Redwood Observation Deck — Attraction in Portland

The Redwood Deck in Hoyt Arboretum is such a gem of a spot - right in city limits! I often walk/hike around Hoyt Arboretum in my free time; it's such an easy, accessible spot for connecting with nature, while still being close to amenities and other activities. The Redwood Deck is a short hike in from any parking area. I usually park at the Fairview Blvd visitor center (by Steven's Pavilion) and walk in. It takes me ~10-20 minutes depending on how leisurely I'm moving. And this spot is easy to get to from a lot of different trails. Most of the systems in Hoyt are connected at one point or another, so no matter where you start, you can probably get to this spot!

I'm a local photographer (Venture Ever After) and have also documented a lot of elopements and small weddings here. It's no surprise people line up each January to try to get reservations for their weddings here - it's gorgeous! The deck itself is super easy to access (especially with a reservation; you'll usually get a key to a gated road that gets you much closer to the deck, so even less of a walk into it). The backdrop is stunning, and because it's under such good tree cover, it's beautiful all times of day and all seasons. The trails all around the deck provide great opportunities for portraits, too. And because it's so close to downtown, it makes it super easy to have a ceremony and portraits in nature, and then have a dinner and celebration with loved ones afterwards in town.

Overall, I think this is a pretty unique and special spot. So grateful to have this as an option for recreation and photo work, so...

During Covid-19, I do not recommend the narrow trails that aren't monitored to enforce mask wearing, at least on the redwood trails part. We went here over the weekend, and while most people were considerate and wore masks, the few who did not were unavoidable on the very narrow trails leading to the redwood observation deck. There is definitely not six feet of space to distance. Those few people were enough to make the trip unpleasant, due to the danger of heavy-breathing hikers without masks passing within inches of us. However, one "runner" in particular kept going past us very closely. (As an actual runner myself, I can comfortably enough wear my mask, even in heat, even on longer runs, by pulling mine up as I near people, so I expect the same). When we finally said "Hey, man, give us some space or put on a mask when you run past" he defiantly looked us in the eyes and ran closer, even as I held my 4 year old child who also wears a mask. We hoped for a pleasant weekend hike, but ended up with heavy-breathing running/hiking, non-mask wearers going within inches of us too...

One of the best, most beautiful and amazing places in Portland. Calm and relaxing, a truly transcendent place. The small grove of redwoods were all planted here; they are not native to this place, although they do grow in Oregon, usually along the coast. These trees were among the first planted after the creation of the Arboretum; most date to around 1930. Of special note is one particular Dawn Redwood, found at the turn-around at the end of Bray Lane, a service road with a gated entrance from Fischer Lane (accessible by vehicle only by special arrangement with Arboretum staff.) Look for the plaque on the north side of the turn-around. It explains that this particular dawn redwood is a living fossil, believed to be extinct, but rediscovered in a remote section of China during WWII. An...