10 Stunning Wildflower Hikes in Portland
After what feels like an endless wait during the gray of winter, wildflower season is returning to Portland, OR. Starting around March, you can find the earliest bloomers emerging in grassy fields and conifer forests around the city. While the most memorable and impressive displays are in the Columbia Gorge, you can find excellent wildflower hikes within city limits and spare yourself an hour of driving to reach the trails. As a bonus, the wildflowers in the city tend to bloom a bit earlier than those in the Gorge, giving you plenty of time to explore both the urban and wilderness trails. Here are my suggestions for easy-to-reach and rewarding wildflower hikes in and around Portland.
If you’re interested in the ultimate wildflower hikes and aren’t put off by the drive time, check out my article on the best wildflower hikes in the Columbia Gorge.
Wildflowers in Portland
1. Tryon Creek State Natural Area
Observation deck at Tryon Creek State Natural Area
Miles of trails: About 8 miles of interconnected loops.
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome.
Parking: Free parking, no pass required. There are picnic tables and a Nature Center with exhibits next to the parking lot. The 35 bus line also stops at the park entrance.
Restrooms and amenities: Yes, indoor restrooms in the Nature Center.
ADA access: The 0.3-mile Trillium Trail is flat, paved, and even. Accessible restrooms, parking, and Nature Center.
When to go for wildflowers: Potentially as early as February for the first blooms. Wildflowers will last into May. I went yesterday, March, 14th, 2024, and only found a small patch of violets in the park. I expect April will be a great time to visit in 2024.
Trillium can bloom at Tryon Creek as early as the end of February
Tyron Creek State Natural Area stands out for having some of the earliest blooming wildflowers near Portland. With trillium, bleeding hearts, violets, and western coltsfoot emerging as early as February, it’s a great place to go hiking when you start doubting that winter will ever end. The park is so well-known for its trillium abundance that it hosts a free annual Trillium Festival in honor of the flower at the beginning of April. Stop by the festival to check out the native plant sale and educational activities, or go on another day to enjoy the wildflowers without the crowds.
2. Hoyt Arboretum
Trillium blooms under the magnolia trees at Hoyt Arboretum
Miles of trails: 12 miles with many options for shorter hikes, organized by tree species.
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome.
Parking: Metered parking is about $2/hour or $8/day. The MAX red and blue lines, the 63 bus line, and the Washington Park shuttle can also get you there.
Restrooms: Yes, indoor restrooms in the Visitor Center.
ADA access: Check out the Overlook Trail, Bristlecone Pine Trail, and Visitor Center Loop Trail.
When to go for wildflowers: Early-blooming wildflowers usually start appearing around mid to late March. For magnolias, visit in April.
Magnolia blossoms are a spring highlight in Hoyt Arboretum
The Hoyt Arboretum is unique among Portland parks for having something blooming no matter when you visit. If you go too soon for wildflowers, head to the Winter Garden to look for hellebore and cyclamen. The hiking trails are named for the trees that line them. Any of the conifer trails are good choices to see some green in winter. In spring, new needles will appear on the park’s dawn redwood, a rare deciduous conifer.
Look for early-blooming wildflowers like trillium, violets, crocus, and skunk cabbage around March. My favorite time to visit is when the flowering trees start to bloom, usually in April. You can find some cherry blossoms in the Hoyt Arboretum, but the magnolia trees are the season's highlight. Look for showy white and light pink blooms in more variations than you had any idea magnolias came in. If you visit later in the season, look for dogwood blooms in May.
3. Powell Butte
Yarrow blooms on Powell Butte toward the end of the wildflower season
Miles of trails: 9 miles with many options for loop hikes.
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome.
Parking: Free parking. Don’t leave valuables in the car. I’ve seen some broken windows here. Picnic tables and interpretative displays are near the parking lot.
Restrooms: Yes
ADA access: Short sections of paved trails near the park entrance are even and paved with minimal grade. They will get you to wildflowers. The Mountain View Trail is paved and even but does get steep. Accessible parking and restrooms.
When to go for wildflowers: Late April through June
Look for Mt Jefferson from the south side of Powell Butte
Powell Butte is my vote for Portland’s most underrated park. Although by no means unknown, it gets a lot less hype than it deserves. First, there are the views. On a clear day, the hiking trails around the 600-foot summit of Powell Butte look onto the peaks of Mt Hood, Mt Rainier, Mt Adams, Mt Jefferson, Mt St Helens, Larch Mountain, and Rock Butte. You can find forested trails closer to the butte’s base but grasslands cover much of it, including its summit, allowing for sweeping vistas unobstructed by tree cover.
