Parks and the outdoors in Portland

35 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around Portland.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

BuySoutheast
Buckman
An up & coming neighborhood in the southeast to rival the Pearl District in the northwest. The neighborhood is bounded to the west by the Willamette River, south by SE Hawthorne, east by SE 28th and north by E Burnside. It was an industrial warehouse district until the end of the 20th century. It is now gentrifying with all sorts of boutiques, antique stores, furniture stores, gift shops, bars and restaurants housed in old warehouse buildings particularly along SE MLK & Grand Ave (OR-Hwy 99E) and along SE Water Ave. The area is also home to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science & Industry) and is connected to Lloyd Center by the frequent Streetcar going up down SE Union/MLK and to downtown by the Hawthorne and Morrison Bridges.
SeeNorthwest
Chapman Swift Watch
During September evenings, Portlanders gather around Chapman Elementary School to watch thousands of Vaux's swifts, a small bird species, roost in the school's chimney as they prepare to migrate as far south as Venezuela. Street parking can be difficult to find but the parking lot on the west side of the Montgomery Park building a few blocks north is available after 5:30PM.
Free
SeeSoutheast
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
A display and test garden was initiated in 1950 that includes more than 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas, and companion plants. Beginning in early spring and continuing into summer, the gardens provide a magnificent display of color, giving visitors the opportunity to view many varieties rarely seen in the Pacific Northwest. During the fall, many companion trees add dramatic coloring. Spring-fed Crystal Springs Lake surrounds much of the garden, attracting many species of birds and waterfowl.
Summer: 6AM-10PM daily, winter: 6AM-6PM daily$4 in the summer months (free for children under 12); free for all in the winter
SeeNorthwest
Forest Park
Located on the hills northwest of Downtown, Forest Park is one of the nation's largest urban parks at 5,000 acres. There are many great hiking and biking trails to be found winding through this natural forest setting.
Daily 5AM-10PMFree
SeeSouthwest
International Rose Test Gardens
The largest rose test garden in U.S., perched on a hill overlooking Downtown Portland, with thousands of roses planted in every possible way: rows, bushes and vines. Best to come between May and July, when it gets fragrant as everything's in bloom. Volunteer gardeners offer free guided tours at 1PM during the summer months.
7:30AM-9PM dailyFree
SeeNorthwest
Lan Su Chinese Garden
formerly the Portland Classical Chinese Garden
A beautiful urban retreat in the heart of Chinatown with a pond, a teahouse, pavilions, and lots of gardens. If you are on a budget, you can peek in through the ornate open windows and see much of the gardens without paying admission.
Summer: 10AM-6:30PM daily; winter: 10AM-4:30PM daily$16 adults, $15 seniors/students, $13 youth (6-18), children 5 and under free
SeeSoutheast
Laurelhurst Park
A beautiful park designed by a horticultural expert from the same team that designed New York City's Central Park. This park has a great atmosphere in good weather, with lots of locals and visitors enjoying the duck pond, the bike paths, and the off-leash dog area.
5AM-10:30PM dailyFree
SeeSouthwest
Mill Ends Park
The "smallest park in the world", a title backed up by the Guinness Book of Records, Mill Ends was created satirically for the purpose of being "a leprechaun colony and racetrack for snails." It is in the median of SW Naito, and consists of nothing more than a single small tree in the crosswalk on the north side of the intersection.
Free
SeeSoutheast
Mount Tabor Park
At the eastern end of the Hawthorne District, Mt Tabor is a forested park situated atop an extinct volcanic butte with great views of the city. The park contains a couple of reservoirs and lots of winding trails, and is also the home of the popular PDX Soapbox Derby event (see below under Do).
5AM-midnightFree
DoSoutheast
Oaks Park
Opened in 1905 and one of the oldest historic "trolley parks" in the country. It has a wooden carousel constructed in 1912, along with a couple dozen more contemporary rides including one roller coaster "Adrenaline Peak", and many kid's and family rides. It also has a popular roller skating rink, with a pipe organ played during a couple skating sessions each week. This also serves as the fairgrounds for the Multnomah County Fair since 1997, during the last weekend of May.
SeeSouthwest
Oregon Maritime Center and Museum
Located on the Portland, a steam sternwheeler tug boat moored in the river, the museum contains numerous ship models, maritime artifacts and memorabilia, while tours are offered of the ship.
