Hoyt Arboretum Park

Address: Hoyt Arboretum, Washington Park, Portland, OR (main entrance/visitor area)

Website: https://hoytarboretum.org

Hours: Daily dawn-dusk

Admission: Free admission

Hoyt Arboretum is an arboretum located within Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, and functions as a public collection of trees and shrubs. It covers roughly 189 acres and combines planted collections with natural wooded slopes as part of the city’s park system.

The site contains botanical collections organized by geographic origin and plant family, specimen trees, and informal natural areas linked by about 12 miles (19 km) of trails. Walks vary from paved, accessible routes to steeper, unpaved trails that pass through conifer stands, maples, and other named collections.

The arboretum was developed in the early 20th century and expanded over subsequent decades with city support and botanical planting programs to create its current collection and trail network. It functions as both a recreational green space and a living collection used for education and public programs.

Hoyt Arboretum sits in Portland’s West Hills within Washington Park, west of downtown Portland and adjacent to other cultural attractions in the park complex.

• Access notes: Trails include accessible routes and graded paths; parts of the arboretum are hilly and uneven so good walking shoes are recommended.
• Best seasons: Spring and fall are the most visually distinct seasons, with spring blossoms and autumn color making for the best photographic conditions.

What to See#

• Trail network: A network of waymarked paths and trails running through varied collections and natural areas, totalling roughly 12 miles (19 km) of walking routes and linking most of the arboretum’s planted sections.
• Living collections: Collections arranged by geographic origin and plant family, including temperate forest species, conifers, and specimen trees used for education and research.

Hoyt Arboretum is inside Washington Park, west of downtown Portland. From downtown you can take Portland’s MAX light rail westbound to Washington Park station and then walk through the park to the arboretum (expect about a 10-20 minute walk through park paths from the station). By car it’s roughly a 15-25 minute drive (around 6-8 miles) west from downtown via US‑26 (Sunset Highway) - follow signs for Washington Park and Hoyt Arboretum; parking is available in the park.

• Arrive early on weekdays to enjoy the trails before weekend crowds and dog-walkers arrive; parking and trailheads in Washington Park fill quickly later in the day.
• Use the main Washington Park access to reach Hoyt's looped trail system-this gives quick access to several distinct tree collections (including conifer and redwood areas) without long cross-park walks.
• Pick up a trail map at the primary trailhead and head to the higher-elevation viewpoints-many visitors stick to the lower trails and miss the best overlooks and interpretive signs.