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Label:
Park
This page contains information about Mt. Tabor Park in Portland, Oregon's Mt. Tabor neighborhood.
In this park facility
Description
Mt. Tabor Park is one of Portland's most beloved parks. Located in Southeast Portland's Mt. Tabor neighborhood, this 176-acre park sits on an extinct volcanic cinder cone and offers a rare mix of forest, history, views, and recreation in the middle of the city.
Visitors can enjoy paved and unpaved paths, picnic areas, playgrounds, tennis courts, a basketball court, volleyball court, horseshoe pit, an outdoor stage, and a dog off-leash area. The park also has accessible picnic areas, an accessible play area, and an accessible restroom at the summit.
Mt. Tabor is a great place for a short walk, a longer hike, a family picnic, or a quiet break under the trees. Its trails and stairways connect open lawns, wooded areas, scenic overlooks, and historic open reservoirs. On clear days, visitors can see downtown Portland, the West Hills, and Mt. Hood from the park's higher points.
The park is also known for its natural beauty. More than 50 kinds of trees grow here, including Douglas firs and a heritage sequoia. The park is a favorite spot for birdwatching, especially during spring migration, when many kinds of warblers, vireos, and flycatchers pass through.
In 2023, Mt. Tabor Park was named the first Urban Quiet Park in the United States by Quiet Parks International. The park is also home to community events, including summer concerts and the annual PDX Adult Soapbox Derby. With its forested trails, volcanic past, and strong neighborhood feel, Mt. Tabor Park is a special place to explore, gather, and enjoy Portland outdoors.
Construction
From May to August 2026, we will be rebuilding the Mt. Tabor picnic shelter that was damaged during a January 2024 storm.
The new shelter, located south of the main parking lot, will mirror the previous design and include 12 new picnic tables.
During construction, most of the park will remain open, but the shelter site and two nearby pathways will be closed for safety. We appreciate your patience as we restore this popular gathering space!
Friends of Mt. Tabor Park
This park is maintained with the volunteer assistance of the Friends of Mt. Tabor Park. To find out how you can volunteer at your neighborhood park, call 503-823-5121.
Map
Year acquired
1909
Size in acres
176.04
History
Portland's Mt. Tabor is a volcanic cinder cone. In 1894, the city built two open reservoirs on the site (two other open reservoirs were built in 1911). By 1900, Portland's growing eastside population demanded park space; in 1903 landscape architect John C. Olmsted recommended the city obtain more land at Mt. Tabor. In 1909, the Board of Park Commissioners used voter-approved bonds to buy approximately forty lots on Mt. Tabor for $366,000.
Portland Parks Superintendent Emanuel Tillman Mische, who had worked with the Olmsted Brothers' landscape design firm in Massachusetts, developed a naturalistic design for the park. The plan included long flights of stairs, gently curving parkways, numerous walking trails, and a nursery yard. It also showcased native plants. In 1912, construction workers discovered volcanic cinders which were later utilized in surfacing the park's roads.
At the crest of the park is a bronze statue of Harvey W. Scott, editor of The Oregonian newspaper from 1865-1872 and from 1877 until his death in 1910. A gift to the city by Scott's widow, Margaret, and family, it was sculpted by Gutzon Borglum in the early 1930s while he was at work on his monumental sculpture of four American presidents on Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Cast by the Kunst Foundry in New York, it was unveiled in June 1933 with great ceremony.
In 2017, the Mt. Tabor Park summit restrooms were reopened after being closed for many years. Funding from the 2014 Parks Replacement Bond allowed critical improvements like new plumbing, electrical systems, sewer line, lighting, roof, seismic upgrades, and ADA accessibility improvements from Harvey Scott Drive to the ADA accessible restroom.
Accessibility notes
Parking
- Parking lot and street parking
- 1 designated parking space (van)
- Paved pathway to play area with a moderate slope
- 500 feet to play area
Play Area
- Engineered mulch surface
- Ramp into the play area
Play Equipment
- Transfer station
Other Amenities
- Accessible restroom at the summit
- Accessible picnic table