Wed Fri-Sat 11AM-4PM, closed Sun-Tue Thu$7 adults, $5 seniors, $4 students, $3 youth, children under 6/military free
SeeSoutheast
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
OMSI
OMSI is great for kids, with hundreds of hands-on activities with a particular emphasis on technology and earth sciences; you can spend a full rainy day here and not get bored. Moored in the river just outside is the USS Blueback, an old navy submarine which is open for tours (separate ticket required). There's also a planetarium and an IMAX theater which requires separate admission, but you can view the IMAX projector in operation without paying for the movie ticket.
Summer: 9:30AM-7PM daily; winter: Tue-Sun 9:30AM-5:30PM$22.50 adults, $15.50 youth (3-13), $20.50 seniors (parking $5/ 2 hrs., $8/all day; IMAX theater, planetarium, and submarine tickets require separate admission)
BuyNorthwest
Pearl District
Just meandering through the neighborhood, you're sure to come across many boutiques, gift shops, and furniture stores housed in buildings that were once warehouses and factories. The areas around Jamison Square and the intersection of Lovejoy Street and 10th Avenue have the highest concentration of these fabulous shops. The neighborhood is bounded west by I-405, south by W Burnside, north by NW Quimby and east by NW Park, just northwest of downtown Portland.
SeeSouthwest
Pioneer Courthouse Square
This is the central courtyard of downtown Portland, a big gathering spot that's popular with tourists and locals alike. Notable features of the park are a cascading waterfall fountain, chess boards, and the Weather Machine, a machine that predicts the weather every day at noon. Many other sculptures and art elements surround the square, including Kvinneakt, the bronze statue of a nude woman that's otherwise known as the "Expose Yourself to Art" statue after a popular poster featuring a flasher (former Mayor Bud Clark) facing this work. An annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony takes place here the Friday evening after Thanksgiving to ring in the holiday day season and get everyone attending into the holiday cheer.
Free
SeeNorthwest
Portland Audubon
Bird sanctuary adjacent to Forest Park with four miles of trails, an interpretive center, and store.
Dawn to duskFree
SeeSouthwest
Portland Japanese Garden
A haven of tranquil beauty across the seasons, Portland Japanese Garden has been proclaimed as one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan.
Winter Tue-Sun 10AM-4PM, Mon noon-4PM; summer Tue-Sun 9AM-7PM, Mon noon-7PM$21.95 adults, $18.95 seniors, $17.95 students, $15.95 youth (6-17), child 5 and under free
DoSouthwest
Portland Rose Festival
This wonderful festival, held in early June, is Portland's largest event. The Portland waterfront is turned into a carnival for a couple of weeks, starting with Fleet Week as military ships moor alongside Waterfront Park and culminating with a bunch of festivities on the second weekend, including the centerpiece of the festival, the Grand Floral Parade held on the last Saturday. Other events include flower shows, other parades, fireworks, and dragon boat races.
DoSouthwest
Portland Timbers
Portland's Major League Soccer team, the Timbers, play at Providence Park (formerly PGE Park and JELD-WEN Field) and are known for their strong local support. Games against the Seattle Sounders are especially heated, though fan conflict is almost always verbal. Getting tickets can be tricky, as the stadium is rather small—even after an expansion project completed during the 2019 MLS season, it still holds only a bit more than 25,000.
Do
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers play in NBA. The Moda Center is centrally located near downtown next to four MAX lines for those who are interested in catching a game. Nearly every game is a full house, and there aren't many NBA venues that have the same energy for the same value as a Blazer game.
DoNortheast
Portland Trail Blazers
An NBA basketball team which plays at the Moda Center. They are well known for having one of the most loyal crowds in the NBA, so make sure to get tickets before the game as it is very rare to have a game that is not sold out.
DoNortheast
Rose Quarter
The Rose Quarter holds two major arenas, the Moda Center (Rose Garden) and The Memorial Coliseum, which host large, international level touring artists. The Moda Center is also home to the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Ticket prices are usually higher for Rose Quarter events.
BuySoutheast
Sellwood
A neighborhood shopping area on the east side of the Willamette River south of downtown, specializing in antique and vintage furnishings.
EatNorthwest
Skyline Restaurant
Diner with standard American food including burgers nestled in the forest where Cornell meets Skyline.
Sun-Thu 11AM-8PM, Fri Sat 11AM-9PM
DoSoutheast
Springwater Corridor
A 21-mile multi-use trail extending from SE Portland to the town of Boring, Oregon. It is designed to accommodate hikers, bikers, wheelchairs and horses.
