1. Washington Park

0

Portland, OR

Cancel

Open app

Search

Washington Park

4.7 (198 reviews)
Open • 5:00 am - 10:00 pm

Washington Park Photos

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Washington Park

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Oregon Zoo
Lexa A.

This park is absolutely beautiful and especially in the summer when the roses are in bloom. We have a zoo membership so my son and I go all the time. If you do go in summer it really any warm day it will be absolutely packed and parking will be a nightmare. The Japanese tea gardens are stunning and well worth it. I do wish they kept the children's museum and I hope they bring it back.

Nithisha R.

Washington park is a place in itself. It's beautiful, serene, and a must visit in Portland. For me, it's always been my cherry blossom season ritual. My favorite part has always been the bridge walk. It's an amazing feeling walking on an engineering marvel. There are a lot of paid and street parking available near the park. A must visit in Portland.

Flower
Carlo G.

I loved this park! It was so convenient that there was a street car that can take you all the way from Downtown Portland into the park. Getting off at the park, my friend and I didn't know where to begin as the park was huge. Thankfully, there were staff there that were able to guide us and they even gave us a map and pointed us to the direction of the hikes. The hiking was great! It was amazing to see that different tree formations, nature, and overlooks. I loved seeing the tall redwood trees. The park also seemed well maintained and it was easy to navigate through it. I also like how there were markers scattered throughout the park, so you won't get lost. The park was huge and there's something for everyone! From the Japanese Gardens to the Pittock Mansion, I love how everything's connected. A must for sure for anyone visiting Portland.

Elsa C.

Washington Park in Portland is where the zoo, rose garden Japanese tea garden, Hoyt arborvitae, public tennis courts, public archery are all located. The great thing about Washington park is that they have a FREE trolley that will take you around the whole park. They seem to have lots of public parking spaces. They have a few snack bars and a couple of food trucks. They also have several public restrooms.

Rhododendron in bloom
Kim G.

Located on the edge of the city, when you are at Washington Park you feel miles away! Other than the stunning city views from the International Rose Garden area, when you wander the other areas you are immersed in nature. As you walk the multitude of trails that meander through the forest you are surrounded in lush green and encounter incredible vistas along the way. With 400 hundred acres containing dozens of attractions and 100 miles of trails, you can visit over and over again. The entire park, including the trails and pathways, are well maintained, well marked and you can hike all year round. Some of the trails do get slippery in the rainy weather so be observant. There are trails for all levels, and lots of inclines so you definitely get your hear rate up! But Washington Park is more than just hiking trails. It's the home of the incredibly beautiful Japanese Garden where you can get lost in the peace, zen and tranquility. Evwryone snaps a pic of that iconic tree with the intricate twists and turns of it's branches, illuminated in shades of green in the springtime and ablaze in color in the fall, In the spring the huge rhododendron bushes and trees of every color line the pathways. Some of the blooms are twice the size of my head! In mid to late June the International Rose Garden is a flower lovers paradise with roses of every type, color and scent. It is truly an incredible sight to take in, so vibrant and fragrant. I often pack a picnic and head there in the evening to walk around, take photographers in the last hour of sunlight and then enjoy a meal. The amphitheater attracts picnickers and people who just want to sit and read or relax. And when there are concerts, it gets full. Definitely put attending a concert here on your bucket list! You can hike to the Hoyt Aboretum featuring over 2300 s pieces of trees and fauna. There is parking righ in front of the Aboretum, too. You can hike to or drive up to Pittock Mansion for more beautiful vistas and to take in the history. There are several memorials you can visit throughout the Park - the Oregon Holocaust Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial, and the Sacajawea Memorial - all free. There are tennis courts that are lit up at night, an area behind the courts towards the rose garden with lots of picnic tables in the shade and a restroom. A playground for the kids is located by the zoo. It's filled with swings and slides and a sand pit with picnic tables and a restroom nearby. There is even an archery range! And of course, the Oregon Zoo which deserves it own review. There are parking areas throughout but you can also take the Max train which is super easy. This is how I arrive when attending concerts at the Zoo. Public transportation that goes between many of the attractions making it super easy to get around. While the park is free to enter, some of the parking requires payment; you can download the app which is handy if you want to extend your time. Some areas, like the gravel lot near the archery range, is free. So read the signs! Same goes for attractions. The Japanese Garden has a fee and you need to reserve and buy tickets online. The Zoo also has a fee. Best to visit the website (explorewashingtonpark.org/explore/attractions) for specifics. Washington Park is great for families, groups, couples, singles and it's dog friendly! Go!

Katie R.

