7 Beautiful Places to See Trillium Blooming near Portland
Trillium blooms are one of the earliest and most stunning wildflowers in the Pacific Northwest. Before the first buds begin to appear on the trees, three-petaled white flowers open in the undergrowth below, signaling the start of spring. After blooming, trillium flowers don’t last long. In a few weeks, their white petals become lined with thin pink veins and then darken to a deep purple before wilting. Although trillium grows in abundance around Portland, it can be hard to find if you don’t know where to look. Here are suggestions for parks where you are sure to spot trillium while it’s blooming. The first three are close enough to each other that you could visit them all on the same day if you’re going for maximum flowers.
When to look for trillium
Trillium (also called Trillium ovatum, western trillium, or Wake Robin) is usually among the first wildflowers to appear in spring. Look for it in forests and around stream banks. Most years, expect trillium to bloom from around late February through May. The timing will vary based on weather, location, and elevation. The flowers will start out white and turn maroon toward the end of the season.
Note that in 2023, the unusually cold spring has delayed the wildflower season. Trillium just started blooming around Portland in mid-April.
Tryon Creek State Natural Area
Hiking trails: Up to 8 miles of trails with many options for shorter hikes.
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome in the park.
Pass required: None
ADA access: The 0.3-mile Trillium Loop Trail is paved, flat, and even. Many wildflowers grow along this trail in spring, including its namesake, trillium.
Restrooms: Yes
Where to go: 11321 SW Terwilliger Blvd, Portland, OR 97219
Tryon Creek State Natural Area is the best-known park for finding trillium blooms in Portland. These wildflowers grow in such abundance along the trails that the park hosts an annual Trillium Festival at the beginning of April. During my last visit to Tryon Creek, I found my first trillium flower just a few steps away from the Visitor Center and many more nearby.
Go ahead and start on whichever trail strikes your fancy, there will be spring wildflowers along the way. While you explore the park, look for other early bloomers like delicate pink Pacific bleeding hearts and the white tufted stalks of western coltsfoot in the undergrowth. You might also see vibrant pink flowers emerging on the salmonberry bushes. Tryon Creek is also a good place to look for animals like deer, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, frogs, and birds.
Western coltsfoot
Mary S Young Park
Hiking trails: 5+ miles of trails with options for shorter hikes.
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome in all areas of the park. There is also a large off-leash area.
Pass required: None
ADA access: Some. The Riverside Loop is mostly paved and even. There are areas where the grade gets steep. Find details here.
Restrooms: Yes
Where to go: 19900 Willamette Drive, West Linn, OR 97068
Boardwalk on the Riverside Loop Trail
Although less well known than Tryon Creek State Natural Area, the trillium blooms at Mary S Young Park in West Linn, OR, are just as impressive. I was blown away by how many flowers I saw there during my visit. We are talking trillium for days. You can find the first blooms around the picnic area just after you step out of your car. From here, head down the hill to walk the Riverside Loop, which includes access to the Willamette River. During part of the year, you can explore Cedar Island by crossing a floating bridge that connects to the island from around May-October. If you visit when the trillium is blooming, the water levels will probably be too high to reach the island, but it makes for a good reason to return in summer.
Other than trillium, look for bright yellow Oregon grape flowers in the woods and skunk cabbage in the marshes. You might also see blooming Indian plums, flowering quince, and salmonberry bushes in early spring. Although this park is close to Tryon Creek, its bloom season seemed slightly earlier. I visited both parks on the same day and some of the trillium petals were showing their first hints of pink here while those at Tryon Creek were still just emerging.
George Rogers Park
Hiking trails: Up to 3.5 miles with options for shorter hikes. You can reach trillium blooms with about 0.25 miles of walking.
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome in the park.
Pass required: None
ADA access: Good. Most of the trails through the park are paved and even with a minimal grade, including areas where the trillium is blooming.
Restrooms: Yes
Where to go: 611 S State St, Lake Oswego, OR 97034
George Rogers Park doesn’t have the same wild abundance of trillium blooms as neighboring Tryon Creek or Mary S Young Park, but it does have plenty to recommend it as a destination, including great spring flowers. From the parking lot, pass under the vine-covered arbor to reach a grassy field with views of the Willamette River. On the north end of the field is the Iron Furnace, a striking brick tower that looks like it belongs on a college campus. Nearby you can find a boat launch to take a kayak onto the river. The small beach at the end of the boat ramp is a great place to see ducks and geese looking for handouts.
To find the trillium, head to the south end of the park. Cross the wide bridge over Oswego Creek and follow the paved trail to the left. Look for scattered white blooms in the thick wall of English ivy shortly after the bridge. The trillium here is confined to a pretty small area, but you can continue on the paved trail for another mile or so to see views of the river.
If, instead of heading left after the bridge over Oswego Creek, you take a right onto the unpaved trail, you can find more trillium blooming in the forest undergrowth. A short trail through the woods follows Oswego Creek on a path out to a small waterfall.
