Best Outdoor Attractions In PDX…
Portland is a unique major metro city for many reasons. We love it here, and we might be a little bit biased. However, we’re not alone when we say we think Portland has some of the best food, wine, beer, and attractions in the country. Not excluded from this is the outdoor attractions Portland has to offer. This blog will list and link some of our most favorite outdoor attractions you can access without even having to leave the city.
1. Portland International Rose Test Garden
From late May through October, take a trip into SW Portland to visit the Rose Garden. A constantly rotating variation of over 10,000 different rose bushes sits nestled in the SW Hills at 400 SW Kingston Avenue, Portland, OR 97210. According to the Portland Parks description of the Rose Garden, the majority of the roses found in the garden are commercially available. The main purpose of the Garden is to test new rose varieties, a practice brought to the present by roses being sent to Portland for testing during the unrest of WW1. Come take one look at the Rose Garden and you’ll see why they call us “The City of Roses”.
2. Portland Japanese Garden
One of the most wonderful things about nature is the fact that it has the power to connect people from all over the world. According to the Portland Japanese Garden website, the purpose of creating the Japanese Garden was to forge a meaningful relationship between the US and Japan following WW2. It’s a member of a group of Japanese Gardens the popped up around the States during this time. The tranquil gardens will make you briefly forget you’re in a major metro. Find them at 611 SW Kingston Ave., Portland, OR 97205.
3. Forest Park
Forest Park spans over 5,000 acres, making it one of the largest and most sprawling urban forest spaces in the country. According to the Forest Park Conservancy website, Forest Park avoided residential development at the beginning of the 20th century, finally becoming a dedicated park in 1948. There are bike, walking, and dog-friendly trails for everyone and many different ways to enter the park due to its size.
https://forestparkconservancy.org/forest-park/maps/
4. Mount Tabor
Mount Tabor is a large park on the Southeast side of town on an extinct volcano! According to the Portland Parks page on Mt. Tabor, the city purchased the space to create the park in 1909. Boasting 360 degree views of the city, a wonderful tree canopy, and plenty of trails to explore right in the city, Mt. Tabor is the place to escape for the day for people of all ages. Whether you seek a rigorous hike, a stair workout to get your heart moving, or a bench to sit on and peacefully watch the water, you’ll find what you need at Tabor. Find Mt. Tabor Park at SE 60th Ave. and Salmon Street, Portland, OR 97215. In 2000, a nonprofit group called The Friends of Mt. Tabor Park formed to help improve and maintain the park. Check out updates and ways to help: Visit here
5. Tryon Creek Park
Originally land belonging to many Native Tribes of Oregon, Tryon Creek is another park that we get to enjoy because of many passionate Portlanders working to protect the lands from development. Over 650 acres of trails and day use areas, horse and bike trails sit in the Southwest side of Portland between PDX and Lake Oswego. The nonprofit organization Friends of Tryon Creek has stemmed from a group of neighbors protecting large plots of land from development and preserving the land that would eventually become Tryon Park.
Visit their website for trail maps, ways to donate, and programs for kids: https://tryonfriends.org/
6. Hoyt Arboretum
The Hoyt Arboretum is a biological resource in the city hosting over 2,000 species of trees from six continents. There are twelve miles of different trails to hike, and different species of trees are labeled to make it just as interesting as it is relaxing to be out in the wild. There are guided walks, family activities and many ways to learn about local plants and animals. Find Hoyt Arboretum at 4000 SW Fairview Blvd., Portland, OR 97221.
Visit the Hoyt Arboretum website here.