Beautiful park with a multitude of intertwining trails making it the perfect spot for hikers of all levels. It's a very easy spot to get a range of hikes in, from short 20-30 minute hike to a 2+ hour hike, you can make as little or as much as you want from the adventure. We arrived with the intention of doing one trail but after seeing the map, and just how many there were, we decided to switch between a few of them as they intersected. Though the trails were marked very well, we missed one of our intersections and ended up on a different trail. The signage was very helpful and often times, when something was very close, gave distance in feet instead of miles. We took our new trail to the redwood deck and felt like making it longer so continued up to Pittock mansion. The trails were forested but had a nice range of scenery. We came across a bunch of different trees - a lot of which were labeled, some flowing water, some bridges, overall a really pretty spot to disconnect in the center of the city. Even though the trails were labeled, I only noticed one map the entirety of the hike. We took a picture of it so we'd be able to follow along through the park as it is such a large space. We were here post storm so there were a lot of trees down that were blocking the path and we had to climb over, this seemed to be more the case as we got closer to Pittock.

Robert S.

Portland's Washington Park contains a number of tourist attractions, including the famed International Rose Test Garden, a zoo, and museums. I will review some of the individual attractions separately. A one-time wild land first purchased by the city in 1871, it is located to the west of the city center. We could had spent the entire day exploring the park's attractions, and another strolling through the unusual gardens. The well-known International Rose Test Garden is where new varieties of roses are grown. In the city's mild climate, roses continue to flower into autumn, though the annual Rose Festival is in May and June. The Portland Japanese Garden is another all-day escape in Washington Park. It's one of the largest outside Japan and is landscaped on the grounds of an old zoo. Other popular things to do in the park include visiting the zoo, the Portland Children's Museum, and Hoyt Arboretum. Just a beautiful lush space for relaxing !

Rose Garden
Joe S.

If you're looking for a hike without going hiking, this might be the place to do it. We walked over from Salt and Straw (not the OG location across town) then up a steep hill to the park. It didn't seem far until we forgot we weren't in Florida anymore and there was a huge hill to climb. Luckily, we were just walking up the bare ski slopes behind the Overlook Hotel (aka Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood), so this wasn't terrible. This has the International Rose Test Garden, which we walked through, a pretty cool view of Mt. Hood, some tennis courts, and lots of other cool things to do. We only saw a small portion as it was later in the day and other things were closing. Not wanting to venture back too late, we caught an Uber back to the hotel in Downtown. We went on a whim and didn't realize all of the cool things here, like the Oregon Zoo, Hoyt Arboretum, Japanese Garden, and other cool things in the park. It's also close to Pittock Mansion and Witch's Castle which we almost went to for a hike. This side of town was pretty cool and I wish we would have gone earlier in the day.

Rose garden
Alice K.

Washington Park has a fantastic rose garden. It is located by the Portland Japanese Garden.

Lewis and Clark memorial column
Jessica S.

Even though the weather was working against us - it was November, so we knew not to expect sunshine and warmth - we did enjoy our wanderings through this area. We took advantage of the light rail to get from our hotel to an area close-ish to the park. The added walk was a bonus for us, and gave us a chance to explore neighborhoods we wouldn't normally have seen. The walk into the park was a bit more intense than we'd expected - our path took us up a steep set of stairs and further up a winding residential street before dropping us off close to one of the park's entrances - but again, we relished that extra bit of exercise and being outdoors. Once we got to the Lewis and Clark memorial we realized: we had no idea what to do next! The park was mostly deserted, it was drizzling and cold, and there was construction happening on the other side. We did a quick review of Google Maps and headed down the slope to the Sacajawea Statue (pausing so that I could swing my old bones on the swing set, naturally). From Sacajawea, we made our way to the Chiming Fountain. Finding that to be turned off and disused, we once more consulted the map and headed towards the Oregon Holocaust Memorial up the hill. This memorial, y'all. It's not at all what we set out to visit, but I'm so glad we found it. Powerful and moving, as a memorial should be, it's also a statement of humanity and the toll hatred can take on the world. We spent a good amount of time reading the panels (some of the etchings have been smoothed away by time and weather, but most of the words are still legible) before going back the way we came and hanging a right to head up towards the rose garden. The open-air amphitheater was a nice little surprise for us. Though it was muddy and a bit treacherous, we scampered down into the bowl and took some pictures before taking in the garden. We hadn't expected many flowers - winter, you know - but were pleased to see a few pops of color mixed in with the bushes and educational signs. Our last stop was supposed to be the Japanese Garden, but by the time we hiked our way up there, we realized we were famished, frozen and tired, so we tapped. It was a nice way to spend several hours and get some exercise and fresh air in.

