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Where to Find the Best Views in Portland Oregon

Looking for the best views in Portland? Here are the spots you need to visit.

Portland sits in the Willamette Valley and although downtown is relatively flat, it is surrounded by foothills and mountains. On clear days, you can see Mount Hood as the focal point but also St. Helens, Adams, Jefferson, and Rainier. We’re pretty lucky that we don’t even have to drive out of the city to have mountain views. Today, we’ve rounded up the best spots we’ve found in the city so far!

Where to Find the Best Views in Portland Oregon // localadventurer.com

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Last Updated: August 23, 2023

Where to Find the Best Views in Portland Oregon

Keep in mind that you’re going to get more cloudy and rainy days than clear days in Portland. Whenever there is a clear day, we try to take advantage of it and make it out to one of these spots.

1. Pittock Mansion →

3229 NW Pittock Dr, Hillside, map

Pittock Mansion is a great spot to visit to get to know more about the history of Portland, but our favorite part is actually their view of the city and Mt Hood looming over. Can you imagine living in a mansion with a view like this? The mansion itself has limited hours, but the grounds around the house are free to explore and open from 6 AM to 9 PM.

Just walk past the mansion to the far end of the backyard to get the best views of the city. Below is a photo facing east. This is probably my favorite spot in Portland to see both the cityscape and Hood.

Local Tip: It can get windy up here so bring extra layers if you get cold easily.

See More: 25 Most Instagrammable Places in Portland Oregon

2. Portland Japanese Garden, Washington Park

611 SW Kingston Ave, Southwest Portland, map

The Japanese Garden is another spot where you’ll find plenty of photo ops within the grounds, but you can also keep an eye out for any openings towards to east to catch views of the city and Hood. Your best views are at the eastern overlook of the Garden’s pavilion.

Clear days are like winning the lottery, but can you imagine Hood being behind the buildings? This is also a great spot for Cherry Blossoms in the spring.

Local Tip: If you’re visiting in the fall (the prettiest time to visit in our opinion), call ahead to see when the leaves are changing. It typically lasts for only two weeks in October.

See More: Best Places to See Cherry Blossoms in Portland Oregon

3. International Rose Test Garden, Washington Park →

400 SW Kingston Ave, Southwest Portland, map

Both the International Rose Test Garden and the Japanese Gardens are within Washington Park and very close to each other, so the views are quite similar. You can see the city skyline from the edge of the garden

Local Tip: June is typically the best time to see the roses.

See More: International Rose Test Garden in the City of Roses

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4. Council Crest Park

SW Council Crest Dr, Southwest Portland, map

Council Crest Park is a small park with multiple lookout points. This is the highest point in the city and one of our friend’s lives down the street from here. To the east, you can see Fremont Bridge and the Rose Garden, and on clear days, you can see the 5 mountains in the distance. If you look to the west, you can see miles of greenery and trees.

See More: 25 Free Things to Do in Portland Oregon

5. Portland Aerial Tram

3303 SW Bond Ave, South Portland, map

This commuter tram takes you up to the OHSU Marquam Hill Campus aka Pill Hill, where they have indoor and outdoor observation decks. It’s a commuter tram, so most of the people on it are either going to school or work. If you’re a tourist, you tend to stick out like a sore thumb. Here, you can see the city, Mt Hood, Mt St Helens, the Willamette River and the bridges along the river.

Local Tip: When we visited, it was hard to get views without giant cranes, but it was still worth checking out. The best light is in the evenings or late afternoon on clear days. When the tram is closed, you can still access the observation decks by car.

See More: Ultimate Portland Bucket List

Portland Aerial Tram + 13 Beautiful Photography Spots in Portland Oregon // localadventurer.com

6. Mt. Tabor Park

3303 SW Bond Ave, South Portland, map

Mt. Tabor Park is a huge forested park on top of an extinct volcanic cinder cone. Between the giant Douglas firs, you can see the Portland city skyline and Hood peeking out. If you want more foreground in your shot, check out the reservoirs.

Local Tip: The road up to the summit is closed to vehicles on Wednesdays. If you want a 5 min walk up the top visit on other days, otherwise take the 2-mile round trip hike for your views. Also, I imagine you get more of a view when some of the trees thin out during the winter. Light on the city is best in the morning.

