Friends of Powell ButteStewards this parkConfirmed
Friends groups
Portland.gov — Powell Butte Nature ParkPleasant Valley · District 1 · Natural area · 603 acres
Powell Butte Nature Park
Natural areaPublic entry documented
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: Natural area; Atlas classification rules. Classification: source-labeled.
Source captured: 2026-06-02. Human verification: Pending.
Check current official informationPublished activities: use a restroom, find a published trail, and be in a natural area.
Hours
Park hours Road and parking lot access hours Visitor Center hours
Getting there
16160 SE Powell Blvd Portland, OR 97236
Dogs
Dogs on leash
Access
Accessible restroom
Photo from the City's park pagePark history
Since time immemorial, the members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde lived in their traditional territories, which extended over 20 million acres from the Columbia River to the Klamath River, and from the crest of the Coast Range to the crest of the Cascade Range. Their territory included Powell Butte.
Before the turn of the century, the large meadow area was cleared and an orchard planted by the first settlers. In 1925 the City of Portland purchased the land from George Wilson for future water reservoirs, but continued to lease the northeast portion of the property to Henry Anderegg, a farmer and owner of Meadowland Crest Dairy, until 1948 when the farming was discontinued. However, dairy cattle were permitted to graze on the acreage to preserve the pastures. In the mid-1970s, the Water Bureau prepared a development plan for Powell Butte that called for the construction of four 50-million gallon underground reservoirs to be located at the north end of the butte. In 1981, the first reservoir was built. A second 50-million gallon underground reservoir was constructed in 2014. These reservoirs serve as the hub of the Water Bureau's distribution system.
In 1987, the City officially established Powell Butte as a nature park and the park was opened to the public in 1990. The nature park is managed by Portland Parks & Recreation.
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.
…stay a while
- use a restroomRestroom
- use an accessible restroomAccessible restroom
…compete
- ride a bikeBike trail or pump track
…get here and move
- be in a parkAny park
- find a published trailTrail
…be in nature
- be in a natural areaNatural area
- look out over waterRiver or vista views
What kind of place this is
A natural area: habitat protection and stewardship guide what uses and facilities are appropriate. Classified from official page labels it a natural area; our model.
What else should this park let you do?
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.
Winter
Dec–Feb
Dark by 5 and wet most days: cover, lighting, indoor rooms, and paths that drain.
- use a restroom
- find a published trail
- use an accessible restroom
- be in a park
- ride a bike
- be in a natural area
+1 more
- look out over water
0 programs · 0 events starts captured
Spring
Mar–May
Fields and gardens open; showers between sun. Leagues, planting, first picnics.
- find a published trail
- use a restroom
- use an accessible restroom
- be in a park
- ride a bike
- be in a natural area
+1 more
- look out over water
0 programs · 0 events starts captured
Summer
Jun–Aug
Water, shade, long evenings — the season the system is built around.
- use a restroom
- use an accessible restroom
- be in a park
- ride a bike
- find a published trail
- be in a natural area
+1 more
- look out over water
0 programs · 0 events starts captured
Fall
Sep–Nov
Light shortens and leagues wind down; shelters and lighting carry the season.
- use a restroom
- find a published trail
- be in a natural area
- use an accessible restroom
- be in a park
- ride a bike
+1 more
- look out over water
0 programs · 0 events starts captured
What the record holds here, by season
| Season | Programs | Recurring events | One-time |
|---|---|---|---|
Winter Dec–Feb Not yet published | — | — | — |
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 2026-10; 1 month still to come | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Our reading of the calendar
Which facilities count as in season is our model of Portland's year (splash pads and wading pools in summer; fields, gardens and interactive fountains spring through fall; everything else year-round) — not the City's schedule. Check posted hours for pools, splash pads, and restrooms. From 16 weekly catalog snapshots (2026-06-11 to 2026-10-12). "Programs" are distinct titles; "sections" are the catalog's individual records — a swim level at one time slot for one week is one section. Complete through 2026-10; later months fill in as registration opens. Winter counts fill in when winter registration opens.
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 ecosystemCommunity organizations that steward, fund, operate, or run programs at Powell Butte Nature Park. Labels show what is confirmed and what is still being filled in.
The Nature ConservancyStewards this parkConfirmed
Garden & natural-area networks
Stewardship support reported by PP&R for FY2025–26.
PP&R FY2025–26 Partnerships & Volunteerism report, p. 4Support this park
Real ways to help Powell Butte Nature Park and parks like it. This site does not process donations; every link below goes to an official giving or volunteering channel.
Donate via Portland Parks FoundationThe independent nonprofit philanthropic partner for Portland's parks. Gifts support parks and programs citywide.Volunteer with Portland Parks & RecreationJoin official PP&R volunteer and stewardship programs, from work parties to ongoing roles.Find park partners and friends groupsDozens of community organizations steward specific Portland parks. See who works where.
