Outdoors · Portland · United States
8 best outdoor things to do in Portland
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Cacophony, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with International Rose Test Garden, Portland Japanese Garden and Lan Su Chinese Garden. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 12–17 hours across 4 areas; 5 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 5
- Time to see them all
- 12–17 hours
- Areas
- Washington Park, Downtown and Northwest and Nob Hill
Outdoors in Portland
Garden · Washington Park
1.International Rose Test Garden
Visit from late May to September for blooms; June is peak.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Couples
- Views
- Nature
Garden · Washington Park
2.Portland Japanese Garden
Go early on a weekday, or in October when the maples turn red.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Nature
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Architecture
Garden · Downtown
3.Lan Su Chinese Garden
Stop at the teahouse in the two-storey tower for tea and dumplings overlooking the lake.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- Couples
- Nature
- Rainy day
Park · Northwest and Nob Hill
4.Forest Park
For a short taste, walk the Lower Macleay Trail from NW Upshur Street to the Stone House and back.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Active
Zoo · Washington Park
5.Oregon Zoo
Ride the MAX Red or Blue Line to Washington Park to skip the limited parking.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Garden · Washington Park
6.Hoyt Arboretum
Start at the visitor centre for a trail map, and walk the short Redwood Trail.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Waterfront · Downtown
7.Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Eastbank Esplanade
Walk or cycle the loop at sunset, crossing on the Tilikum Crossing for the best view of the city.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Views
- Active
Park · Hawthorne and Belmont
8.Mount Tabor Park
Go for sunset from the west-facing slopes, then eat on Hawthorne or Belmont.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Park | International Rose Test Garden, Portland Japanese Garden, Oregon Zoo and Hoyt Arboretum | 1 hour + 1.5–2 hours + 3–4 hours + 1–2 hours |
| Downtown | Lan Su Chinese Garden and Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Eastbank Esplanade | 1 hour + 1–2 hours |
| Northwest and Nob Hill | Forest Park | 2–3 hours |
| Hawthorne and Belmont | Mount Tabor Park | 1–1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 5 free, 3 mid-priced. Book ahead for Portland Japanese Garden. The longest visit is Oregon Zoo; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Portland Japanese Garden: Timed tickets online are recommended on weekends and in autumn foliage season.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Washington Park): International Rose Test Garden → Portland Japanese Garden, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Washington Park): Oregon Zoo, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Washington Park and Downtown): Hoyt Arboretum → Lan Su Chinese Garden → Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Eastbank Esplanade, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Northwest and Nob Hill and Hawthorne and Belmont): Forest Park → Mount Tabor Park, at least 3 hours.
The best months to be outside
- July: highs of 28°C (82°F), about 3 rainy days, very busy crowds. Dry and sunny, ideal for the Gorge and Mount Hood; heatwaves can push temperatures well above 35°C.
- August: highs of 28°C (82°F), about 3 rainy days, very busy crowds. Warm and dry; wildfire smoke can occasionally haze the sky in late summer.
- September: highs of 25°C (77°F), about 6 rainy days, busy crowds. Often the best month: warm, dry days, harvest season in the Willamette Valley and fewer crowds.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Downtown — Hotels, Pioneer Courthouse Square and the riverfront park
- Northwest and Nob Hill — Victorian houses, boutiques and cafés along NW 23rd Avenue
- Hawthorne and Belmont — Vintage shops, food carts and old theatres in inner Southeast
More of Portland
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Portland?
International Rose Test Garden. Opened in 1917, this free terraced garden in Washington Park grows more than 10,000 rose bushes of several hundred varieties, tested for new cultivars.
+Which of these are free in Portland?
International Rose Test Garden, Forest Park, Hoyt Arboretum, Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Eastbank Esplanade and Mount Tabor Park.