Exploring Sellwood Park and Oaks Bottom in Portland, Oregon

A Riverside World of Wildlife, Hiking, Sports, Swimming, and Relaxing Awaits You

Down by the Willamette River, in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, there's a trio of amazing parks grouped together by the waterfront, making the perfect riverside paradise for a city getaway. Sellwood Park, Sellwood Riverfront Park, and Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge are all linked together via trails, and these terrific parks offer all sorts of activities for any taste.

If you're in the mood for sports and recreation, visit Sellwood Park, on SE 7th and Miller. This beautiful, heavily wooded cliffside park plays host to tennis courts, a baseball diamond, a soccer field, and a full sized swimming pool! And don't forget to take in the view of the wildlife refuge below from the cliffside viewpoints.

Another part of this awesome park trio is the massive Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. You can hike into the Refuge from trails in Sellwood Park, or you can enter it via bicycle from a southbound riverfront bike trail, or you can park your car at the lot just off of SE Milwaukie and Mitchell.

Oaks Bottom is home to many species of birds, fish, frogs, and other wildlife. You can hike through this calm, cool swamp on both paved trails and unpaved paths. One trail leads over footbridges through a cool riparian forest, and then past a giant seasonal stretch of wetlands, where you can see majestic blue herons, as well as bald eagles, if you're lucky. You can also cross the bike trail to see the other side of Oaks Bottom, a heavily forested set of trails right on the river's edge.