Hoyt Arboretum is a living museum, a historical landscape, an outdoor laboratory, and a curated woodland – all in one park.
Just minutes from downtown Portland, the Arboretum is a unique place to hike, learn, and explore. Straddling a ridgetop in Washington Park, the Arboretum hosts over 2,300 tree species from six continents. Twelve miles of hiking trails wind through our 189 acres, providing access to a globally diverse landscape, from stands of stately redwoods to groves of flowering dogwoods and cherries, exhibiting many rare and threatened species along the way.
A Place to Hike and Learn
The Arboretum is free to all, 365 days a year. Maps, books, and knowledgeable staff and volunteers can be found at the Visitor Center and gift shop. In addition to our vast collection of labeled tree species for personal exploration, we offer guided tours, classes, outdoor event spaces, and an herbarium to the public. We also offer a variety of programs for young people and families, from preschool walks to science activity days for the whole family. Two miles of accessible, paved trails help provide everyone a chance to experience this special place.
A Biological Resource
To scientific, conservation, and educational communities, we provide access to a global collection of species with proven provenance, including 67 that are threatened or endangered. This means that researchers and educators can find a trove of global tree diversity, all in one place. Students and scientists use our collection to compare similar species from around the world. We partner with organizations both locally and globally to inventory species in databases, provide research material, and conserve living specimens.
A Community Treasure
From a poor farm at the turn of a century to the world-class destination it is today, the Arboretum has a rich and varied history. Originally envisioned by Portland Parks superintendent Elliot T. Mische, an Olmsted Brothers protégé, the land was nearly put under housing in the early 1920s. The Arboretum prevailed in 1928 when Multnomah County Commissioner Ralph Warren Hoyt was won over to the idea. Planting, landscaping, and trail building began in 1930, and we continue to add to our collection of over 6,000 specimens to this day.
Hoyt Arboretum is managed in partnership between Portland Parks & Recreation and Hoyt Arboretum Friends, a membership-based nonprofit that provides outreach, volunteer programs, and education to the public. You can get involved by volunteering, or donating and becoming a member to support our work in conservation, education, and recreation.