next hike
Powell Butte is a roughly 600-acre nature park east of Portland with miles of open meadows and trails, and officials say visitors do not need to avoid the park, just take sensible precautions and check for ticks after outings. For park details and hours, see Portland Parks & Recreation.
