Touch Grass: Ranked (and Farewell)

For the 42nd edition of “Touch Grass,” here is a list of some of the greatest hits from the past two years of writing “Touch Grass.” Each place visited has its own merits, and this list may not be correct for you, but if looking at the entire backlog is overwhelming, my favorite spots are a good place to start. To orient the list, a few categories of interest have been created.

Best Paid Visit: Portland Japanese Garden (bonus - the rest of Washington Park)

Founded in 1963, the Portland Japanese Garden is renowned for its complex network of paths and plants ensconced within Washington Park. Despite resistance, the Garden was founded after World War II as a place of healing and peace, and now brings in over 350,000 guests annually, a number that increases every year. ADA-compliant, the Garden has worked to bring the tranquility and beauty of nature and design to many people, even providing a complimentary shuttle up the hill from the parking lot to the main garden for those unable to complete the walk. The space not only has stunning views and outdoor areas, but also a gift shop one can get lost in; two spaces for rotating art exhibits; a tea house; and a café serving tea and small dishes, where a reservation is recommended and well worth it. The Japanese Garden itself is the main event, with five segmented gardens: the strolling pond tea natural sand and stone and flat gardens. 

Runner Up: Sauvie Island Pumpkin Patch | Covered: October 18, 2024

Bella Organic Farm, the family farm on Sauvie Island, has hosted the Pumpkin Patch since 1967, and it’s open annually each October. The Patch hosts plenty of pumpkins to choose from, and patrons can wander and select the perfect one from the vine, or purchase pre-picked pumpkins closer to the front. According to the Patch’s website, the farm boasts a produce market, patio cafe, Pumpkin Perk Coffee, Pumpkin Cottage Gift Shop, the Maze, and 1929 Big Red Animal Barn. At the Pumpkin Patch, one can grab an apple cider doughnut and go for a wander in the corn, passing over bridges that let them see across the maze to the tractor-pulled hayride and the sprawling pumpkins beyond. The Patch is open daily from 10:00am to 6:00pm. There is no admission fee, so the experience is customizable with hayrides, a corn maze, shopping, food, and drinks as available add-ons. 

Most Worth the Travel: Multnomah Falls (bonus - the rest of the Columbia River Gorge)

Multnomah Falls is actually one of many waterfalls along the Historic Columbia River Highway, another of which is Horsetail Falls. As Travel Portland says, “Oregon is a state where water regularly flows down from on high. Multnomah Falls— all 620 feet (189 m)— stands above the rest as Oregon’s tallest waterfall.” There are also ways to view the Falls without undertaking any amount of hiking, and more information about the accessibility of the site is present in a video on the Forest Service website. The main viewing areas of the Falls, as well as the hiking trail and the picturesque bridge across them are all free to the public, however during the summer months a timed use permit is required, which are available online.

Runner Up: Tom McCall Waterfront Park | Covered: March 2, 2024

Positioned right across the street from Mill Ends Park, Tom McCall Waterfront Park occupies a much larger area, at 30.9 acres stretching along the bank of the Willamette in downtown Portland. The park’s land was acquired in 1927, and, according to the Portland.gov website, a favorite of Touch Grass, “the idea for this park came at the turn of the century when the 1903 Olmsted Report pointed out the need not only for parks within the city, but for a greenway scheme for the riverbanks in order to ensure their preservation for future generations.” It was completed and dedicated in 1978, and gained instant popularity. The park contains many paved pathways often along the river’s edge, as well as an interactive fountain for the summer months along with plenty of green space. Like Reed, the park is also famous for its cherry blossoms in the spring, though the views of the river are perennially gorgeous.

Most Novel: Mill Ends Park | Covered: February 12, 2024 

Certified by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1976, Mill Ends Park is a whopping 0.00007205784 acres, 452 square inches, or, to put it more clearly, two feet across, according to its section on the Portland.gov website. The park is named after journalist Dick Fagan’s Oregon Journal column “Mill Ends,” which are the “rough, irregular pieces of lumber left over at lumber mills,” according to Portland.gov. This, “like its namesake for leftover lumber — detailed odd and irregular tidbits of information and interesting stories,” per Travel Portland.