See More: Living in Portland Oregon: The Pros and Cons

Mt Tabor Park + How to Find the Best Views in Portland Oregon // localadventurer.com

7. Rocky Butte Park (Joseph Wood Hill Park at Rocky Butte)

3341 NE Rocky Butte Rd, South Madison, map

If you’re looking for 360 views without many trees blocking your view, this is your spot. You can see downtown Portland from afar, and also the airport, Fremont Bridge, Columbia River, Hood, Helens, Larch Mountain, and the tip of Mt Jefferson.

See More: 15 Best Day Trips from Portland Oregon

8. Eastbank Esplanade

SE Water Avenue & SE Hawthorne Blvd, Buckman, map

Head to the Eastbank Esplanade to get a ground view of the city and the Willamette (btw it rhymes with dammit. If you need help remembering it “it’s Willamette, dammit”). It’s an urban park with long floating walkways, boat docks, walking & bike paths, and public art.

Local Tip: Lighting is best in the morning.

9. Downtown Pedestrian Bridges

3303 SW Bond Ave, South Portland, map

Among all its nicknames, Portland is also known as Bridgetown or Bridge City. Hawthorne Bridge, Morrison Bridge, and Burnside (also has the White Stag Portland Oregon Sign) are just a few of the bridges downtown that you can walk across. They give you great views of the other bridges and parts of the city.

Local Tip: Tilikum Crossing is a pedestrian-only bridge and the only one in Portland. It doesn’t have the best views of the city, but it’s a landmark in itself.

Burnside Bridge and the White Stag Sign + How to Find the Best Views in Portland Oregon // localadventurer.com

Mountain Views and Other Landmarks

10. Powell Butte Nature Park

16160 SE Powell Blvd, Pleasant Valley, map

This is the furthest east of all the spots on this list, but if you make your way up to the summit, it has a great viewpoint of Mount Hood. You can also flip around to look west towards the city in the distance.

11. Tom Mccall Waterfront Park

NW Glisan St, Downtown Portland, map

You get less of a city view from this side of the water, but you can see Steel Bridge and Hood on clear days. It’s also where multiple festivals are held and where you’ll find the popular Portland Saturday Market (mostly popular with tourists).

Local Tip: During spring, head north of Burnside Bridge to find cherry blossoms lining the park. It’s probably the best spot within PDX to see cherry blossoms.

See More: Where to See Cherry Blossoms in the US

12. St Johns Bridge at Cathedral Park

6635 N Baltimore Ave, North Portland, map

St. Johns Bridge is arguably the most picturesque bridge in Portland. It’s the northernmost bridge and the gothic cathedral architecture looks amazing from Cathedral Park. You can get on the ground level to shoot the bridge and then head up the hills and also to the bridge level to get some detailed shots of the spires.

13. The Vista House at Crown Point State Scenic Corridor

40700 Historic Columbia River Hwy, Corbett, map

This is just shy of 25 miles (45 minutes) from Portland and gives you amazing views of the gorge.

Local Tip: The best photo of the Vista House and the Gorge IMO is from the Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint.

See More: 21 Best Hike in the Columbia River Gorge

Vista House at Crown Point State Scenic Corridor + How to Find the Best Views in Portland Oregon // localadventurer.com

Map of the Best Views in Portland

Essential Tips

  • Keep in mind that the PNW brings a lot of cloudy days. It’s great for that classic moody shot, but not so great for views of the cityscapes and mountains. Don’t forget to check the forecast for the clearest days. Whenever we can see Mt. Hood from our living room, we try to head up to one of these viewpoints. Outside of July, they’re pretty rare and hard to predict.
  • If you’re shooting from one of the viewpoints and want to capture the mountains with the city, bring a long lens. We always have our 70-200 with us for these photos. It will compress the foreground and background so that everything looks closer together and the mountain isn’t a tiny bump in the background.
  • It’s always smart to have a raincoat with you! We also love these waterproof sneakers so we’re always ready.

Planning Checklist

Have you been to any of these viewpoints? Any more we should add to the list?

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Esther and JacobPin

Esther + Jacob

Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.

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This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Rhonda Swan

    Wow! What beautiful views! We’ll have to check out some of these spots if we’re able to be in the Portland area on a clear day.
    Cheers,
    Rhonda and The Unstoppable Family

    1. Esther JuLee

      Thank you, Rhonda. Your best chances would be in July / August. :) I hope you get to see them!

  2. Emily

    I’d love to visit Portland this time of year! I bet it’s gorgeous with the fall colors.

    1. Esther JuLee

      You absolutely should! I would still say summer is the best time to visit in Portland, since you won’t be getting as much rain, but the fall foliage around the waterfalls are amazing!

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