Tom McCall Waterfront Park
ExperiencePearl District#38 of 50

Tom McCall Waterfront Park

Portland, Oregon

Photo: John Bowden

A two-mile park along the Willamette River that replaced an actual freeway in the 1970s — one of the first cities in America to tear down a highway in favor of public space. Walk it end to end. Watch the bridges lift for passing ships. See the Burnside Skatepark under the bridge. The park is a living argument for what a city can be when it prioritizes people over cars.

Insider tip

Walk the full length at sunset, south to north. The Steel Bridge at dusk, with the lights reflecting off the Willamette, is the quiet showstopper.

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