Council Crest Park
The captured official page publishes visiting hours. Check the source for current closures. Public-entry status is separate from wheelchair accessibility.
Classification and evidence
Official page label: Park; Atlas classification rules. Classification: inferred.
Source captured: 2026-06-02. Human verification: Pending.
Check current official informationConfirm the inferred property type with PP&R.
Published activities: let my dog run, sit down to eat, and walk or roll on pavement.
Photo from the City's park pagePark history
At 1,073 feet above sea level, Council Crest is one of the highest points in Portland. Originally known as Talbot's Mountain after its pioneer settlers, it has also been known as Glass Hill and later as Fairmount, the name of the road that encircles it. As for how it got its current name, there are two widely shared theories. One is that the name comes from stories that Native Americans held gatherings and lit signal fires here. The second comes from McArthur's Oregon Geographic Names, where the author suggests it was named in 1898 by delegates to the National Council of Congregational Churches, who met at the summit.
The water tower that now stands atop Council Crest replaced a 77-foot-tall wooden observatory that was part of the Council Crest Amusement Park, which operated from 1907 to 1929 and was torn down in 1941. From the top of the hill, visitors can see five mountains in the Cascade Range: Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson, and Mount Rainier. The park also offers sweeping views of Portland and surrounding communities.
In July 1956, a welded, sheet-bronze drinking fountain featuring a mother and child was installed in the park. Sculpted by Frederic Littman, an associate professor of art at Portland State College, it has often been mistakenly identified as a "pioneer woman." The sculptor said the statue was not meant to represent a specific era. Instead, it shows a mother and child playing in the park and is meant to express joy. The fountain was made possible by a $6,000 bequest to the city in 1949 from the estate of Florence Laberee, widow of local builder and contractor George P. Laberee.
In 1990, the statue was stolen after being cut from its base. Police recovered it within a few days at a Northeast Portland home, and it was returned to the park soon after. After its recovery, the statue was later placed near the park entrance, rather than its original location on the eastern side of the park.
From the City's page for this park.
Visitor amenities
Published amenities are checked separately from entry conditions. Each links to other documented locations; confirm current hours before visiting.
- sit down to eatPicnic table
- meet in a public squarePlaza or terrace
- be in a parkAny park
- walk or roll on pavementPaved path
- walk a soft pathUnpaved path
- look out over waterRiver or vista views
- let my dog runDog off-leash area
- see public artPublic art
Potential additions to investigate
Passing the initial size-and-type screen is not a feasibility finding. Usable space, existing uses, habitat, public access, utilities, permission, construction costs, and ongoing maintenance funding require site-specific review. Missing acreage or uncertain classification remains unassessed.
- Nature education — Environmental programs and guided walks.
- Summer water play — needs splash pad or wading pool or swimming pool or interactive fountain
- Youth drop-in — needs playground
- All-weather indoor — needs indoor space or community center or arts or cultural center or gymnasium
- Markets & festivals — needs restroom
Inventory-based screening only. Recorded assets do not establish opening hours, program staffing, permission, or operating funding. Potential additions require review of usable space, habitat, utilities, access, and ongoing maintenance. Unverified properties remain unassessed.
Something specific to this park — the thing you'd use it for if it were here.
Send an idea for this park →Through the year
Seasonal facilities and listings captured by the Atlas. These records do not measure attendance, utilization or all activity at the site.
Counts describe captured listings, not attendance or all activity. No listings captured does not mean the site is unused.
Dark by 5 and wet most days: cover, lighting, indoor rooms, and paths that drain.
- walk or roll on pavement
- sit down to eat
- meet in a public square
- be in a park
- walk a soft path
- look out over water
- +2 more
Fields and gardens open; showers between sun. Leagues, planting, first picnics.
- walk a soft path
- sit down to eat
- meet in a public square
- be in a park
- walk or roll on pavement
- look out over water
- +2 more
Water, shade, long evenings — the season the system is built around.
