PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – With peak fall foliage in the Portland metro area around the corner, Yelp ranked the top places to see fall colors.
From spots closer to downtown Portland to hikes along the Gorge, Yelp identified the top destinations from the hiking, parks, and botanical garden categories on their website.
1. Hoyt Arboretum
Founded in 1928, Hoyt Arboretum features 2,300 species of trees and shrubs and 12 miles of hiking trails minutes from downtown Portland.
In the fall, the arboretum says the landscape turns into a “fiery kaleidoscope.”
“Fire engine-red hawthorn fruits share an early fall stage with magnolia cones and snowberries before the blaze of autumn really begins,” Hoyt Arboretum says.
2. Portland Japanese Garden
The Portland Japanese Garden says recent steady rainfall added to “the rich auditory texture of the landscape and making the golds and crimsons especially vibrant.”
According to the Portland Japanese Garden, there’s still time before their garden reaches peak foliage, which typically occurs through early November.
The garden also details fall color updates on its website.
3. The Grotto
The 62-acre sanctuary in Portland, founded in 1924, features several gardens, chapels and shrines with their fall color backdrop. In October, the Grotto highlights its pyracantha, mountain ash, and maple trees.
4. Latourell Falls
Latourell Falls offers a waterfall walk along the Columbia River Gorge in Guy W. Talbot State Park, also called Latourell State Park.
The park is dotted with Port Orford cedars, Douglas firs, alders and maple trees, according to Oregon State Parks.
5. Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
Dubbed “a photographer’s dream,” Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden spans 9.5 acres with paths to waterfalls, ponds, and Crystal Springs Lake, minutes from downtown Portland.
According to their website, the garden offers season views year-round with trees and shrubs adding their own pop of color in the fall.
6. Bridal Veil Falls
Located off the Columbia River Highway, Bridal Veil Falls State Park includes two hikes to the falls and another with views of the Columbia River.
Oregon State Parks notes that hikers will pass over Bridal Veil Creek and can see remnants of the Bridal Veil logging ghost town.
Wild plants in the area include camas, lupine, bead lily, trillium and bleeding heart.
7. Angel’s Rest Hiking Trail
Near Corbett, Angel’s Rest trailhead offers an eight-mile hike with views of the gorge, Beacon Rock, and Silver Star Mountain, the state park department says.
8. Macleay Park
In Portland’s northwest hills, Macleay Park is referred to as “an oasis close to the city’s core,” according to the Oregon Historical Society.
With nearly 140 acres of land shaded by Douglas fir and western red cedar trees, Macleay Park’s trails connect to Forest Park and Audubon Society of Portland wildlife sanctuaries.
9. Council Crest Park
One of the highest points in Portland, Council Crest Park offers vista point views of the Cascade Range including Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. Rainier. Over its 43 acres, the park also includes several paths.
10. Dog Mountain Trail
In Washington, Dog Mountain Trail is known for its “dramatic yellow balsamroot” and native wildflowers from April to June, however, the U.S. Forest Service highlights the trail’s fall-time panoramic views of the Gorge.
On Dog Mountain Trail, hikers overlook the Columbia River, Starvation Creek Falls, and the summit of Mt. Defiance.
11. Cape Horn Trail
Washington’s Cape Horn Trail includes a six-mile loop hike with a waterfall and “classic Gorge views,” the Forest Service says.
12. Wildwood Trail
Forest Park’s Wildwood Trail stretches across 30 miles and connects to other popular destinations including Balch Creek Canyon, the Stone House, and Pittock Mansion.
13. Peavy Arboretum
Corvallis’ Peavy Arboretum is part of Oregon State University’s research forest. Spanning over 180 acres, the arboretum includes more than 150 plant species, according to the Oregon Historical Society.
OSU says the arboretum includes a number of walking paths lined with trees native to the Pacific Northwest and from around the world.
