Exploring Portland’s Hidden Gems:

A Guide to Portland’s Natural Areas

Portland is a gem among cities, glowing emerald with trees and sapphire with two flowing rivers. Families are beginning to plan their summer adventures to enjoy the city’s natural beauty. Portland’s award-winning park system offers extensive recreation areas for families to explore. What follows is a guide to some of Portland’s hidden gems, parks that aren’t widely visited. Use this list to plan your own urban adventures!

Southwest Portland

Our first park of interest is Council Crest Park, overlooking the city from 1,000 feet above downtown. This is a great park for kids to climb trees and for dogs to run off-leash in the designated area. South of Council Crest is Marshall Park, a 28-acre wooded canyon adjacent to Tryon Creek Natural Area. This is the ideal place to take quiet hikes and observe the diversity of wildlife that resides alongside Tryon Creek.

Northwest Portland

Lower MacLeay Park, located at the end of NW Upshur Street, is one access point to Portland’s unique 5,000 acre wilderness known as Forest Park. Take the whole family for a hike all the way up Balch Creek to the Audubon Society of Portland, which has its own interpretive center. For a more urban experience, you can visit Tanner Springs Park, located in the Pearl District. You may be lucky enough to see an Osprey, or sea hawk, dive from a high-rise apartment building into the wetland below!

North Portland

North Portland hosts many magnificent natural areas, including the Smith and Bybee Lakes and Kelley Point Park. However, one of the most magnificent parks in North Portland is Cathedral Park, located directly under the St. John’s Bridge where the whole family can enjoy a picnic and play next to the river.

Northeast Portland

Northeast Portland residents are lucky to reside near one of Portland’s most undiscovered gems, Whitaker Ponds Nature Park. Located just off NE Columbia Boulevard, this area is teeming with wildlife, including a wide diversity of birds and larger mammals such as beavers. A circular trail rings a large pond and can be viewed from an observation dock or the ecoroof-covered gazebo. Canoeing is allowed in the slough adjacent to the pond.

Southeast Portland

Portland’s first wildlife refuge was Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, and still remains a wildlife hotspot, home to species such as frogs, salamanders, deer, osprey, beavers, and Portland’s designated city bird, The Great Blue Heron.  Just down the Springwater Corridor bike trail from Oaks Bottom is Tideman Johnson Natural Area. This area is more secluded than other natural areas in Portland, perfect for a pleasant walk with the dog and the family alongside Johnson Creek.

As previously mentioned, this list is comprehensive but certainly not exhaustive. For more information on getting your family out and about, visit the Portland Bureau of Transportation website to download free biking and walking maps of the city. You can also pinpoint the location of the parks mentioned here on Portland Parks and Recreation’s Park Finder. Happy adventuring!