Mount St. Helens from a path in the arboretum.
Jim W.

To be clear, this review is for the park as a whole, while the constituent parts that we also visited within the park (the Hoyt Arboretum and the International Rose Test Garden) are reviewed separately. This is a sprawling park built into the hills on the northwest edge of Portland. It is easily accessed from downtown or via I-5. In addition to the attractions noted above, the park also has a Japanese Garden (which had a long line and an entrance fee of around $15 per person) as well as the Portland area zoo. We did not tour either of those places. They had a number of tennis courts near the gardens as well. The park also features at least one (probably more than one) children's playground and some memorials for some groups (veterans, etc.). The biggest issue we had with this spot was parking. We had read that it gets crowded on weekends, so we visited on a Monday afternoon. It seemed pretty crowded then too, honestly! We tried to park at the Rose Garden, but the nearest spot we could find was over 1/4 mile down the hill. You also pay to park here (either via an app or entering your license plate at a kiosk). So once we did park, we didn't want to move the car to see another area as we were not sure if we'd find another space and we'd have to pay again. The solution was to take the park shuttle bus, which runs every 20 or so minutes, I think (there are at least 2 buses making the loop). This was a great way to get from the Rose Garden to the Arboretum. Had we not already been tired after hiking there (plus prior hikes that day), it would probably have been an easy downhill 1+ mile walk back to our car. We instead rode the bus back. At least two areas of the park offer good views of mountains in the distance. If I returned here, I'd probably try to arrive in the morning in hopes of finding a better parking space.

A map of the area in Braille ! So awesome!
Denise S.

Our niece and nephews loved this little play area at Washington Park! It's just down the way from the Rose Garden, tennis courts, and Japanese Garden so it's easy to find. The kiddos had some extra energy to work put before we went into the calm zen space of the Japanese Garden. They ran, and climbed, and swung, and ran some more. True to a park in PDX this play area had many, many bridges. There isn't an entry just for the play area - so let's hype up the whole area! The Zoo rocks! The Arboretum is stellar! The Rose Garden doesn't have much to see in Winter... But Spring - Fall is great! And the Japanese Garden is absolutely beautiful. Make sure to hop onto the free shuttle and work your way all around the Park! Sadly the water fountains are all turned off so pack extra bottles of water!

Children's Playground
Martina C.

Cute little park and playground for kids! It's small for such a large area but pretty well kept and lovely for a stop after or prior to a Rose Garden walk!

Washington Park Rose Garden

See all

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 52
Thanks 13
Love this 45
Oh no 1
Photo of Patrick S.
1223
1173
5601

1 year ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 3
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Tomas R.
4978
1537
9520

1 year ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 1
Love this 7
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Avni V.
283
651
825

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Kim G.
1114
2765
22508

4 years ago

Helpful 20
Thanks 0
Love this 18
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 17
Thanks 0
Love this 15
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 21
Thanks 1
Love this 22
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 5
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 15
Thanks 0
Love this 15
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 6
Oh no 0
Photo of Leland S.
1391
1749
2098

7 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 42
Thanks 0
Love this 39
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Laura G.
546
2644
48411

6 years ago

Helpful 25
Thanks 0
Love this 28
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 24
Thanks 0
Love this 24
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 6
Oh no 0
Photo of Ana E.
43
49
34

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Heather M.

Heather M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 9
Thanks 0
Love this 9
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 16
Thanks 0
Love this 12
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Faye L.
724
1738
13988

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 5

Ask the Community - Washington Park

How can I plan an event here?

Contact the park

Is the playground open for children?

This was from their website. COVID19 Update: Children's Playground is open with new social… 

Does it cost money?

the last time I was there it didn't!''

Are the trails big enough to walk with a stroller?

Mostly, yes. Just be aware, considerate of others coming, going.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Washington Park

“The kiddos had some extra energy to work put before we went into the calm zen space of the Japanese Garden.”

Mentioned in 67 reviews

Read more highlights

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Parks 3,886 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Laurelhurst Park - Wood Duck

Laurelhurst Park

4.5(177 reviews)
4.2 mi•Laurelhurst, Southeast Portland

A beautiful environment that accommodates everyone from athletes to casual strollers. With its…read morescenic duck pond and lively community energy, this is easily one of the best parks in Portland. Whether you want to play pickleball or tennis, hit the skate area, spread out on the grass for a picnic, or take a walk along the paved paths around the pond, there's something for everyone. The natural scenery is peaceful and perfect for solitary unwinding or weekend gatherings with friends and pets. Logistics Tip: Laurelhurst doesn't have a dedicated parking lot, so look for neighborhood street parking. Google Maps took me to a street near the playground area. Restrooms are limited and near the center of the park by the lake, so plan your walking route accordingly.

