Washington Park might well be the crown jewel of Portland, Oregon. This 410-acre oasis is home to the Oregon Zoo, World Forestry Center, Portland Children's Museum, Hoyt Arboretum, Portland Japanese Garden, and International Rose Test Garden. The Rose Garden is perhaps the park's most celebrated feature; a beautiful reminder of why Portland's been given its botanical moniker. A place for artists, romantics, and naturalists, the International Rose Test Garden is also for Portland's youngest residents, as it's hiding one of the most enchanting children's playgrounds in Oregon.
Tucked away in the hills of Portland, Oregon, Washington Park is a treasure trove of world-class attractions and scenic beauty.
The park is home to some of Oregon's most beloved destinations, but none are quite as glorious as the International Rose Test Garden, where, from May through October, visitors can delight in 10,000 roses in bloom.
This delightful playground includes slides, swings, a sand pit, and restrooms, making it a wonderful place for families to stop after perusing the rose garden.
This playground is accommodating to children of all abilities, too, with wheelchair-friendly ramps and accessibility features, such as this playground map for blind visitors at the entrance.
Boundaries: On the western edge is the Jade District along 82nd. Powell Butte is the eastern edge. The northern border is along Division, between southeast 82nd and 142nd, and the southern border runs between southeast 111th and 145th.
Downsides of the Neighborhood: Powellhurst has the highest food insecurity among its residents. It’s among the East Portland neighborhoods that are a heat island. “There was a higher level of mortality during the heat dome events from a couple of years ago,” says Condra.
And there’s at least one other serious health issue in the neighborhood. “For sure, it is convenient to have the 205 connecting you to the rest of the city and to the airport, but of course if you live along the 205 freeway, that's a big source of pollution,” says Condra.
Strengths of the Neighborhood: “There's so many incredible Asian and Eastern European restaurants and businesses out here, just one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-repeated spots that are family-owned,” says Condra.
There are also huge parks, including Powell Butte and Kelly Butte.
“It is designed specifically to meet the needs of people with memory disorders like Alzheimer's, and to provide respite for their caregivers,” says Condra. It includes plants with distinctive aromas.
“That's something that often triggers memories for people,” says Condra. “The circular pattern, restroom and the little monuments throughout it and the drinking fountain. And it was just designed with that in mind. And I find that super tender and sweet.”
“I can't say enough good things about that park,” says Condra. “It has old growth forests surrounding this meadow in the center. That old growth forest was left because it was helpful to contain the cows that pastured in the dairy farm that used to be there.”
Visit for wildflowers in the spring and summer. Hike the trails in the 600-acre park.
“If you're coming over to my house, I'm going to stop there and pick up a bunch of deli food and some freshly baked bread on my way home and that's what we're having,” says Condra.
Two items to get while you’re there:
Korean carrots. “It is like string cut carrots. And I would say the sauce they're in tastes like fenugreek and coriander and garlic and something sweet.”
Prepared eggplant. “There's like at least 12 brands of things ranging from eggplant caviar — which is fire-roasted eggplant with onions — all the way to adjika sauce, featuring tomatoes and peppers.”
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Plus, they have a little coffee shop, the Rough Russian Cafe, with gyros and crepes and dumplings.
“It's small and brightly lit and very quiet and you have to make your food together at the table,” says Condra, making an unexpected recommendation.
“So I actually recommend this as a bold choice for a first date,” he says. “You have to cooperate on making your food — if they don't pass that test, like, are they really worth a second date?”
Bonus: “The food is that good.”
City Cast Portland is the easiest way to stay updated on what's happening in Portland. Their daily podcast and newsletter covers local news, gives the best life hacks, and curates recommended events. For more Portland insider information visit portland.citycast.fm.
City Cast Portland is the easiest way to stay updated on what's happening in Portland. Their daily podcast and newsletter covers local news, gives the best life hacks, and curates recommended events. For more Portland insider information visit portland.citycast.fm.
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Laurelhurst Park. (Rachel Monahan / City Cast Portland)
Portland is close to so many beautiful natural areas. But there are still wild spots in the city too. We asked Norther Emily, Wild Solitude Guiding's outdoor expert, for the outdoor places in town that make Portland feel like home.
“Before I was into the outdoors, I was really into urban exploration stuff,” she said.
“I love the shit out of Laurelhurst Park. The woodsy side of Laurelhurst is really nice and I trail-run there every morning, and I get this little slice of getting to pretend that I'm in the real woods.”
“I really love paddling around Swan Island,” says Emily. “There is a kind of obscure place on Swan Island where you can launch a canoe. Even though I don't own a canoe anymore, I go down there because sometimes you'll see some herons. It's a very intense blend of industrial and rewilded landscapes.”
McCormick and Baxter
This one’s a place you can’t visit, at least anymore: a superfund site in North Portland.
“One of my favorite wild urban landscapes in the 90s and early 2000s — I used to go there like every weekend,” says Emily. “They sealed the contaminated part of the river underneath these very visually interesting geometric cement blocks. And at the end of summer, the river has receded quite a lot and you can see this geometric block pattern.”
There were trees and abandoned buildings to explore back in the day, says Emily.
Another spot for urban exploration — one that you can actually visit — is the Columbia Slough.
“It's so underrated. Again, if you have a canoe, this is cool, but even if you don't,” says Emily. “There's tons of herons out there all the time, nutria, and beavers.
Tip: “You just have to have a good map to figure out the best legal access points. Some of them are dedicated parks. And then sometimes you walk through this business park to like the backside and then there's like a little green area that they didn't bulldoze.”
This formerly more industrial spot is also now a park.
“It used to be the dump, and then they filled it back in,” says Emily. “I really like going there in the early summer when the carp are mating or something. They're just swirling around in the shallows all the time and making this big ruckus. It's kind of fun because then you know where to look and you can see these cool giant fish that live in the lake.”
