Mt. Tabor Park

170 acres in S.E.Portland
Portland, OR

This city park is constructed around Portland's municipal reservoirs.

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Why It Works

With their picturesque structures and decorative wrought iron fences and lamp posts, the reservoirs are vital landscape elements to the park. The reservoirs are integrated into the park via a series of promenades, walking paths and open areas which provide viewpoints of both downtown Portland and Mt. Hood.

The romantically designed gate houses, along with the whimsically designed restrooms and other park buildings, draw one to believe that they are in a unique space defined far beyond their utilitarian use and provide a civic context that this is an important park for the City of Portland. It has had very few alterations since the turn of the century; however the City is planning to bury the reservoirs and cover them, significantly altering this national treasure. We are in crisis and need national exposure.

What Makes Mt. Tabor Park a Great Place?

The park is surrounded by many residential housing tracts that are located around the volcanic butte. There are four road entrances into the park. Many people walk up to the park to use the numerous walking paths. It is possible to drive through portions of the park, but one must walk to reach the top. The design is so unobtrusive and organic that you rarely feel like you are in a city park. A great deal of bicyclists also use the park, and there is a paved loop from the bottom to the top. The park has very few sidewalks and much of it is closed off to vehicles, so people can walk on the roads or paths.

The park also attracts a lot of bird watchers. An extinct volcanic cinder cone is located in the center of the park. This area is used for free public concerts in the summer underwritten by the City and Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association. The park also has a Soap Box Derby Tract with races held every year. People circulate through all areas of the park at this time.

The park located on a volcanic butte can be viewed from downtown Portland. It draws you with its rich green hue, which is due to the density of trees and naturalistic landscape. It is maintained by the City of Portland, who actually has offices on site. In addition, there is a non profit group “Friends of Mt. Tabor Park” who lobby and protect it, and a group of volunteers does regular foot patrols to monitor the area. The park is clean, safe and well loved. Vehicles do not dominate the space, which increases the sense of uniqueness about it. It is truly a sanctuary.

This park is well loved and provides space for a variety of uses and needs. All ages use the park, including children who use the play area. There are sheltered picnic areas, and informal groups, such as Tai Chi groups, bird tours and walkers, meet on a regular basis.

A great many people use the park on a regular basis, in particular to walk their dogs. This space is a tourist site due to its glorious views and landscape context of curvilinear roads and walking paths. Many people come to just relax and read.

History & Background

Mt. Tabor Park is an Olmsted-influenced park developed around a series of architecturally significant reservoirs and associated buildings. Constructed between 1894 and 1910/1911, the reservoirs located within the 170 acre park are significant not only as functioning components of the municipal water system, but also as symbols of the importance of the reservoirs to the development of the city from a small town to a large metropolis.

Contact Info:

Steve Reinemer: 503-774-7521
Portland Parks and Recreation: 503-823-PLAY

User Comments:

06/04/03 STEVE REINEMER said:: As a nearby resident and frequent user of Mt. Tabor, it's great to see this incredible city treasure get broader recognition, especially considering the endangered status of its central components - the reservoirs. The scenic views of the city and the sunsets are underscored by two of these vast reservoirs in the foreground, reflecting sky and light, towering fir trees and their own wrought iron fencing and timeless gatehouses. Not to mention the immense tranquility of the waters.
I would add to the list of amenities, eastern views of Mt. Hood, northern views of Mt. St. Helens (each with their own viewing bench), and recreational activities of bike racing, tennis and basketball.
But it would be a tragedy to lose the historic reservoirs. They are irreplaceable and central to the park identity. Hopefully, our elected officials will come to their senses and recognize the thousands who have objected.
06/16/03 Charles Heying said:: As an everyday user of Mt Tabor Park, I can attest to the diversity of its topography and uses. Summer concerts in the park are held in the caldera of an extinct volcano. The completely refurbished area is a delight for families with children and everyone who enjoys resting on the grass and listening to some of the better bands in Portland. These are nice intimate concerts, with most folks walking up to the concert area. The backdrop for the concerts are beautiful old arbor vitae trees, natural volcanic rock walls and constructed entrance ways that employ site-found volcanic rock facing. As a part of the Cascade range, Mt.Tabor park is one of the highest spots in the city. As such the views are spectacular. Most summer days, a visitor to the new play park area can easily see Mt. St. Helens nicely framed by the stately Douglas Firs that dominate the park. A good walk to the top of the park is another great delight. To the east is the grand view of Mt. Hood, snowcapped and spectacular year around. To the west, the city is laid out before you. Your eye is drawn down Hawthorne Street to the distant Willamette River, the arching bridges, and the office towers of midtown framed by the West Hills. In the summer the lights sparkle amid the sea of green in this verdant city. The keystone of the park are its three open reservoirs with their historic gatehouses and delicate iron fencing. The reservoirs, an Olmstead legacy, create a 18 acre water presence which physically and psychically refreshes the numerous park users who use the perimeter for their daily walks and jogs. As the park designer envisioned, the open reservoirs connect Portland residents to the Bull Run watershed where pristine waters are gathered in the shadowed glens of Mt. Hood. The open water serves as a reminder of the precious resource we use, of the Cascade Range where it originates, and the stewardship values that are part of the character of the Northwest. On your stroll around the shimmering open waters, the evening sunset demands that you stop and rest beneath the giant sequoia that sits astride the lower reservoir. With a girt of at least 40 ft, it is a focal point for romantic evenings with a friend or entertaining Sunday drum fests. This 240 acre park, so representative of the character and values of the Northwest, is a urban resource unrivaled by any city. Charles Heying
06/16/03 Valerie Hunter said:: The serenity of vast blue sky over vast open water, surrounded by towering doug fir trees, and overlooking city lights. It is easy to overlook the fact that this calm place of immense blue is in fact the city’s water system, a marvel of late 19th century engineering. Pure water from the Bull Run flows by gravity downhill through a series of conduits and trestles, across 35 miles to reach these reservoirs. This engineering marvel is the source of Portland’s economic prosperity, which made a boom town out of a frontier outpost. This gravity-fed water system is still functioning faithfully after 100 years. The three Mt Tabor reservoirs are the jewels of the well-loved park which grew up around them. One of the most powerful and soul-stirring views from Mt Tabor is to gaze past the deep blue water, past the late 19th century gatehouses, to the vibrant city beyond which this water made possible. At Mt Tabor Park, the visitor can connect with the history of the City while connecting with neighbors and with nature.