Portland Cherry Blossoms: Top Parks and Neighborhoods
Where are the Best Places to See Cherry Blossoms in Portland?
Portland, Oregon, and Sapporo, Japan, have been sister cities since 1959, and at no time is their resemblance more apparent than during cherry blossom season. Spring rushes through Rip City in a tide of farmers’ markets, festivals, and flowers bursting into bloom.
Cherry trees can be found all over Portland in parks, gardens, historic estates, school campuses, and more, their delicate pink and white petals drifting through the air and sprinkling the streets with a touch of color throughout March and April. With such an abundance of blooms and a small window in which to enjoy them, it can be difficult to decide where to go first. So, where are the best places to view Portland’s cherry blossoms?
1. Mount Tabor Park
A prime spot for spring picnics atop a dormant volcano
Good for: Couples, Families, Unusual
A dead volcano may not be the first destination that comes to mind for cherry blossom viewing, but Mount Tabor Park offers an unparalleled vantage point. While the park is mostly populated by oak and linden trees, the view from the summit is spectacular in the spring, when the cherry trees surrounding the massive water reservoirs below bloom against the backdrop of distant hills and the city skyline.
Paved paths up to the summit range from one to three miles long, with several restrooms, picnic tables, and shelters scattered throughout the park. Bring the kids for some fun on the playground, let Rover run free in the off-leash area, or treat your significant other to a romantic picnic.
Location: SE 60th Ave &, SE Salmon St, Portland, OR 97215, USA
Open: Daily from 5 am to 11.59 pm
Phone: +1 503-823-7529
Mount Tabor Park
2. Hoyt Arboretum
Cherry blossoms flower amid thousands of other beautiful blooms
Good for: Budget, Families, Photo
Hoyt Arboretum, Portland’s beloved “living museum of trees,” offers a bounty of over 2,300 plant and tree species from around the world, including an impressive collection of cherry trees. Even better, they’re organized and cataloged in a free online database, making it easy for hikers to plan their routes and nature lovers to zero in on specific species.
Cherry trees are most abundant along the Wildwood Trail and between the Hawthorn and Overlook Trails, the latter of which offers a stunning view of Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier on clear days. Many of the most impressive cherry species, including the Shirofugen and Shogetsu varieties, are late bloomers, so time your visit around mid- to late-April.
Location: 4000 SW Fairview Blvd, Portland, OR 97221, USA
Open: Daily from 5 am to 10 pm
Phone: +1 503-865-8733
Hoyt Arboretum
3. Pittock Mansion
The blossoms are fleeting, but the trees are over a century old
Good for: History, Photo
Built in the early 1900s, Pittock Mansion and many of its cherry trees have proudly stood beside the Cascades for over 100 years. This hilltop home boasts panoramic views of the city, the Willamette River, and five of the nearby mountains. While the mansion itself hosts an impressive art collection, the carefully tended grounds outside are a masterpiece in their own right.
Enjoy a stroll along the blossom-lined path to the French Renaissance-style home. Picnic beneath the shade while looking out over the city. Snap a few photos in the butterfly garden. Or, take a tour of the house and enjoy the view for which it was specifically designed.
Location: 3229 NW Pittock Dr, Portland, OR 97210, USA
Open: April–October: Wednesday–Monday from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday from noon to 5 pm. November–March: Wednesday–Monday from 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday from noon to 4 pm
Phone: +1 503-823-7529
Pittock Mansion
4. University of Portland
An idyllic campus welcoming students and springtime visitors alike
Good for: Photo, Families
You don’t have to be a student to explore and appreciate the springtime landscape of the University of Portland campus. Located in the aptly named University Park neighborhood, the school overlooks the Willamette River from on high, earning the campus, and its community, the nickname “the Bluff.”
Cherry trees can be found all over the school grounds, but you’ll find the most blooms around the perimeter of the university quad. Some of these trees have been with the school since at least the 1960s. The quad is accessible to the public, but if you do happen to be a prospective student, take one of the several academic tours that include a stroll through the grounds.
Location: 5000 N Willamette Blvd, Portland, OR 97203, USA
Phone: +1 503-943-8000
University of Portland
5. Laurelhurst Park
A picturesque park ringed with cherry trees and a duck pond at its center
Good for: Couples, Families
Laurelhurst Park is a pleasant picnic spot no matter what the season, but springtime lends the space a special sort of magic. Cherry trees, along with magnolias, rhododendrons, and other flowering plants around the perimeter, burst into bloom, while ducklings and baby turtles dive into the spring-fed pond at the heart of the park for their first swims.
Play a round of basketball, tennis, volleyball, or soccer with family or friends, or follow one of the petal-strewn paths across the park’s 32-acre expanse. Be ready to snap a lot of photos: Laurelhurst was once named the most beautiful park on the West Coast by the Pacific Coast Parks Association, and it remains one of the prettiest in the region.
Location: SE Cesar E Chavez Blvd & Stark St, Portland, OR 97214, USA
Open: Daily from 5 am to 10.30 pm
Phone: +1 503-823-2525
Laurelhurst Park
6. Portland Japanese Garden
An immersive and authentic Japanese garden filled with sakura trees
Good for: Adventure, Families, History
Japan may be the true “Land of Cherry Blossoms,” but the Portland Japanese Garden might just be the next best thing. Renowned as one of the most authentic Japanese experiences in the West, the intricately landscaped grounds span 12 acres and include eight distinct gardens, each inspired by different eras of Japanese history. The most cherry blossoms bloom in the Flat Garden and Strolling Pond Garden.
Browse art galleries, attend hands-on workshops, or dive deeper into Japanese horticulture in the Vellum Library. Enjoy a cup of tea at the Umami Café, nestled in the shade of a weeping cherry. If you have kids, grab a “discovery map” to guide them on a scavenger hunt through the gardens.
Location: 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR 97205, USA
Open: Wednesday–Monday from 10 am to 5.30 pm (closed on Tuesdays)
Phone: +1 503-223-1321
Portland Japanese Garden
7. Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Picnicking, poetry, and the blushing petals of a hundred cherry trees
Good for: Budget, Families, History
One of Portland’s most popular destinations for flower viewing is Tom McCall Waterfront Park, located along the Willamette River between Northwest Glisan Street and RiverPlace Marina. Free to enjoy and easy to reach by car or public transportation, it’s a lively spot at any time of year, but especially in spring.
One hundred meticulously aligned cherry trees lead to the Japanese American Historical Plaza, home to graceful sculptures and poetry carved into granite stones. Relax among the falling petals or snap photos of the trees from above via the Steel Bridge. Afterward, stop by the Maritime Museum housed in a tugboat and take the kids to Salmon Street Springs Fountain to enjoy the dancing water.
Location: 98 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97204, USA
Open: Daily from 5 am to midnight
Phone: +1 503-823-7529
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
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