Runner Up: No contest here.

Best in Easy Walking Distance: Reed College Canyon | Covered: September 22, 2023 

This 28-acre watershed has been a state wildlife refuge since 1913. The Canyon has been through a lot with the college, at one time even boasting a swimming pool. Since 1999, the college has made serious efforts to restore the Canyon to a natural state, and to protect the space as a habitat for the many different species which live there. There are a few routes that can be taken through the Canyon as a substitute for using the bridges, making getting into the Canyon as easy as taking a new route home from class. In addition, there is a main long path that loops around the Canyon, which is a great long walk, dotted with many places to sit, including a chess board beneath the Blue Bridge. There is even a little island to find, which is the perfect spot for a picnic or a quiet chat.

Runner Up: Rhododendron Garden | Covered: September 29, 2023 

Located just off Reed’s campus, the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden was founded in 1950 by the Portland chapter of the American Rhododendron Society. Per the Garden’s website, the location was actually “referred to as Shakespeare Island by students at Reed because of the plays performed there.” The garden is 9.5 acres and boasts over 2,500 plants, giving a special look into many varieties that are otherwise not represented in Portland. The Garden is named for Crystal Springs Lake, which surrounds much of the garden, and provides space for many interesting bridges. Admission to the Garden is free with a Reed ID, however the price of admission is $5 for anyone else. The Garden is open from 10:00am to 3:30pm most days of the week. 

Best Overall: Westmoreland Park | Covered: November 15, 2024 

With many fun small bridges, boardwalks above water, and plenty of space to walk and enjoy nature, the park has all one would need to have a fun afternoon. Covering over 43 acres, the park feels vast with its positioning in a long line, whereas one walks the scenery changes from Crystal Springs Creek, to sports fields, to the pond, and back again on various paths snaking across the edge of McLoughlin Blvd. All Trails also gives important accessibility information, saying there is one accessible parking space in the “lot off of Southeast 23rd Avenue at the south end of the trail. It does not appear to be van-accessible with a striped access aisle,” and that the trails are “paved (with railings at bridges) and typically at least five feet wide. The estimated grade is gentle (all 3% or less).” There are also many benches throughout the park for resting, andample street parking across the length of the park. 

Runner Up: Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge

Located in Sellwood, Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge is a roughly 162-acre floodplain wetland, acquired by the City of Portland to become a city park in 1959, according to its section on the Portland.gov website. Per the Friends of Oaks Bottom website, it then “became an official wildlife refuge in 1988 and was Portland’s first urban wildlife refuge and Migratory Bird Park.” The main draw of the Wildlife Refuge is a loop hike, which is a relatively easy 3.8-mile walk. There are multiple lookout sections on the trail to rest, and it is suitable not to go all the way, but instead turn around whenever it makes sense. While much of the hike explores views like those described above, of the lovely wetlands, that is not all there is. Looming off to one side is a massive building with a wetland bird mural painted across, Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Funeral Home, Mausoleum, and Crematory. This is a century old eight story complex, and according to an article in The Oregonian, the building holds “some 97,000 souls and is one of the largest mausoleums on the West Coast.” The Mausoleum actually predates the Wildlife Refuge’s city acquisition, being founded in 1901 originally as the Portland Crematorium.

You can also sift through any random editions of the Questyou happen to have on hand, find the “Touch Grass” that is hopefully printed in the final pages, and see where you end up! This will be the last “Touch Grass” from the original author as I graduate this semester, but any readers are free to take up the mantle! All I request of future “Touch Grass” writers is to keep in mind the ethos I had when working on these: keep accessibility in mind as you find fun things to do outside for as many different Reedies as you can. Some things will be paid, some will need transit, some may not have paved paths, but never all. The main point here is to just get outside, and not have it be too intimidating. Good luck! To learn more visit the backlog of “Touch Grass” on the Quest website. So, go out and touch grass!