9 Best Sights in Portland, Oregon

One of the nation's largest urban wildernesses (5,200 acres), this city-owned, car-free park supports more than 50 species of birds and mammals and more than 80 miles of trails through forests of Douglas fir, hemlock, and cedar. Running the length of the park is the 30-mile Wildwood Trail, which extends into adjoining Washington Park (and is a handy point for accessing Forest Park), starting at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Hoyt Arboretum. You can access a number of spur trails from the Wildwood Trail, including the 11-mile Leif Erikson Drive, which picks up from the end of N.W. Thurman Street and is a popular route for jogging and mountain biking.

This glorious patch of greenery within Washington Park comprises three terraced gardens, set on 4½ acres, where more than 10,000 bushes and some 610 varieties of roses grow. The flowers, many of them new varieties, are at their peak in June, July, September, and October. From the gardens you can take in views of the Downtown skyline and, on clear days, the slopes of Mt. Hood. Summer concerts take place in the garden's amphitheater. It's a pretty but hilly 30- to 40-minute walk from Downtown, but it's also pretty easy to get here by bus.

Henry Pittock, the founder and publisher of The Oregonian newspaper, built this 22-room, castlelike mansion, which combines French Renaissance and Victorian styles. The opulent manor, built in 1914, is filled with art and antiques. The 46-acre grounds, northwest of Washington Park and 1,000 feet above the city, offer superb views of the skyline, rivers, and the Cascade Range, including Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens. The mansion is a half-mile uphill trek from the nearest bus stop. The mansion is also a highly popular destination among hikers using Forest Park's well-utilized Wildwood Trail.

One of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside Japan, this serene landscape unfolds over 12½ acres of Washington Park, just a short stroll up the hill from the International Rose Test Garden. Designed by a Japanese landscape master, there are five separate garden styles: Strolling Pond Garden, Tea Garden, Natural Garden, Sand and Stone Garden, and Flat Garden. The Tea House was built in Japan and reconstructed here. An ambitious expansion designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma added the Cultural Village, which contains a tea garden café, library, art gallery, and gift shop. The east side of the Pavilion has a majestic view of Portland and Mt. Hood. It's a pretty walk to get here from Downtown, but the garden is also easily reached by bus.  Knowledgeable volunteers guide daily public tours, which are free with admission; reservations are required (and can be booked online).

Some 12 miles of trails that connect with others in Washington Park and Forest Park wind through the 189-acre arboretum, which was established in 1928 and contains more than 2,000 species of plants and one of the nation's largest collections of coniferous trees. Pick up trail maps at the visitor center. Guided 90-minute tours ($5 suggested donation) are offered at various times. Also here are the Winter Garden and a memorial to veterans of the Vietnam War.

This memorial to those who perished during the Holocaust bears the names of surviving families who live in Oregon and southwest Washington. A bronzed baby shoe, a doll, broken spectacles, and other strewn possessions await notice on the cobbled courtyard. Soil and ash from six Nazi concentration camps is interred beneath the black granite wall. The memorial is operated by the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education in Old Town.

This animal park in the West Hills, famous for its Asian elephants, is undergoing a two-decades-long series of major improvements and expansions. New in recent years are the Polar Passage, Black Rhino, Primate Forest, Condors of the Columbia, and Elephant Lands habitats. There's also a state-of-the-art Zoo Education Center. Other major draws include the Africa Savanna with hippos, zebras, and giraffes; Steller Cove, an aquatic exhibit home to Steller sea lions and a family of sea otters; and a troop of chimpanzees. On select Friday nights in summer, the zoo stays open late and offers live music, food carts, beer and wine, zookeeper talks, and family-oriented entertainment. Take the MAX light rail to the Washington Park station.

The 150-acre sanctuary has a few miles of trails, including one known for ample woodpecker sightings, as well as access to the miles of trails in the adjoining Forest Park. There's also a hospital for injured and orphaned birds here, as well as a gift shop stocked with books and feeders. The society supplies free maps and sponsors a flock of bird-related activities, including guided bird-watching events and the annual Wild Arts Festival in mid-December.

This handsomely designed, contemporary museum across from the Oregon Zoo contains interactive and multimedia exhibits about forest sustainability. A white-water raft ride, smoke-jumper training simulator, and Timberjack tree harvester all provide different perspectives on Pacific Northwest forests. On the second floor the forests of the world are explored in various travel settings. A canopy lift ride hoists visitors to the 50-foot ceiling to look at a Douglas fir.