Hoyt Arboretum
Where: Washington Park, Portland, Oregon
Distance: 2.4 miles
Type: Loop
Elevation gain: Approx. 600 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Map: Hoyt Arboretum Map
Overview:
Hoyt Arboretum was created in 1928 to help conserve endangered species and educate the public about the need to do so. Over its 95 years of existence, more than 6000 trees and plants representing more than 2000 species and varieties from around the world have been planted in the arboretum, many of them threatened or endangered. One of the things that makes the arboretum special, in my opinion, is that it has the look and feel of a natural forest, not a botanical garden, and even though many of the trees and plants are not native to the Pacific Northwest, they are incorporated into the forest and never seem out of place.
Hoyt Arboretum offers a multitude of possible hikes over its 189 acres and 12 miles of trails. The hike described here passes through many of the arboretum’s tree collections and is a good introduction to the arboretum for anyone that has not visited previously. It also incorporates several short sections of the iconic Wildwood Trail that meanders for 30 miles through Washington and Forest Parks. The trail junctions in the arboretum are well signed, so it would be hard to get lost, but the sheer number of intersecting trails can be confusing. I recommend carrying a map of the trail system whenever you’re hiking in the arboretum. Download and print the arboretum map linked above or pick up a free map and brochure at the visitor center. The brochure provides some interesting information and has a larger and more easily read map than the download.
Getting there:
The Visitor Center is located at 4000 Fairview Boulevard SW, Portland, Oregon 97221. It can be reached by car via West Burnside Street or US Hwy 26. Parking at the visitor center costs $2 per hour (free before 9:30 am) or $8 per day. There are other free parking areas (including along Fairview Blvd in front of the visitor center) that are shown on the map, but most are small and are often full. Public transit options include TriMet bus line #63 (with a stop at the Visitor Center) and the MAX light rail red and blue lines. The Washington Park Station on the light rail lines is 200 feet below ground with an elevator to the surface entrance located between the Oregon Zoo and the World Forestry Center. And there is a free shuttle bus that runs through Washington Park and makes stops at the zoo, Hoyt Arboretum, and the Japanese Garden.
Trailheads:
There are multiple trailheads that can be used to access the hike described here, but the Hoyt Arboretum Visitor Center is a logical starting point and the one used for this description. The Visitor Center includes a small gift shop and public restrooms.
The hike:
This hike starts at the opposite end of the parking lot from the Visitor Center. Look for the paved Overlook Trail to the left. Follow the paved path to the first trail junction and turn left onto the gravel Wildwood Trail. At the next trail junction turn left onto the Magnolia Trail, which switchbacks down to and across Upper Cascade Drive and through the arboretum’s Magnolia Collection.
Just before reaching Cascade Drive, turn right onto the Beech Trail and cross the road into the Winter Garden. Just beyond the Winter Garden, turn left onto another section of the Wildwood Trail and follow it as it climbs up to Fairview Blvd. Across the road the trail descends through the forest to the Redwood Deck, which provides a good view into the arboretum’s Redwood Collection.
Continue on the Wildwood Trail past the junction with the Redwood Trail, descending to Johnson Creek. Stay on the Wildwood Trail, passing the junction with the Creek Trail, as it climbs up the slope west of the creek. At the next junction, turn left onto the connector trail that takes you to Fisher Lane.
Cross Fisher Lane onto the White Pine Trail, which gradually climbs away from the road to a ridge, where it turns south and runs along the western edge of the arboretum for about three quarters of a mile, through the White Pine and Hemlock Collections, to Fairview Blvd where it ends.
Cross Fairview Blvd and take the connector trail to the right, which descends to a junction with another section of the Wildwood Trail. Turn left onto Wildwood and follow it, crossing Knights Blvd. Just before reaching a water reservoir, turn left onto a connector trail that takes you to the Holly Trail. Follow the Holly Trail down a set of stone steps to the parking lot where the hike started.
Other area attractions and activities:
Washington Park is home to the Oregon Zoo, the World Forestry Center, the Portland Japanese Garden, the Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the International Rose Test Garden, in addition to Hoyt Arboretum.
Posted June 3, 2023 by Alan K. Lee
All photos © Alan K. Lee