The prairies of Powell Butte are full of wildflowers in late spring. While you can still find trillium blooming on the wooded trails here, expect to see dozens of wildflower species in the sunny fields, like columbine, goldenrod, fireweed, asters, foxglove, yarrow, and lupines. It’s also one of the best places to find late-blooming wildflowers on a summer excursion. If you visit in June, you’ll still see blossoms everywhere. As a bonus, fruit begins ripening on berry bushes in summer after their flowers fade. These fruits are favorites of the many songbirds that visit Powell Butte.
Red elderberries make a lovely foreground for Mount St Helens
4. Forest Park
Trillium blooms next to hiking trails in the spring
Miles of trails: Over 80 miles. In other words, unlimited.
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome.
Parking: Usually free depending on the trailhead. Find details here.
Restrooms: Lower Macleay Park and Pittock Mansion have restrooms.
ADA access: Look for 0.2 miles of flat, even, and paved trail starting at Lower Macleay Park. Accessible parking and restrooms at Lower MacLeay Park.
When to go for wildflowers: April and May are good bets.
Skunk cabbage in Forest Park
While best known for its towering Doug firs and lush sword ferns, you can find plenty of wildflowers along the trails of Forest Park in the heart of Portland. Look for species that like blooming in the woods, like trillium, skunk cabbage, and Pacific bleeding hearts. I’d go earlier in the season. Around April would be a good bet to spot some blooms. Don’t worry too much about choosing the right trail. I’d expect any of them to have wildflowers in spring. The trails of Forest Park connect to the Hoyt Arboretum if you want to stop by and see the magnolias blooming while you’re at it.
5. Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
Look for rhododendrons of every color at Crystal Springs
Miles of trails: 0.8 miles
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome.
Parking: Free parking in the lot by the garden entrance. The lot is small and fills up quickly. Look for neighborhood parking if the lot is full. Bus lines 10 and 19 will get you close to the garden. Admission costs $5 for people 10 years and older.
Restrooms: Yes
ADA access: Accessible parking and restrooms. Trails are mostly unpaved but even and with grades under 5%. Find details here.
When to go for flowers: April - June
Foxgloves blooming between the rhodies
I’m going out on a limb here and thinking if you’re interested in wildflowers, you like flowers generally and won’t be horrified if I suggest a visit to a cultivated garden. If you are a purist, feel encouraged to skip ahead. While the flowers here are spectacular, this urban garden does not feel like the wilderness.
The highlight of Portland’s Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is seeing its hundreds of azaleas and rhododendrons blooming in every color imaginable, usually peaking in May. Amid these showy bushes, you can find a variety of wildflowers, like foxglove, monkeyflower, and the invasive but pretty yellow irises of the wetlands. Besides flowers, Crystal Springs is an excellent place for birdwatching. I can pretty much guarantee sightings of ducks, geese, and a variety of songbirds. A double-crested cormorant was an unexpected delight when I last visited.
Wildflowers near Portland
6. Camassia Natural Area
An albino camas flower stands out in a field of blue and green
Miles of trails: 1.4 miles
Dog friendly: No, dogs are not allowed in the nature preserve.
Parking: Free parking with donations welcome for park upkeep.
Restrooms: Yes, port-a-potty by the parking lot.
ADA access: No
When to go for wildflowers: Mid-April through May for the camas blooms.
Camas and rosy plectritis
Only about 20 minutes from downtown Portland, West Linn’s Camassia Natural Area is unforgettable in spring. When the fields are blooming, it’s one of those places you need to see to believe. After a brief stroll through a wooded area, you’ll reach an oak savanna blanketed with delicate blue camas flowers. The short loop trail through the preserve will take you past wetlands, an osprey nest, some huge flood-deposited boulders, and flowers everywhere you look.
During a short time in spring, a thick carpet of camas, rosy plectritis, and saxifrage decorate the grass between chunks of basalt. With a sharp eye, you can find many other wildflower species on your hike, like blue-eyed Mary, trillium, avalanche lilies, and glacier lilies. If you miss the peak bloom around April or May, look for rare white rock larkspur in late May and June. At any season, you might see ducks in the wetlands and songbirds in the trees.
7. Cooper Mountain
Look for blooms starting from the trailhead at Cooper Mountain
Miles of trails: 3 miles
Dog friendly: No, dogs are not allowed.
Parking: Free parking lot. There are picnic tables and a playground next to the parking lot.
Restrooms: Yes
ADA access: Try out the 0.75-mile crushed gravel Little Prairie Loop Trail. Find details here. Accessible parking and restrooms.
When to go for wildflowers: Late April through early June.
Irises next to the hiking trail at Cooper Mountain
The trails at Cooper Mountain are some of the loveliest in the Portland metro area at any time of year. An easy loop hike will take you through forests and oak savannas with sweeping views of the Chehalem Hills. In spring, a bonanza of wildflowers appears on Cooper Mountain, starting with early bloomers like fawn lilies and trillium. Later in the season, look for white rock larkspur blooming in the park around June. Besides wildflowers, Cooper Mountain is an excellent spot to watch for wildlife, particularly birds. Look for frogs and salamanders in the small pond next the the loop trail. The hikes in the park start downhill so be sure to save energy for the trek back up.