SeeNortheast
The Grotto Gardens
National Sanctuary of our Sorrowful Mother
A tranquil and spiritual sanctuary which hosts reflection ponds, secluded gardens, and shrines on the top of a basalt cliff. The best time to visit is during the holiday season when the grotto is illuminated with lights. The Grotto also makes for a very romantic destination for a special night out.
Grounds open at 9AM; closing time varies from 3:30PM in the winter to 8:30PM in the summer; consult website for precise dates/times. Gift shop open 9AM-5PM daily (to 10PM during holiday season)Lower level free. Upper level token sold at gift shop: $7 general, $6 senior/military, $4 children 6-12, children under 6 free. Upper level tokens sold up to 1 hr before closing
SeeSouthwest
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
This wide expanse of green lawns along the downtown Portland waterfront is a scenic slice of park land, with views over the Willamette River and of the skyline. At one point, this narrow stretch of land was a four-lane freeway, but growing environmental awareness led to the city replacing the freeway with this park. Along the waterfront there are a number of fountains, memorials, and gardens, including the Salmon Street Springs, a large fountain at the Salmon Street entrance that's popular with kids during the summer; the Battleship Oregon Memorial, the old mast of the USS Oregon battleship between Oak and Pine Streets; and the Japanese American Memorial Garden at the north end of the park has monuments telling the story of people of Japanese descent in the US, including the WWII internment camps. The park is also home to many festivals throughout the year, including a Cinco de Mayo celebration, the Waterfront Blues Fest, and the carnival-like Rose Festival.
5AM-midnightFree
SeeSouthwest
Washington Park
Washington Park is a classic urban park, sprawling over about 140 acres, with many trails that take you between the stands of trees, around the hills and through the canyons - a park so large it can be easy to get lost without a map. In addition to the many attractions listed below, it also contains memorials for the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the Holocaust, and the Lewis and Clark expedition, and has beautiful vistas of Portland and Mount Hood. The MAX red and blue lines can take you to the park; the station is located at the south end of the park, outside the World Forestry Center and the Oregon Zoo entrance.
5AM-10PM dailyFree (some enclosed attractions have separate ticketing). Parking $2/hr, $8/all day
SeeNorthwest
Witch's Castle
Stone House
Located near where the Lower Macleay and Wildwood Trails meet in the southern part of Forest Park is this former "comfort station" that was partially destroyed in the 1962 Columbus Day Storm. Visitors can explore the small edifice.
Buy Not mapped
Portland Farmers Market
At the markets, farmers, ranchers and nursery growers offer various conventionally and organically grown fruits, vegetables and pre-cut, pre-packaged meats (usually fish, pork or eggs) and live ornamental and food plants for gardening. There are other artisan food producers offering prepared products, ranging from fruit jams to farmstead cheeses, breads and pastries, pickles, pasta, chocolate, and more. They also have additional neighborhood markets in King Market (NE 7th & Wygant), Shemanski Park (SW Park & Main in Downtown), Kenton (N Denver & McCellan), and Lents (SE 92nd & Reedway) at different times. Check website,
Saturdays 9AM-2PM
Do Not mapped
Portland Rose Festival
Portland's annual Rose Festival is held every year at the beginning of June. The largest event of the year includes multiple parades, a carnival at waterfront park, and several military ships docked for fleet week.
Free
Eat Not mapped
Voodoo Doughnut
A distinctly Portland spot, where you can get unusual donuts and a marriage while learning Swahili. While they do have the standard cake doughnuts, the real stars are the doughnuts topped with cereal, candy bars, strawberry Quik powder, and the maple bar with bacon (yes, bacon) on it. It's also the place to get vegan doughnuts. While the vibe is cool and flavour combinations and the naming gimmicks are creative, locals often recommend other local spots like Blue Star Donuts if you are seeking top quality. If it's a sugar rush and possibly a free huge doughnut you're looking for, take the Tex-Ass Challenge; eat one of their oversized glazed doughnuts in under a minute and a half and it's free. (Of course, you have to purchase it in advance!). The Downtown location often has long lines, but this is rarely the case just across the river at the Davis St. location.
Open 24 hours
SeeSouthwest
Keller Fountain Park
Features the dramatic Ira C. Keller Fountain.
5AM-9PMFree
SeeSoutheast
Leach Botanical Garden
6704 SE 122nd Ave
Tue-Sat 9AM-4PM, Sun 1-4PMFree, donations welcome
SeeSouthwest
Lovejoy Fountain Park
Plaza with the vigorous Lovejoy Fountain.
5AM-midnightFree
SeeSouthwest
Pettygrove Park
Paths among serene rolling hills.
5AM-midnightFree

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Portland (CC BY-SA 4.0).