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. Historical project estimates appear below; they are separate from these condition records.
Historical cost profile · 2023 reporting
Powell Butte Nature Park
$382.5K
2 distinct source rows. Proposed repair and improvement costs, not a current funding gap.
All-in annual service cost: Not established
Current remaining repair cost: Not verified
What the estimates cover
Paths & access$235.5K
Landscape & habitat$147K
Categories are Atlas labels based on project titles. Expansion and new provision are included where proposed; a project can include several kinds of work.
The work, cost & reason (2 source rows)
Pathway Renovation$235,531
Asset as named in source: Powell Butte Nature Park
Replace the damaged pathway, trails and sidewalks that have been rated as 4 and 5 in Pathway assessment
KGW table row 894. Source field: “Escalated Estimate.” Estimate date, inflation basis, funded amount and completion status are not supplied.
Original source table ↗Ecological Restoration_ Powell Butte Nature Park$147,006
Asset as named in source: Not specified
Placholder for Ecological health restoration
KGW table row 895. Source field: “Escalated Estimate.” Estimate date, inflation basis, funded amount and completion status are not supplied.
Original source table ↗No rated built records linked in the condition dataset. Condition ratings do not determine these dollar estimates.
Source: KGW’s November 2023 table. Current status, remaining scope and funding are unverified. Exact duplicate rows count once; other scope overlaps remain unresolved.
Compare repair estimates across parks →Annual service · FY 2026–27 adopted
A complete annual cost is not yet available.
This property has no named account linked in the public budget extract. Shared crews and citywide programs may still fund its care.
Later budget supplements and unallocated shared services are not included.
Annual breakdown & district context →District picture · District 1
This park in the district picture
The same public records, read the same way for every property, so this park can be set next to its district. Each figure keeps its own source and date. “Not available” means the source has no record for this property. It is not a zero.
People nearby
- Residents within a half mile
- 14,834
- Households within a half mile
- 4,887
2020 Census blocks whose centre point lies within a half mile of the park boundary, measured in a straight line. Residents, not visitors. Blocks outside the city limits count.
Recorded backlog
- Open backlog IDs
- 2
- Closed backlog IDs
- 1
Records in the PP&R backlog map workbook that name this property. The workbook publishes no cost field, so these are counts of records, not dollars.
Active capital projects
- Active geocoded projects
- 0
Geocoded PP&R capital projects at this property, a subset of the full capital program. The cost is the published estimated total project cost, not spending to date.
Who is on record
Stewardship group on record
A conservancy, friends group or stewardship partner is on record here. The split of tasks between staff and volunteers is not published.
- The Nature Concervancy · Stewardship Agreement, Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2027Define roles and responsibilities in regards to stewardship efforts
Partners at assets here: The Nature Conservancy – stewardship support (stewardship)
From the department-provided partnership directory. It records what is on paper, not who does each task. Each agreement links to its entry on PP&R's agreements with partners, with the public text where it's posted, how to request it where it isn't, and the rules that govern partnerships.
Repair ledger
Public data does not currently flag repair candidates for this park. Additional PP&R maintenance exports can be added without changing the page structure.
Know this park?
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 0Furnishings the City inventories here, with each item's condition score — 1 is good, 5 is very bad. Asset photos aren't public yet.
Official Portland.gov profile
From the City's park page
Powell Butte Nature Park on Portland.gov
Powell Butte, an extinct cinder cone volcano, rises near the headwaters of Johnson Creek - an urban creek with remnant populations of native salmon and steelhead. The park is comprised of 611 acres of meadowland and forest.
Miles of trails in the park accommodate hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. Abundant wildlife populates the park, including rabbits, ring-necked pheasants, ground squirrels, raccoons, gray foxes, skunks, bats, chipmunks, coyotes, and black-tailed mule deer. The park is home to many birds of prey with its open meadows, groves of wild hawthorn trees, forested slopes of Western red cedar, and wetlands near Johnson Creek.
Please note - During freezing temperatures, the main entry from SE 162nd Avenue to the visitor center parking lot may be closed when hazardous/icy conditions are present. Park users should be aware they may arrive to a closed gate at the entrance.
City label
Natural area
Year acquired
1925
Official acres
603.035
City section
East
Neighborhood
Pleasant Valley
Hours
Park hours Road and parking lot access hours Visitor Center hours
Amenities and activities
Accessible restroomVista pointTrails (biking)Trails (equestrian)Trails (hiking)
All dogs must be leashed in this park.
This page, on a sign
The QR label for this park points here. Print labels →
https://parks.portlandciviclab.org/parks/powell-butte-nature-park-528?utm_source=park_qr&utm_medium=sign&utm_campaign=park_528
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.