Portland has some of the best playgrounds around, and these are the MVPs.
Yes, your neighborhood playground is usually just fine, and it’s certainly convenient. But for those times when you want a real adventure, these are the playgrounds that will make a regular Tuesday afternoon feel absolutely epic.
Hidden Creek Park West (Hillsboro)
Kids will love meeting the 50-foot friendly forest giant, Oro at this inclusive playground in nearby Hillsboro! Hidden Creek Park West features a water play area, looping pathways, exercise equipment, swinging benches, shade structures, a hammock grove, game areas, and a beautiful mural. It’s also fenced, which means you can relax if you’re parenting a runner.
Good to know: There are six accessible parking spaces available and generously sized all-gender restrooms.
Location: 225 NE 53rd Avenue, Hillsboro
Cook Family Park (Tigard)
Cook Family Park just got a major glow-up! This ADA accessible playground has plenty of places to climb, jump, and swing, with a merry-go-round you can wheel onto, as well as a smaller climbing structure for the little kids.
Good to know: The rest of the park is lovely, with a butterfly garden, scenic trails along the Tualatin River, and a boat launch for paddling. Don’t miss the annual Festival of Balloons event every summer.
Location: 17005 SW 92nd Avenue; Tigard, OR 97224
Gabriel Park Inclusive Playground (SW Portland)
Don’t miss this inclusive playground at Gabriel Park in southwest Portland. There’s even an in-ground trampoline you can wheel or walk onto! Gabriel Park’s claim to fame is being the first to best multi-year winner Westmoreland Park in our Reader Favorites poll.
Good to know: Portland Parks & Recreation’s Southwest Community Center (and indoor pool!) is only steps away from this playground, and you’ll pass by the best climbing trees ever on your walk over.
Location: SW 45th Avenue and Vermont Street, Portland, OR 97219
Westmoreland Park (SE Portland)
Westmoreland Park is one of Portland’s finest nature parks. It has a large sand pit with lots of tools for digging and building. The sand area also has a pump with running water in the warmer months. It has logs to climb. It has a huge rock to summit. It has areas to build forts from nearby tree limbs. It is, in a word, awesome. It’s no surprise that this park is a multi-year winner in our annual Reader Favorites poll.
Good to know: There are bathrooms on location. You may want to bring a change of clothes, as kids can get pretty covered in wet sand by the end of a long morning excavating.
Location: SE 22nd Ave, near SE Rex
Memorial Park (Wilsonville)
“Wow!” Huuuuge!,” one staffer’s two-year old said when they rounded the corner onto this beauty of a playground. Memorial Park boasts two large structures — one meant for younger kids, one for older (ages 5 and up or so). The structures both reflect a farm theme, with the structures actually looking like barns. (If that’s not enough, there’s a real barn just down the hill, where special events like kindie concerts are held — though no animals there.) The show-stopper is the two-story barn structure, with enough places to climb and swing from to make even your pickiest little monkey happy. There’s also a spiderweb-like climbing dome. A new nature play area was added in 2021. Walk just a few minutes across a grassy hill and you’ll find a well-designed splash pad. It’s got little waterfalls, a running stream and little upside-down “U” shaped water features to run through. The park also has plenty of spots for a picnic, including a grassy amphitheater, where you can catch views of mountain ranges through the trees. (Check out our guide to all the area’s splash pads here.)
Good to know: They’ve got real bathrooms here, and nice ones too. And although there is the traditional swing set, it’s tucked away enough that your kids won’t be clambering for you to push them on them the whole time you’re there.
Location: 8300 SW Memorial Drive, Wilsonville, OR 97070
Dickinson Playground (SW Portland)
Dickinson Playground is so far from the traditional playground design that you almost feel as though if you’ve stepped into outer space when you get there. It just looks futuristic with its strange webs and oddly-shaped pieces of metal and plastic. It’s sure to get a “wow!” from your kids once you spot it. This park is a total must for kids who love to climb. It’s got rope ladders, circles to climb through and DNA-like twists. One staffer’s oldest, who is six, tried out every single one, making it into a timed obstacle course. There is also a smaller section of the playground that younger kids might feel more comfortable with, that has a small platform and a slide.
Good to know: No bathrooms here, not even the portable kind, so come prepared. Also the playground is at the edge of a nice little hill. We spent a good quarter of the time here rolling down it (intentionally). Which, if you have not done recently, we highly recommend. Although man, we don’t remember getting so dizzy from it when we were kids.
