Laurelhurst Park

My favorite all around park in Portland. This park has a bit of everything! The giant trees here will welcome you to visit as often as you like.
A great lake on the east end of the park is home to all sorts of wildlife. You can easily spot the ducks and turtles, but if you spend a bit more time looking you’re sure to find others.
We take our dog here at least once a week even though it is no longer our closest dog park. The loft leash area they have has enough room for a ton of dogs without being crowded. When the main area gets too torn up they will move it to the ravine on the west side allowing the main area to be repaired.
We also really love coming to Shakespeare in the park during the summers. They have picnic areas you can reserve to have your own large gathering as well.
There are good hills for skating in the park, but please do what I do and avoid skating during heavy use times. I’ve seen some close calls with children running out, so please be careful!

Beautiful, peaceful, serene… this has to be one of the best parks i’ve ever had the pleasure of «chillaxin» in. There is a small lake with a little island in the middle with ducks, lots of ducks…
Great place to relax alone or with friends.

I will never forget some of the things that happened in this park heehee and the memories of pleasant times enjoying the trees, grass, flowers, and water here. The pond for ducks and birds is absolutely gorgeous. Really adds to the quality of this place. You can go for hours with a picnic and enjoy yourself. The playground is very decent for children and they can be entertained for a long time running around this park. I don’t have a dog but if I did, they would love to be here. I enjoy that it is kept in good condition and most people seem to respect it. I’m glad they put up all the warning signs for the birds. Portland always has a way of doing so in a unique way. The amount of things you can see in one day in one place is pretty awesome. I highly recommend visiting and going to just relax in the sun and watch everything. And picnic… Yes bring your picnic.

What a lovely park! Laurelhurst Park has become my go-​to spot when I want to just lounge on a lawn and get some sun. It’s bustling, but not over-​the-​top crowded, and pretty dang adorable to boot.
The park is divided into two sections. The northern portion is much larger and features a duck pond, little walking paths, and quite a bit of shade. It’s quite picturesque, and totally date-​worthy.
The southern section has plenty of playground equipment, sports fields, and a shelter building. I generally hang out on the eastern edge of this section, as it’s got plenty of sun, nice people watching, and not as many kids as other parts of the park. It’s just makes for such a pleasant afternoon!
The only negative is the bathrooms. They’re tiny, and filthy. I feel awful for people who REALLY have to go, and I’d be stressed out as a parent, trying to send my kid into one of those rooms. They need to upgrade those facilities, and stat.

This has always been one of my favorite parks besides the great and grand forest park. The trees are plentiful and the duck pound is a major draw. Lucky enough to live a few blocks away and visit a few times a week. There’s a swarm of folks when the weather is nice. Biking, running, juggling, lounging… Families and dogs abound. There’s a kiddo park across the way too.

Beautiful in the fall

Laurelhurst Park is a medium sized park in Portland on the East side of the city. It is within a beautiful residential area. There is a lake within the park and plenty of trees. If I lived in the area, I would definitely run laps in the park all the time. If you are staying close to it, I recommend it if you are looking for a place to run. It is a decent place to stop by if you are on vacation but there are more scenic locations in the city so I would not make a big effort to stop by Laurelhurst Park.
If you are traveling the Portland area and looking for recommendations, please see

Small park with a trail that goes around the duck pond. Nice little green space in the neighborhood.

Beautiful Park to take a stroll through. Lots of benches and trees everywhere. There’s a pond with ducks swimming around and more trees around the water.

This is a great park definitely 5 stars.
A park in Southeast Portland in the city that is just awesome.
Basketball courts, Tennis courts, playground/​swings for children
Large open grassy areas
Large and numerous trees creating wonderful environment and shade.
Nice little pond area in center of park.
Many tables to eat and set up lunch and benches everywhere to sit on.
No parking lot that I know of just parking around the park on streets.

I LOVE this park. It’s beautiful, shady with gigantic trees. There are dogs everywhere, people picnicking. We live a little far away but this place is worth the drive. The surrounding neighborhood is pretty beautiful as well. It’s a bit hilly so get ready for some work on those buns.

A desire for some bite-​sized Forest Park scenery may take admirers of nature to Laurelhurst Park. It was placed with sharp skill since it is near the Hawthorne District. The edge contains a hiking loop, while other parts have trails. Drinking fountains are abundant. Places to bring your dog are abundant. Hunger can mean that a visitor visits the adjacent gas station.
The park is near lots of bus service, especially since it is only a short walk from Coe Circle if need be. Benches are near the artificial pond, as well as in the middle. Some stairs are located here, but not many. I loved the shade on such a hot day. Other loops besides the exterior one are sometimes found towards the core, since this park is essentially some kind of basic shape.
Trees here are tall. Plant diversity is not pronounced, but Evergreens show their own worthwhile expressions. It is mostly flat with few inclines, so exercising here would probably encompass more running than say Mount Tabor Park.
You should check out Laurelhurst Park.

