was at this park which sits on top of...
an extinct volcanic cinder cone. Joseph Wood Hill Park was our destination, located in the Rocky Butte area. This cone is one of many scattered throughout Oregon and Washington. The park is one of the highest points in Portland and has 360 degree views of the city to the west, Washington state to the north, and the Columbia River Gorge to the east.
Joseph Wood Hill Park was built in 1935 and up to 1939, was improved with gently spiraling roads and a tunnel leading up to the park. Everything you see was due to the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and was Oregon's largest project at the time, costing half a million dollars. Building the park's European style masonry, roads, and tunnel leading up to the park gave jobs to many during the Depression and also displayed a craftsmanship rarely seen today. The park's architecture and roadwork details, railings, etc are an extension of the same design used in building the Historic Columbia River Highway.
It was cool walking up the steps and looking at the views surrounding us (even though we were freezing!).
View of the north, including the airport from which we came...
I wished we could have seen the majestic mountains that morning (especially Mount Hood) but this was our view and it was still quite expansive.
I didn't take any photos of it, but there is also a historic aircraft beacon here, which is considered a rare example of dead reckoning navigational equipment. There are only 40-45 of its kind left in the United States. This type of aviation is now obsolete due to satellite navigation (Global Positioning System). It is lit up and can be seen for miles.
Here is a monument to the park's namesake, Joseph Wood Hill. He established the Hill Military Academy in 1901; the school later relocated to this area in 1935.
Ominous clouds! It was only 43F!
A far off view of downtown Portland.
The walls and arches here remind me of a fortress...
I pretty much wore this "uniform" during the whole trip!
Jeans, long sleeve shirt, hooded rainproof jacket and my waterproof Timberland boots!
Here's what it looks like on a sunny day!
plus a longer video which shows the park more extensively, including the vintage aircraft beacon (forward to 6:17):
Information/Articles:
"National Register of Historic Places registration form" (this was fascinating and has lots of information about the park's specifications (basalt walls, tunnels, road, etc).
"Rocky Butte - Stunning views with a bit of history" Oregon.com
plus traveler posts:
outdoorproject's post on Oregon Adventures
"Rocky Butte Hike" by OregonHikers.org.
Joseph Wood Hill Park
3351 NE Rocky Butte Rd.
Portland, OR 97220
(503) 823-2525
www.portlandoregon.gov + reviews from you know where + tripadvisor
The morning was still young! We couldn't check in to our suite until 3 pm so we set off for more exploring...
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