Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden — Attraction in Portland

I’m from out of town and went here with some friends to take some photos, my friend brought her personal camera (mind you it was travel size, very small), and I was under the impression I only had to pay for general admission. When we went up to the workers, I said three general admissions, then they saw my friend’s camera and the guy working said to another worker, “do you wanna tell them?” and we were confused and then the lady told us we would have to pay $75 just to take some simple photos and we were dumbfounded. Still confused the lady points to a sign listing all the fees for photography. $75 dollars for one hour. That’s $1.25 a minute.. we were going to turn back and choose somewhere else but we had ubered there due to the limited parking where you also had to pay. In total I payed around $83 dollars for an hour.. I enjoyed the view, and scenery it was very beautiful. But wasn’t pleasant about the price and customer service. The workers weren’t very kind when telling us about the fees and if anything seemed annoyed that we weren’t aware. After the hour, we left the garden and waited for our uber, while we waited my friend noticed the guy who was working would stare at us and had this creepy uncomfortable aura to him. WOULDN’T RECOMMEND, unless you have money to toss away go somewhere wayyyy cheaper . Yes we looked at the website, but it was...

I try to come here every year since moving to SE 9 years ago. One of Portland's best kept secrets, especially while in full bloom. But nice all year round. The parking lot is small. There is official overflow at Reed College, however you need to park on the left side where it says west parking lot. Not in front of the dorm to the right. Other than that, absolutely beautiful. Peaceful. Crystal Springs comes right out of the ground. Eagles and osprey nest nearby, mallards, wood ducks, Canadian geese everywhere. Babies with no fear in the spring. Chubby squirrels. Lots of other birds to watch if you are looking. The paths are wide and well kept. Bathrooms on site. Probably wheelchair accessible, but there is a steep incline in the beginning and it is gravel not pavement so keep that in mind. It would depend on the person and the equipment, probably not everyone with a wheel chair would be comfortable. Highly recommend. The plant sale and flower show are nice, but it's busy, especially Mother's Day weekend. Mondays during the warm season are free. Otherwise five bucks. Rainy...

May 30, 2023 - Another visit, another beautiful experience. We were later in the season this year so the rhododendrons and azaleas in the full sun had peaked and started dropping flowers, but those in shaded areas still beautiful.

April 2021 - This may be heresy, but my wife and I enjoyed these Rhododendron Gardens more than the Japanese Gardens.

Colorful flowers are everywhere. I learned more about various rhododendrones. Yes, the maximum is well represented here, but also many other beautiful types.

We especially loved the violet and purple varieties, the Catawba and Pacific. And the Flame Azaleas.

The beautiful little primrose was a treat.

We are not flowering tree and shrub experts by any means. And I likely have not properly identified some. But we definitely appreciated them.

And the ducks, geese, and water features.

These Gardens are open only a few hours each day. The parking lot is very small....