Beautiful park in the heart of Central Eastside. It covers a decent area, and if you are there for a walk with a friend like I was most recently, you can keep on circling the park down different paths to keep things interesting.
A tiny playground, off-​leash dog area, picnic tables, ample shade, a beautiful little lake and more make this a spot perfect for almost any outdoor occasion. The neighborhood surrounding the park is one of my favorites to explore and there are tons of restaurants and shops just a short walk away.

What a nice and shaded park! I can’t believe that I’ve passed by here countless times but never once ventured in. Plenty of places to either run or tool around on a bicycle. People doing photo shoots, a pond that’s in good shape and just lots and lots of shade on a hotter day. Plus if you’re into the Geocaching thing, there are a few here.
Enjoy.

Bring the kids! I love bringing my nephews and niece to the park. For being smack dab in the middle of the city it is a surprisingly huge place. I’ve never had a problem with parking, especially if you turn on some of the inroads near the park. There’s a lot to do there but with the kids we mostly just like to walk and watch the ducks. There’s so many (and such variety of) ducks and the pond is absolutely beautiful. Walking around it you’ll get to see some wildlife. The ducks appear to be pretty acclimated to humans as they kind of just waddle along, giving the kiddos plenty of chances for an up close encounter. There are plenty of friendly but firm signs reminding one of the rules with the ducks. Plus the signs are painted and cute!
Sometimes I come here and will see groups of kids from the local schools on a bike ride or walk. They’re always respectful and you just have to make sure to not be in their way as they’re having their fun. This place really is a treasure for Inner SE Portland. There is a main big loop you can do but also lots of little side paths and steps to explore. I’ve proudly walked on every part of the trails!
I also love bringing the dogs here, especially because I babysit dogs and this is a close and easy place to bring them. The dog park is well maintained and has some places for the owners to sit. I’ve never had a bad experience with another dog there. People are really good about picking up after their dogs (thankfully haha). Even if you don’t have a dog of your own it’s fun to go by yourself or with kids to watch the doggies running around.
Finally, this is one of the best places in Portland to sit down and read a book (look for the Dr. Who themed mini library just a couple streets over!). There is a huge grass area next to the pond that I love going to. The park is near the Belmont Library and combining the two makes for a perfect afternoon. There’s often a good amount of people out there doing the same but it never feels crowded. Go grab a spot and see how much you enjoy it!

Beautiful, well kept park with a cool duck pond in the center. The view here highlights the beauty of Oregon. The park is busy with many patrons but it doesn’t seem overcrowded because of all the space. A must visit when travelling through Portland. We plan to spend much time at this park in the future.

Beautiful park a mile from my home, it’s the place to go to have a picnic or for some downtime in the sun. Lots of people laying out on the grass, some yogis doing partner yoga, random guys doing handstands on a picnic table, and the occasional wedding party can all be seen at this little tree lined spot off of Cesar Chavez Blvd. It has 1 tennis court, a couple basketball courts, and a small soccer field but not really the place to go for sporting events due to the crowds and the wait. Tried tossing a frisbee around the other day but too crowded with people and trees and the ground isn’t flat so it can be a hazard.

Laurelhurst is probably the best park on the inner eastside. It’s tucked into a quiet neighborhood full of beautiful historic homes. People come here to walk their dogs, play guitar, toss a frisbee and bbq.
If you’re looking to sit and read in the park on a sunny Sunday, this is probably the perfect place to go. The Bluffs are awesome, but you really only go there to kill a 6-​pack with your buddies before going somewhere else. Laurelhurst is where you go to spend an entire afternoon — they even have nicely maintained public restrooms to relieve your beer bladder if you decide to day-​drink here. Although, there’s kind of a family vibe at Laurelhurst, so I’d be careful to be respectful of your surroundings. Toddlers and whatnot.
If you decide to jog or run the trail that goes along the perimeter of the park, it’s just under a mile (0.95), so maybe do a few loops to get a good workout in.
Also, the temperature is considerably cooler at Laurelhurst because it’s so shaded. Those miserable 90 degree summer days we get? Don’t want to drive out to the falls? That’s cool, just come here.
(you’re welcome)

Beautiful park with a small lake to book. Has a great array of plant life, and lots of places to sit. The lake is a bit small for a single loop to be a good workout, and of course I can’t help but compare to my local, and rather more wild, Lake Temescal.
Still, if I lived around the area, would definitely be a local hangout.

We are lucky, people.
We are so lucky.
This is close enough to work, that when I’m ACTUALLY in the office around lunch time, I often pick up lunch on the way here, and enjoy it in the park. Unfortunately, it’ll be too cold for that soon, but next summer will be here in no time, and I will be back to harass the people not picking up dog poop or letting their kids throw rocks at ducks.
And you’ll like it.