Location: SW 55th Ave, off Alfred Ct., Portland
The Fields Park (The Pearl)
The Fields Park is an urban park in an urban part of Portland. The play structure here mirrors the Fremont Bridge in the background. It’s all metal and ropes, chrome and black. But despite the modernity of the play structure, the park is also an oasis. It has a large green field to run or cartwheel in, a long sand area for digging and scooping, and plenty of picnic tables for snacking or resting.
Good to know: There are bathrooms located just outside the park. You’re also right next to Ovation Coffee and Tea, so you don’t necessarily need to precaffeinate.
Location: 1099 NW Overton St., Portland
Marshall Park (Vancouver)
Chelsea Anderson Memorial Play Station (CHAMPS) at Marshall Park is the latest Vancouver playground to undergo an inclusive transformation, and keeps the fire station theme that was present in the playground’s previous iteration. CHAMPS is home to Washington’s first wheelchair swing!
Good to know: There are bathrooms onsite, and the park is easily accessibly by public transit.
Location: 1015 E. McLoughlin, Vancouver WA
“Pirate Park” (NW Portland)
For those not expecting it, the sight of ship masts along the paved trail of Rock Creek Greenway may be a bit surprising. But for those looking to have a pirate-themed adventure, the masts are a good sign you’re almost at your destination. Pirate Park has two boat-themed play structures, with slides, bouncy bridges, interesting step configurations, binoculars, masts and pretty much all you need to set sail. The smaller structure is set atop a bouncy, ocean-themed blacktop, with the larger one on the more traditional wood chips. For those needing a break from climbing, you can test out your digging for treasure-hunting skills in the small sand area. There are also two sets of swings, book-ending the structures.
Good to know: There is no dedicated parking for this park. Instead you park on the neighborhood streets and walk through a path between houses to get to the park. Using the address below will take you to one of these paths — just turn right when you get through it and you’ll see the structure in no time. There is a porta-potty here, but not a “real” bathroom.
Location: 16321 NW Brandberry Dr., Portland
Ibach Park (Tualatin)
For budding paleontologists, Ibach Park is a great choice. You can’t miss the rib cage of “dinosaur bones” when you enter the park, and there’s plenty of sand there to dig for bones or other treasures. Or skip the digging and divert the running water to create rivers and dams in the sand. The park also features two slides built into a steep embankment and some interesting natural-looking climbing areas. One of the highlights is a “river” crossing, where kids sit on a platform and someone else uses their arm strength to carry them across. (It’s not easy!)
Good to know: There’s a climbing area for older kids on the other side of the park. The park does have bathrooms.
Location: 10455 SW Ibach St., Tualatin
Harper’s Playground at Arbor Lodge (North Portland)
This accessible-for-all Harper’s Playground is located in Arbor Lodge Park. It features universally accessible paths, play equipment, a sand pit with pumpable water and sensory play elements (such as metal turtles and other statues). There are also slides, mini-rock climbing walls and various rope climbing features located above soft Astroturf or spongy ground covering to dampen falls.
Good to know: There is plenty of accessible parking. There are also accessible bathrooms here. Be on the lookout for parks in the style of Harper’s Playground at Couch Park and Gateway Discovery Park, too.
Location: N. Delaware and N. Saratoga Streets, Portland
Peninsula Park (North Portland)
Just a mile or so from Harper’s Playground you’ll find Peninsula Park. The structure here is a relic — huge and blue, with a tunnel arcing far above the ground, lots of ladders to climb up and down, balance beams, slides and more. But what’s really cool about this park is how much other stuff is located on the premises. The community center pool is there. There is a mini splash pad resembling a frog. There’s a basketball court and horseshoe pit. There’s a small pavilion perfect for taking a rest or having a snack. There are the beautifully-kept roses in the rose garden, surrounding an “ooh”-worthy fountain. You could easily spend a morning here working your way from one attraction to the next.
Good to know: The equipment is fun because it’s different — but that also makes it a little less accessible than the plastic stuff we are used to. Younger kids (maybe under 3) may have a hard time accessing most of the structures without some help. There are bathrooms here.
Location: 700 N. Rosa Parks Way, Portland
Rose Garden Children’s Playground in Washington Park
This epic playground in Washington Park is a longtime Portland favorite. With its access to the Rose Garden, Oregon Zoo, Japanese Garden, Hoyt Arboretum, memorials and more, you can easily spend all day there.
Good to know: There’s plenty of shade at this incredible playground, so it’s perfect for sunny summer days. You’ll need to pay for parking, which is easy to do with the Parking Kitty app. There’s a sandbox, too!
Location: 1715 SW Sherwood Blvd., Portland, OR 97221
Love this? Check out the rest of our playground roundups.
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