Hoyt Arboretum provides several hiking trails within the Washington Park of Portland. It is a popular location for Portlanders to spend the weekend. Oregon Zoo and Rose Garden are also just within the walking distance inside Washington Park. Just about 3 days ago, Portland has experienced the largest snow storm in the past 10 years and Hoyt Arboretum at Washington has since become a winter wonderland.
This crazy snow storm has left about 10 inches of snow on the ground in Washington Park. Originally we wanted to drive our car to Hoyt Arboretum because we thought that all the roads should be cleared of snow. This was a big mistake. We forgot that this is Portland and Portland City does not plow snow if it does not have to. Although all the main streets and high ways have been plowed and is cleared of snow, the winding road in Washington Park is full of snow. It was very dangerous and difficult to drive. However, this did not stop us from going to Hoyt Arboretum. We decided to park the car at MAX station and took the MAX train to Hoyt Arboretum.
When we got to Hoyt Arboretum, there was still a lot of snow on the ground. The scenery is just so beautiful. It was lovely to see the snow on the pine trees with sun lights shinning through the forest. We took the marked 2 hour trail while we were there. Note that even though it says 2 hours trail, it is only 1.25 miles and takes less than an hour. When there is snow on the ground, it is a bit more difficult to follow the trail. Instead, you can choose to check out the colored markers on the trees to stay on the trail. Every several hundred feet, there are also man made posts showing you the direction. There is also a larger 5 miles hike around Hoyt Arboretum, but it goes over several trails. Since there is a lot of snow on the ground and hard to follow the trail, we did not choose to do the 5 miles hike.
During our hike at Hoyt Arboretum, we also saw cross country skiers. There were also people doing mountain biking with snow tires and that was pretty awesome. It was amazing to see them ride down the hill through the deep snow! In addition, near the Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial, it has a big hill that is perfect for tobogganing. If you or your kids have never done tobogganing before, this is the perfect opportunity to do it and enjoy the fun! Moreover, there were some snowboarders built a ramp to do some acrobatic moves and having some fun. Just make sure to pay extra attention and not run into them.
Overall, this was an amazing experience since Portland rarely gets this much snow at once. Thus when it snows next time in Portland, make sure you visit Hoyt Arboretum and enjoy the outdoor!
EmoticonEmoticon