- sit down to eat
- meet in a public square
- be in a park
- walk or roll on pavement
- walk a soft path
- look out over water
- +2 more
Light shortens and leagues wind down; shelters and lighting carry the season.
- sit down to eat
- meet in a public square
- be in a park
- walk or roll on pavement
- walk a soft path
- look out over water
- +2 more
| Season | Programs | Recurring events | One-time |
|---|---|---|---|
Winter Dec–Feb registration opens 10/08 (activities Nov 2 – Dec 13 and winter-break camps Dec 21 – Jan 3) | — | — | — |
Spring Mar–May Recorded from 2026-06-11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Summer Jun–Aug Recorded from 2026-06-11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fall Sep–Nov Recorded through 2026-09; 2 months still to come | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What's on
No current listings were captured and matched to this property. This does not establish that no activity takes place. See the citywide calendar and programs.
Partners & friends
The whole ecosystemNo known partner is currently linked to Council Crest Park in the Partnership Atlas. This is an opportunity signal, not an official priority.
See opportunity signalsSupport this park
Real ways to help Council Crest Park and parks like it. This site does not process donations; every link below goes to an official giving or volunteering channel.
How it's holding up
The City's own inventory of what is here and the condition it last recorded for each item. Dates are the source's; old dates mean no newer public assessment, not that nothing has happened since. PP&R does not publish itemized repair costs, so needs appear without dollar figures.
Condition across all assets
Citywide condition atlasAcross 32 assessed assets at this park, 6% are in poor or very-bad condition (rated 4–5). Pooled from the City's public assessment layers — buildings, bridges, playgrounds, courts, fields, fences, paths and amenities.
This count comes from the City's rated asset layers; the “Public assets” list below is a separate furnishings inventory, so its items and scores are counted separately and the two totals need not match.
Condition is rated 1 (good) to 5 (very bad); no score means not yet assessed and is excluded. Park trees are inventoried separately and not counted here. No repair costs — those aren't published.
Repair ledger
Each row is one record from PP&R's public asset layer. No itemized repair cost is published for these records, so none is shown. Dates are the source's last published assessment; treat older ones as unverified.
| Asset | Condition | Status | Replacement | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bench Condition rated poor (code 4). Priority high. Record 5390 | Poor condition code 4 | Active | no | 2007-09-13 |
Permanent Trash Can Condition rated poor (code 4); status is Removed. Priority high. Record 7848 | Poor condition code 4 | Removed | no | 2007-09-13 |
Seen something here that's broken, fixed, or missing from this list? Records are updated periodically; tell us what you see.
Send a condition note →Public assets
All 40Furnishings the City inventories here, with each item's condition score — 1 is good, 5 is very bad. Asset photos aren't public yet.
From the City's park page
Council Crest Park on Portland.gov
This page contains information about Council Crest Park in the Southwest Hills neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.
Council Crest Park sits high in hilly Southwest Portland. At 43 acres, it's known for open space, scenic views, and peaceful setting overlooking the city.
At 1,073 feet above sea level, Council Crest is one of the highest public points in Portland. On a clear day, you can see several Cascade peaks, including Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson, and Mount Rainier. Many people visit at sunrise or sunset to take in the wide, open views.
The park has a simple and welcoming layout. A large grassy area at the summit is a great place to relax, have a picnic, or spend time with family and friends. Paved and unpaved paths loop around the park, making it easy to take a short walk or enjoy a longer stroll. There is also a dog off-leash area where dogs can run and play.
Park hours: 5am to midnight The park is closed to motor vehicles from 9pm to 5am. The road gate on SW Council Crest Drive will be closed during those times.
This page, on a sign
The QR label for this park points here. Print labels →
https://parks.portlandciviclab.org/parks/council-crest-park-24?utm_source=park_qr&utm_medium=sign&utm_campaign=park_24
Where this comes from
Facilities from the City's amenity pages and asset layers; hours, photo, and history from the City's park page; programs and events from its catalogs; condition from PortlandMaps public records. Where the City publishes nothing, this page says so instead of guessing.