My favorite feature of the Pacific Northwest are the characteristic fir trees that are almost always captured in photographs of the region. And I loved being able to be right up with them when I visited Mount Tabor Park in Portland.
The park is a 197-acre volcanic park, but don’t worry because the volcano is extinct. This wasn’t a place I planned to visit, but it’s something my friend who lives in the area suggested for an expansive view of Portland.
I honestly have no clue which part of the park we parked the car because my friend made the decision on where we would get out of the car since she was familiar with the area. But I imagine it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out where to go. If I had gone spontaneously by myself, I would have asked people where to go and which trail to take.
My friend and I did an abbreviated hike to the top. Normally it’s about 2 miles round trip but we parked somewhere closer so our distance was cut shorter. It wasn’t too hard, although there was some incline along the way.
As we made our way up, we passed a reservoir and squeezed in a break to sit on a bench and do a little exploring off the trail to the summit of Mount Tabor.
We spent the biggest amount of time at the top, peering through the massive trees to admire Portland. It looks so much prettier in person than it does in the photographs I took.
This unplanned visit turned out really well and it’s worth adding to your Portland bucket list, especially if you like being outside and love the tall trees that characterize the PNW.
Mount Tabor Park is located on the corner of:
SE 60th Avenue & Salmon Street
Portland, OR
For more information on Mount Tabor Park, click here.