After a very filling meal, I decided to walk to this park since it was within walking distance of…read moreOld Town Portland, where I was staying. I instantly fell in love with it. Even though it was a hot day, the park felt surprisingly cool and refreshing thanks to all the trees and shade. There are plenty of trails for walking, running, and biking, along with basketball courts, a small skate park, and a playground for kids. There also happened to be an event going on while I was there, and it was great to see the park come alive with so many people. It's such a spacious park that I can easily see it being a great venue for both small and large events.My favorite part, though, was the lake. It created such a peaceful atmosphere and made it easy to slow down and just enjoy the moment. I loved the multiple viewpoints overlooking the water, and seeing the ducks swimming around was the perfect finishing touch.This ended up being one of my favorite places to unwind during my time in Portland.

Photos
Laurelhurst Park - Eastern Gray Squirrel

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Laurelhurst Park
Laurelhurst Park - Duck pond

See all

Duck pond

Spring Garden Park - Cool play structures. Very unique

Spring Garden Park

4.9(20 reviews)
3.2 mi•Multnomah Village, Southwest Portland

This is such a sweet little park! The unique pieces of art all around the property are pretty neat…read more Lots of cute paths to walk on that lead to pretty views of Portland. We went on a sunny day and it wasn't over crowded. -1 star for personal reasons: my daughter is young (19 mo) and was able to swing on the baby seat swing, however, she was not confident to try the older play structure. The structure seems more appropriate for 2.5 and older. It has a pretty cool rock climber for older kids. My experience makes me wonder if there are parks in Portland that are more inclusive for all children and their abilities? I hope that Portland Parks and Recreation would be willing to rethink how they can be more inclusive when designing a park. I will be the first to admit I know nothing about building a park, but If I did I would want everyone to feel included.

Beautiful neighborhood park! Wow! This is not a park or playground from yesteryear, it's completely…read moremodern with very unique play structures and art. Plus walking paths through several acres of rolling hills with wonderful views immersed in nature. The splash pads are open again (until 7pm) and the kids were certainly joying them. The play structures are both stunning and interactive, even a look-out tower with a telescope that views a constellation ceiling. Very cool. Slides, step rocks, climbing structures, picnic tables in the open and shade, lots of benches, even water bowls for dogs - clearly a lot of thought went into the design and build of Spring Garden Park. It's close to Multnomah Village which is how I discovered it after visiting the food truck area and wanting someplace serene to enjoy my meal. Park right on SW Spring, just be mindful of not blocking the neighbors driveways as it's in a residential area. Close to SW Barbur.

Photos
Spring Garden Park - Leo loved it here!

Leo loved it here!

Spring Garden Park - Best park!

Best park!

Spring Garden Park - Gorgeous park!

See all

Gorgeous park!

Tom McCall Waterfront Park - Cherry blossoms

Tom McCall Waterfront Park

4.3(180 reviews)
2.3 mi•Southwest Portland

Cinco de mayo festival and Rose city fair, absolutely a blast. The waterfront is great for events!…read moreWe had so much fun, there's lots of room, brings out so much people, many food vendors and all around good time

I'm rating Tom McCall Waterfront Park 5 stars due to the happy, grateful moments, every time I am…read more here, especially during this March 2026 visit, My chasing cherry blossom dreams came true. I tried coming every year to catch the blooms for past 5 years ( I was either too early or too late) but Wow, this year I finally caught the blooms. My heart is filled with Joy! I have a LOVE for Sakura/Cherry Blossoms. Tom McCall Waterfront Park sure brings back wonderful memories when I visited Portland for the first time during my daughter's college day, very beautiful park! Tom McCall Waterfront Park if for Governor Tom McCall is about 36. acres with a view of Williamette River in downtown Portland, bordered by RiverPlace to the south, Steel Bridge to the north. Did you know this park used to be 6-lane highway, activists held picnics on the tiny riverfront walkway in 1969 to protest the lack of public space. Gov. Tom McCall formed a task force, Harbor drive closed in 1974 and the park opened in 1978. Besides annual cherry blossoms this park has trails, salmon street springs, monuments, various festivals, protest, events, are held here. Near by to Portland Saturday market. Parking is very limited, either street parking or private lot. I can't wait to visit Tom McCall Waterfront Park again, with or without cherry blossoms or for Fall, foliage- I hope to catch the blooms again next year! same time, same place, I loved to be back!

Photos
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Tom McCall Waterfront Park - Japanese American Historical Plaza

Japanese American Historical Plaza

Tom McCall Waterfront Park

See all

Washington Park - parks - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...