Washington Park and Forest Park
Trillium on the Beech Trail in the Hoyt Arboretum
Hiking trails: 0.5+ miles, up to about 80 miles of trails.
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome in the park.
Pass required: None. Parking may be metered at about $2/hour depending on where you start your hike.
ADA access: Major attractions like the Portland Rose Garden and Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial have paved sidewalks with gentle grades. A free shuttle connects attractions in Washington Park. For trillium specifically, the forested areas around the Overlook Trail at the Hoyt Arboretum are a good bet.
Restrooms: Yes
Where to go: Forested trails of Washington Park, Forest Park, and the Hoyt Arboretum.
Trillium along the Magnolia Trail
I originally published this article earlier in the week but had to update it to include Forest Park and Washington Park after seeing about one gazillion trillium flowers there yesterday. I went looking for flowering trees at the Hoyt Arboretum and kept getting distracted by white and pink flashes of trillium along the forested trails. It may be too early for roses in the Rose Garden but the woods nearby are full of flowers.
The Magnolia Trail in the Hoyt Arboretum is a great place to see flowering trees while you’re looking for trillium blooms. As a bonus, many of the trees are labeled so you can tell the ballerina magnolias from the star magnolias as, no doubt, had been plaguing you as much as me. While you’re there, look for the cherry trees blooming near where the Magnolia Trail connects to the Wildwood Trail.
Magnolia tree in the Hoyt Arboretum
Lacamas Park
Hiking trails: 1.2+ miles
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome on the trails.
Pass required: None
ADA access: Parking, restrooms, and views of Lacamas Lake are accessible. The Lacamas Lake Heritage is unpaved but pretty wide, even, and flat. The trails around Round Lake are more irregular.
Restrooms: Yes
Where to go: 3344 NE Everett St, Camas, WA 98607
Oregon fawn lily
The first of the camas blossoms are just starting to open at the Camas Lily Fields in Lacamas Park, but the trails on the way there have flowers galore. You can find plenty of trillium around Round Lake, especially near where small streams empty into the lake. At least as abundant as the trillium are the white and yellow Oregon fawn lilies with their elegant backward arching petals.
While you’re looking for wildflowers, it’s fun to seek out at least one of the three waterfalls in Lacamas Park. Pothole Falls is right on the Round Lake loop hike and has so much water flowing over it in spring that it covers most of the potholes in the rock below that give it its name. Woodburn Falls and Lower Falls both make for short side excursions that are worth the extra distance.
First of the camas blooms
The Grotto
Hiking trails: About one mile if you visit both the lower and upper levels.
Dog friendly: Dogs are allowed in outdoor areas of the lower level, but not on the upper level.
Pass required: None. It’s free to park and visit the lower level. Visiting the gardens on the upper level has a $10 admission fee.
ADA access: Good. Paths are paved and even with minimal grade. There is a ramp to reach the elevator for the upper level.
Restrooms: Yes
Where to go: 8840 NE Skidmore St, Portland, OR 97220
To find trillium blooming in a more formal garden setting, head to the Grotto in Northeast Portland and explore its upper level. You can spot trillium flowers along the paved trails that wind through the large and peaceful garden. Other spring highlights there include camellia, magnolias, Oregon grape, and daffodils. When the trillium starts to fade, look for many-colored rhododendrons starting to bloom.
During your visit, be sure to look for statues, artwork, shrines, and chapels. You won’t want to miss the Meditation Chapel with its impressive views of the city to the north, which you can admire from a comfortable armchair. On the lower level, look for the altar housed in a cave at the base of the Grotto’s basalt cliff. For more information, find my full article on visiting the Grotto here.
Latourell Falls
Upper Latourell Falls
Hiking trails: a 2.4-mile loop hike connects Latourell Falls and Upper Latourell Falls.
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome on the trail.
Pass required: None
ADA access: Just the viewpoint for Latourell Falls.
Restrooms: Yes
Where to go: Latourell Falls Trailhead, Historic Columbia River Hwy, Corbett, OR 97019
I’m highlighting the Latoutell Falls Trail because it’s close to Portland and because I’ve seen a bunch of trillium blooming there in spring, but any wooded trail in the western Columbia Gorge would be a good place to hunt for trillium. I’d expect blooms here a little later than those in the city parks, extending into May even when the season doesn’t arrive late.
From the trailhead at the west end of the parking lot, start the Latourell Falls Loop hike counterclockwise. Look for trillium and Pacific bleeding hearts blooming in the undergrowth on the way to Upper Latourell Falls starting a short distance after you pass the picnic area. Spring is also a perfect time to see the waterfalls looking their best, especially the unforgettable 224-foot plunge of Latourell Falls. Find my detailed trail guide here.
In summary, head to these places to see trillium blooming near Portland this spring:
Tryon Creek State Natural Area
Mary S Young Park
George Rogers Park
Washington Park and Forest Park
Lacamas Park
The Grotto
Latourell Falls
Enjoy the flowers!
With love,
Emma
Bachelor buttons at Catherine Creek
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