What you need to know

Natural Wonders and Sustainable Growth
in Portland’s Green Spaces

“America’s top green city has it all: Half its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S.GreenBuilding Council.”
– Popular Science, February 2008

Portland is known for its green spaces and proximity to natural wonders like the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood. The city is also known as an incubator for progressive urban planning, environmentally conscious public policy, and the sustainable development movement. Following are examples of what makes Portland a success story among green cities worldwide.
Green Spaces

Home to both a sprawling urban wilderness — the 5,156-acre Forest Park — and the world’s smallest dedicated park, Mill Ends Park (24″ across), Portland offers visitors a breath of fresh air. The Portland metro area has 37,000 acres of green space, including 288 public parks and 166 miles of trails. And, according to Portland Parks and Recreation, 26 percent of the city is covered by tree canopy.

All of the parks and gardens listed below are open year-round, unless otherwise noted. Admission fees may apply to festivals and events held in parks.

 

Forest Park
Located west of downtown, this eight-mile-long “forest in the city” covers 5,156 acres. In addition to providing a respite from urban life, the park supports more than 112 bird and 62 mammal species and acts as a natural air purifier. Forest Park’s 70 miles of trails are popular with runners, equestrians, hikers and cyclists alike. Dogs on leashes are allowed. The 30-mile Wildwood Trail connects Forest Park, the Audubon Society Sanctuary, Pittock Mansion and Washington Park and is part of the region’s 40-Mile Loop system. Forest Park was recently included in the book 1000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die.

Northwest 29th Avenue and Upshur Street to Newberry Road
www.friendsofforestpark.org, www.40mileloop.org

 

Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Once the site of a freeway, this downtown riverfront park is a popular place for jogging, in-line skating and cooling off in Salmon Street Springs, a fountain whose water patterns change with the city’s mood. The park bears the name of former Oregon Governor Tom McCall, a staunch advocate of recycling, environmental preservation and urban planning. This 1.5-mile stretch of green along the Willamette River is home to many annual events, including the Portland Rose Festival, the Oregon Brewers Festival and the Waterfront Blues Festival. The Japanese American Historical Plaza is located at the north end of the park.

Bordering Naito Parkway between the SteelBridge and the RiverPlace Marina
www.portlandonline.com/parks (type “Tom McCall” in search field)

 

The Grotto – National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother
This 62-acre Catholic sanctuary is one of Portland’s most visited attractions, greeting more than 175,000 guests of all faiths each year. Visitors can stroll through this natural gallery in the woods, view the marble replica of Michelangelo’s famous Pietà, carved into the base of a 110-foot cliff; or ride the elevator to the top of the bluff for an impressive, panoramic view of the area’s highlights, including the Columbia River Valley, the Cascade Mountain Range and Mount St. Helens. Open year-round. Free; small charge for elevator ride.

Sandy Boulevard at Northeast 85th Avenue
www.thegrotto.org

 

Hoyt Arboretum
Home to plants from all seven continents, this 185-acre hiker’s paradise contains more than 1,100 species of trees and 12 miles of trails. It’s the largest collection of distinct plant species in the United States. At the south end of the arboretum is the Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial. Free guided tours offered on the first Saturday of the month, April through October. Visitor center offers maps, trail guides and information.

4000 S.W. Fairview Blvd. (in WashingtonPark)
www.hoytarboretum.org

 

International Rose Test Garden
The largest of three Portland public rose gardens, the International Rose Test Garden was established in 1917, making it the oldest test garden in the United States. The 5.12-acre site features 9,000 rose plantings representing some 590 varieties, including Savoy Hotel, Livin’ Easy, New Zealand, Climbing Ophelia, and Sweet Juliet. From its vantage point in Washington Park, this terraced garden offers a spectacular view of downtown Portland, majestic Mount Hood and volatile Mount St. Helens. Best viewing months are May through September. In the summer, free public concerts offer another way to experience the garden.

400 S.W. Kingston Ave. (in WashingtonPark)
www.portlandonline.com/parks (type “RoseTestGarden” in search field)

 

Japanese Garden
Regarded as the most authentic Japanese Garden outside Japan, this beautiful 5.5-acre oasis encompasses a waterfall and koi pond, a pavilion and five garden styles. Designed to take advantage of “borrowed scenery,” the garden showcases the tall Douglas firs of the surrounding Washington Park and provides views of downtown Portland, the Willamette River, and the nearby mountains. Within the garden’s core, visitors will discover winding pathways, bridges, lanterns and raked stone areas. Celebrating 40 years of beauty and harmony, the garden’s elements are designed to inspire meditation, reflection and calm. Daily tours offered. Admission charged.

