Sat
31
Oct
Cully · District 2 · Natural area · 26 acres
Whitaker Ponds Natural Area
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: find a published trail, be in a natural area, and be in a park.
Photo from the City's park pagePark history
The park and its facilities are the result of many collaborative partnerships involving the City of Portland, Metro, the Columbia Slough Watershed Council, and many community members. Portions of the park were used as a junkyard before they were acquired, and over 2,000 tires were removed in the process of restoring the area to a nature park. PP&R manages the park, and the Columbia Slough Watershed Council has offices onsite.
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.
…get here and move
- be in a parkAny park
- find a published trailTrail
…be in nature
- be in a natural areaNatural area
…bring my dog
- expect no dogsDogs not allowed
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.
- find a published trail
- be in a park
- be in a natural area
- expect no dogs
0 programs · 0 events starts captured
Spring
Mar–May
Fields and gardens open; showers between sun. Leagues, planting, first picnics.
- find a published trail
- be in a park
- be in a natural area
- expect no dogs
0 programs · 0 events starts captured
Summer
Jun–Aug
Water, shade, long evenings — the season the system is built around.
- be in a park
- find a published trail
- be in a natural area
- expect no dogs
0 programs · 0 events starts captured
Fall
Sep–Nov
Light shortens and leagues wind down; shelters and lighting carry the season.
- find a published trail
- be in a natural area
- be in a park
- expect no dogs
0 programs · 1 event 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 | 1 |
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.
Upcoming at Whitaker Ponds Natural Area
All park eventsPartners & friends
The whole ecosystemOpportunity signal
No known partner is currently linked to Whitaker Ponds Natural Area in the Partnership Atlas. This is an opportunity signal, not an official priority.
See opportunity signalsSupport this park
Real ways to help Whitaker Ponds Natural Area 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
Whitaker Ponds Natural Area
$879.3K
6 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
Roofs & buildings$495.1K
Bridges & retaining walls$159.6K
Landscape & habitat$147K
Courts, fields & golf$58.8K
Paths & access$18.9K
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 (6 source rows)
Renovate the Roof of Office building$247,542
Asset as named in source: Bunn House
Fix or replace the Roof that is rated 4 through buildings' assessment
KGW table row 1142. Source field: “Escalated Estimate.” Estimate date, inflation basis, funded amount and completion status are not supplied.
Original source table ↗Renovate the Roof of Storage building$247,542
Asset as named in source: Bunn Garage
Fix or replace the Roof that is rated 4 through buildings' assessment
KGW table row 1143. Source field: “Escalated Estimate.” Estimate date, inflation basis, funded amount and completion status are not supplied.
Original source table ↗Repair pedestrian bridge$159,591
Asset as named in source: Pedestrian bridge
Renovate Complex and Major bridges that was rated as 4-5 in bridge condition assessment 2021
KGW table row 1145. Source field: “Escalated Estimate.” Estimate date, inflation basis, funded amount and completion status are not supplied.
Original source table ↗Ecological Restoration_ Whitaker Ponds Natural Area$147,006
Asset as named in source: Not specified
Placholder for Ecological health restoration
KGW table row 1146. Source field: “Escalated Estimate.” Estimate date, inflation basis, funded amount and completion status are not supplied.
Original source table ↗Decomission the baseball including the fence$58,802
Asset as named in source: Whitaker Ponds Natural Area
- Decommission the farthest north, largest baseball field, as approved by James Allison including the fence
KGW table row 1141. Source field: “Escalated Estimate.” Estimate date, inflation basis, funded amount and completion status are not supplied.
Original source table ↗Pathway Renovation$18,851
Asset as named in source: Internal Pathway/ Sidewalk
Replace the damaged pathway, trails and sidewalks that have been rated as 4 and 5 in Pathway assessment
KGW table row 1144. Source field: “Escalated Estimate.” Estimate date, inflation basis, funded amount and completion status are not supplied.
Original source table ↗1 of 6 assessed built records are rated poor or very bad in the separate 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 2
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
- 1,604
- Households within a half mile
- 699
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
- 8
- Closed backlog IDs
- 4
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
Agreement on record
A lease, license, permit or similar agreement names this property. It may be a utility easement rather than park work.
- Columbia Slough Watershed Council · Lease, Oct 5, 2022 to Oct 4, 2027CSWC lease of Bunn House and use of Whitaker Ponds
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.
Condition across all assets
Citywide condition atlasAcross 6 assessed assets at this park, 17% 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.
Good · 0Above fair · 0Fair · 5Poor · 1Very bad · 0
Assessed asset families here
Buildings2018
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. These assessment records do not contain repair costs. Historical project estimates are shown separately.
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
Whitaker Ponds Natural Area on Portland.gov
This page contains information about Whitaker Ponds Natural Area in Portland, Oregon.
This nature park is home to two ponds, a half-mile loop trail, an eco-roof covered gazebo, and a canoe launch into Whitaker Slough. The two ponds are surrounded by a black cottonwood forest, which has been enhanced over the past 15 years with thousands of native plants. Native shrubs and wildflowers support local pollinators in the summertime, and the path around the west pond highlights plants from the Northwest region.
A sloping ramp leads down to an observation dock on the west pond, from which visitors can see fish, frogs, and water bugs. A second dock into Whitaker Slough is located on the north side of the park, and offers excellent access for canoes and kayaks. Paddlers can launch from the park and travel west on Whitaker Slough to connect to the main stem of the 19-mile Columbia Slough. Note that no fishing or paddling is allowed in either of the ponds.
The park is frequented by many animals, including downy woodpeckers, rabbits, beavers, garter snakes, osprey, dragonflies, otters, and wood ducks. In February, park visitors may spot fuzzy grey owlets from the great horned owl’s nest in a bare cottonwood tree. And in May, bird enthusiasts can enjoy the feisty territorial spats between individual rufous hummingbirds as they establish who has rights to which red-flowering currant bush.
City label
Natural area
Year acquired
1998
Official acres
25.761
City section
NE
Neighborhood
Cully
Hours
Park hours: 5am to midnight
Amenities and activities
No dogs allowedTrails (hiking)
This page, on a sign
The QR label for this park points here. Print labels →
https://parks.portlandciviclab.org/parks/whitaker-ponds-natural-area-856?utm_source=park_qr&utm_medium=sign&utm_campaign=park_856
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.