8. Mary S Young Park
Trillium blooms early at Mary S Young Park
Miles of trails: 8 miles with several options for shorter hikes.
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome on the trails. There is also an off-leash area for dogs.
Parking: Free parking lot. Trimet bus 35 stops at the park’s north of south sides. Picnic tables are next to the parking lot.
Restrooms: Yes
ADA access: The Riverside Loop is paved but has some steep sections. Find details here. Accessible parking and restrooms.
When to go wildflowers: As early as late February to see the earliest blooming wildflowers. Expect good blooms into May.
One of the park’s many squirrels is curious about me
Last year, I went to West Linn’s Mary S Young Park on a whim after realizing I was too early to see more than a few wildflowers at Tryon Creek. An unusually cold spring delayed the season, and only the earliest bloomers were opening there in April. After hunting for Tryon Creek’s two or three pioneering trillium flowers, I was surprised to find dozens of them at Mary S Young Park as soon as I stepped out of the car. A few even had pink patches on their white petals, a sign that they had been open for a while.
There are few better feelings than visiting somewhere with no expectations and discovering a hidden gem. Mary S Young Park is a great destination on one the those first beautiful spring days after months of drizzly gray monotony. Here you’ll find lots of early bloomers, easy forested hiking trails, and views of the Willamette River. Other than trillium galore, look for skunk cabbage, Oregon grape, salmonberry bushes, and Indian plum blossoms. Later in the summer, there are a couple of islands you can walk to via seasonal land bridge or floating bridge.
9. Lacamas Park
Fawn lilies bloom near Round Lake in Lacamas Park
Miles of trails: 1.2 miles around Round Lake with options for more hiking at Lacamas Lake.
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome.
Parking: Free parking at Lacamas Lake and Round Lake. Look for picnic tables and play equipment near both parking areas.
Restrooms: Yes
ADA access: Not to the Camas Lily Fields near Round Lake. Accessible parking, restrooms, and trails at Lacamas Lake.
When to go: The camas blooms are a bit hard to time, but expect them around April or May. Look for other wildflowers like trillium and fawn lilies before the camas flowers open.
Camas blooms in the Camas Lily Fields
Lacamas Park in Camas, WA, is one of the closest escapes around Portland that feels more like the wilderness than an urban park. To find the best spring wildflowers, head to the loop trail that circles Round Lake. If you arrive early in the season, look for bright white trillium and elegant fawn lilies in the undergrowth along the trail. A little later in the season, usually around late April or May, the Camas Lily Fields are the park’s most stunning highlight.
A short trail will take you from the Round Lake Loop up to an open expanse where camas flowers carpet the top of a sunny bluff. The camas season is brief and can be hard to time, but the park is worth visiting even if you miss the blooms. On your way to the lily fields, you’ll cross over Pothole Falls where you’ll see its distinctive namesake potholes dotting the banks along its base. A short side trip will bring you to lovely Woodburn Falls, which is especially picturesque in spring after months of rain.
10. Canemah Bluff Nature Park
Camas blooms near Canemah Bluff’s overlook
Miles of trails: 1.7 miles
Dog friendly: No, dogs are not allowed on the trails past the Canemah Children’s Park.
Parking: Free parking. A playground, basketball court, and picnic tables are near the park entrance.
Restrooms: Yes
ADA access: The 0.2-mile paved Canemah Springs Trail will bring you to the wildflowers. Beyond that, the trails are narrow, unpaved, and uneven.
When to go for wildflowers: April and May
Oregon grape at the overlook
Starting from Oregon City’s Canemah Children’s Park, a short and sweet loop trail winds through a grassy meadow out to an impressive overlook with views of the Willamette River. For a short time in spring, camas blooms add a rich shade of blue to the vibrant green of new grass. The sunny field here is one of the first places camas blossoms open near Portland. For a longer hike, continue into the forest and explore the small network of trails there. The wildflowers are most impressive near the park entrance, but you can find a generous amount of Oregon grapes blooming in the woods.
The trail through the camas field continues into the forest
In summary, the best parks to find spring wildflowers in and around Portland are:
Tryon Creek State Natural Area
Hoyt Arboretum
Powell Butte
Forest Park
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
Camassia Natural Area
Cooper Mountain
Mary S Young Park
Lacamas Park
Canemah Bluff Nature Park
Enjoy the wildflower hikes of Portland!
With love,
Emma
Explore nearby
Visit the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival.
Find more flowers in the Portland Rose Garden.
Find the best parks in Portland for hiking.