611 S.W. Kingston Ave. (in Washington Park)
www.japanesegarden.com

 

Mill Ends Park
At 24 inches in diameter, this is the world’s smallest dedicated park. Located in the median of Southwest Naito Parkway at Taylor Street, its story began when a journalist for the Oregon Journal, Dick Fagan, got tired of looking at the ugly pothole below his office window. He decided to plant flowers in the hole and name it Mill Ends Park. To generate interest in this tiny green space, Fagan centered many newspaper stories around the capers of a fictitious park resident, a leprechaun named Patrick O’Toole.

Southwest Naito Parkway median at Taylor Street
www.portlandonline.com/parks (type “Mill Ends” in search field)

 

Mt. Tabor Park
Rising above Southeast Portland, Mt. Tabor Park is another notch in Portland’s greenbelt. Mt. Tabor itself makes Portland one of only two cities in the continental United States to contain an extinct volcano within its boundaries (the other is Bend, Ore.). Established in 1909, Mt. Tabor Park was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Three municipal reservoirs are at the heart of the 196-acre park, which also features trails popular with both bicyclists and pedestrians. The cinder cone’s 630-foot elevation affords views of downtown Portland and Mount Hood.

Southeast 60th Avenue and Salmon Street
www.portlandonline.com/parks (type “Mt.TaborPark” in search field)

 

Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
This 140-acre wetland just east of the Willamette River in Sellwood is a birdwatchers’ paradise. Many species are attracted to the marshes of Portland’s first wildlife refuge, including the city’s official bird, the great blue heron.

Southeast Seventh Avenue and Sellwood Boulevard
www.portlandonline.com/parks (type “Oaks Bottom” in search field)

 

 

Oregon Zoo
The Oregon Zoo is a conservation zoo that breeds endangered-species animals and strives to serve as a model for earth-friendly operations. The zoo’s 64 acres are home to animals from all corners of the world, including Asian elephants, Peruvian penguins and Arctic polar bears. The Oregon Zoo even recycles 100 percent of its herbivore manure into useable compost. The finished product — ZooDoo — is used as fertilizer by the zoo’s horticultural staff, with leftover ZooDoo donated to such neighboring attractions at Hoyt Arboretum and Washington Park. A summer concert series, seasonal events such as the winter ZooLights festival, and the Zoo Railway help this popular Oregon attraction draw more than one million visitors each year. Admission charged.

4001 S.W. Canyon Road (in WashingtonPark)
www.oregonzoo.org

 

Portland Audubon Society Nature Sanctuary
Adjacent to Forest Park, this 143-acre wilderness contains more than 4 miles of trails, an interpretive center and nature store, and the Wildlife Care Center, which rehabilitates more than 3,500 animals each year. The sanctuary is home to more than 80 species of birds, as well as a small stand of 500-year-old old growth Douglas firs.

5151 N.W. Cornell Road
www.audubonportland.org

 

 

Portland Classical Chinese Garden
Named Lan Su Yuan, or “Garden of Awakening Orchids,” the Portland Classical Chinese Garden was developed as a friendship project between Portland and its sister city of Suzhou, China. This walled oasis occupies one entire city block in Portland’s Old Town/Chinatown District. Sixty Chinese artisans spent months lending their talent and expertise to the elegant design of this garden. The final result: serpentine walkways, ponds, bridges, a tea house and a meticulous landscape of fantastic rock groupings, delicate trees, sculpted shrubs, lattice screens and pavilions. Admission charged.

Northwest Everett Street and Third Avenue
www.portlandchinesegarden.org

 

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
For a spectacular view of nearly 2,500 rhododendrons and azaleas, this seven-acre garden with its spring-fed lake and three waterfalls is an enchanting place to visit. Throughout the year, visitors can enjoy feeding resident waterfowl from a water-level bridge that connects the garden’s peninsula to its island. Bird watchers should note that 94 species of birds have been identified at the garden. Best viewing times are March through June (rhododendrons) and autumn (fall foliage). Admission charged during the high season (free September–February).

Southeast 28th Avenue, one block north of Woodstock Street
www.portlandonline.com/parks (type “Crystal Springs” in search field)

 

Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade
The Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade, a 1.5-mile pedestrian/bicycling trail that extends along the east bank of downtown Portland’s Willamette River between the Steel and Hawthorne bridges, opened in 2001. Highlights include a 1,200-foot floating walkway (the longest in the United States), an adjoining public boat dock, public art and places to stop, relax and enjoy. With access from four bridges, cyclists, joggers and walkers can enjoy a complete three-mile loop that offers unparalleled views of downtown Portland as well as a unique perspective on the river. Thirteen urban markers run the length of the esplanade, marking the eastside street grid and providing information about the river and the history of the area. The entire route is ADA compliant.

East bank of the WillametteRiver between the Steel and Hawthorne bridges
www.portlandonline.com/parks (type “Eastbank Esplanade” in search field)
Content courtesy of Travel Portland