How long is the trail?
Depends. The shortest loop trail is 0.5 mile; the longest is 12 miles.
How difficult is it?
Highlights: multiple, extensive loop trail options; abundant trees, wildflowers and grassy meadows; both paved and dirt trails, with ADA-accessible options; no admission fee; dogs must stay on-leash; trail signs can be confusing; trail elevation change is close to 425 feet, with some steep sections; parking fee
About the arboretum: The Hoyt Arboretum, located in Portland's Washington Park, adjacent to the Oregon Zoo and just two minutes from downtown Portland, is a fun place to "get lost" with your leashed pet-- and we might mean that literally! The Arboretum spans 190 acres and has an extensive, looping trail network totaling 12 miles. Hiking the trails, which can be steep in sections, provides an opportunity to admire 2,300 species of trees and shrubs from six continents, as well as lovely wildflowers and grassy meadows. The Hoyt Arboretum grounds are open 365 days a year, from 5:00 am – 10:00 pm, while the visitor center has more limited hours (click here to check the current times). There is no admission fee, but parking, anywhere in Washington Park, costs $2 per hour or $8 per day (this is strictly enforced from 9:30 am to 8:00 pm, daily). It is highly recommended to have a trail map on hand when exploring the grounds; maps can be picked up for free in the visitor center or downloaded from the Arboretum's website, here. Hoyt Arboretum volunteers also offer guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays from April through October, that depart from the Visitor Center at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm (no reservation required), last about 90 minutes, and have a recommended donation of $5/person.
Getting there: The Hoyt Arboretum is located within Portland's expansive Washington Park, which is also home to the Oregon Zoo, Portland Children's Museum, Portland Japanese Garden (no dogs allowed), and memorials for the Vietnam War and the Holocaust. The GPS will take you to the right place! There are ample parking spaces in the area, including two small lots at the Visitor Center, but all parking has a fee of $2/hour or $8/day, payable by coins or credit card through a meter or through the Parking Kitty app on your phone.
Our experience: The trail network here is extensive, with frequent options to turn an alternate direction, and many of the paths bear a resemblance to others, making it easy to get confused about your whereabouts. For that reason, we found it very helpful to have a fitness tracker app running on one of our smartphones while we walked, to help us avoid walking in circles! Another thing to keep in mind when visiting the Hoyt Arboretum is that many of the trails have steep inclines, so be prepared to get your heart rate up, and consider walking elsewhere if you (or your dog) have bad knees or other physical impairments (although there are a handful of short ADA accessible trails, which are marked on the trail map).
If steep hills don't trouble you, you and your dogs are likely to enjoy taking in the many sights and smells here; there's tree of all kinds, of course, but also wildflowers and large, lush meadows. We walked for 2.5 miles, starting on the Holly Loop Trail, connecting to the Wildwood Trail, then connecting to the Maple Trail, then back to the Wildwood Trail, and finishing with a loop of the Overlook Trail, but the trails would have taken us much farther, had we been up to it. Despite having to stay leashed, Bogo and Kiwi burned off a lot of energy, thanks to the many hills. Our favorite part about traversing the trails at the Hoyt Arboretum was the diversity of scenery; we walked from meadows of tall grasses and wildflowers to deep, mossy forests, and then back to meadows, all in just 2.5 miles. While most of the trails are dirt, there are also many paved pathways within the Arboretum's trail network, which can help you keep your dog mud-free during a rainy Portland day.
We highly recommend carrying a trail map with you as you explore Hoyt Arboretum's 189 acres and 12 miles of trails. When you're walking around, you are likely to see signs for a "2-hour loop" self-guided tour of 1.25 miles that you should be able to complete by following the arrows on periodic sign posts. We followed these signs when we set out on our walk, but we failed to complete the loop because after making several sign-guided turns, we suddenly found ourselves without signs, and realized we had somehow made a wrong turn. Making a wrong turn is easy to do here, because even though there are arrows on the signs, they tend to point in an ambiguous direction, at a junction of 3 or 4 paths, leaving the intended route somewhat up for interpretation. This is another reason why we also advise using a fitness tracker app that allows you to see a live map of where you are walking; this can help you get back on-track, should the well-intentioned signs lead you astray.
As long as you don't get lost, you and your pups can have a very enjoyable walk here regardless of whether you choose to make your own route or follow one of the suggested treks. The Hoyt Arboretum is a memorable place to explore, with diverse greenery and expansive trails, and Bogo and Kiwi are always happy to visit!
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