Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, SE 28th Ave & Woodstock Blvd, ☎ +1 503 771-8386, . Summer: 6AM-10PM daily, Winter: 6AM-6PM daily. 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.$3 in the summer months (free for children under 12); free for all in the winter. �
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.Free. �
St. Francis of Assisi statue at The Grotto
The Grotto Gardens, 8840 NE Skidmore St, ☎ +1 503 254-7371, . M-F 9AM-8:30PM, Sa-Su 9AM-8:30PM. 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.Free. �
Lan Su Chinese Garden (formerly the Portland Classical Chinese Garden), NW 3rd & Everett (in Old Town/Chinatown), ☎ +1 503 228-8131, . Summer: 10AM-6PM daily, Winter: 10AM-5PM daily. 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.$8.50 adults, $7.50 seniors, $6.50 students, children 5 and under free. (45.52565,-122.67299)�
Laurelhurst Park, SE 39th Ave & Stark St, . 5AM-10:30PM daily. 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.Free. �
Mill Ends Park, SW Naito Pkwy & SW Taylor. The "smallest park in the world", a title backed up by the Guinness Book of Records, Mill Ends was originally created satirically for the purpose of being "a leprechaun colony and racetrack for snails." It is located 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. �
Mount Tabor Park, SE 60th & Salmon St, . 5AM-midnight. 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). �
Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW Broadway and Yamhill, ☎ +1 503 223-1613, . 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.Free. �
Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Naito Pkwy (Between the Steel and Marquam bridges). 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 the Waterfront Blues Fest and the carnival-like Rose Festival.Free. �
Oregon Maritime Center and Museum, SW Naito Pkwy at Pine St (on the Willamette River), ☎ +1 503 224-7724, . W-Sa 11AM-4PM, Su 12:30-4:30PM. 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 itself.$5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 youth, children under 6/military free. �
Saturday Market, SW 1st Ave (under the Burnside Bridge), . Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 11AM-4:30PM, 1st weekend in Mar-24 Dec. This market and craft fair, where everything sold is handmade, is the largest open-air crafts market in continuous operation in the U.S. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Portland (Oregon)
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Portland (Oregon) - updated May 2024
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Portland (Oregon) Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
