VERDICT: We gave 4 out of 5 tickets and here’s why!

This guide forms part of our complete USA Travel Guide, featuring scenic road trips, iconic destinations, practical travel advice and honest first-hand travel experiences from across the United States.

This article is part of our 🚗 5-Day Pacific Northwest USA Road Trip series, exploring Washington and Oregon. Beginning at the Sumas border crossing in British Columbia, our 1,397-kilometre adventure takes us through historic coastal towns, spectacular beaches, iconic cities and one of America’s most famous volcanoes.. Read the complete itinerary here.

Day 1: Historic Bridges, Sea Lions & Astoria’s Waterfront ✅
Day 2: Haystack Rock, Puffins & Oregon’s Most Beautiful Beach ✅
Day 3: Shipwrecks, Cheese & Portland’s Weird Side ✅
Day 4: Volcanoes, Forests & The Mountain That Changed America
Day 5: Small-Town Charm, Ferries & The Journey Home

Discover Portland’s scenic waterfront, iconic bridges, riverside parks and one of the city’s most relaxing urban walks

Portland’s Riverfront Walk is really two connected paths that give you front row views of the Willamette River & downtown’s bridges.

The core of it is Tom McCall Waterfront Park on the west bank, a 36-acre car-free promenade that opened in 1978 after Harbor Drive was removed. It’s paved, flat, and open from 5am to midnight, with wide paths for walkers, runners & slow bikers right along the water. The faster cyclists have a cycle lane nearer to the roadway.

Start downtown near the Steel Bridge and head south. You’ll pass the Japanese American Historical Plaza, the interactive Salmon Street Springs fountain(in that 28° heat – it was a blessing!) and rows of cherry trees that would turn the park pink in Spring.

We’ve read that the park hosts big events like the Waterfront Blues Festival and Oregon Brewers Festival, but on a regular day it’s just locals lunching, geese on the grass, and boats on the river. We also saw a few people renting the quadracycles to ride slowly along the path.

Keep going and you’ll hit RiverPlace and the South Waterfront, with views of Ross Island and Mt. Hood on clear days.

Portland is famously known as the
“Bridge City” or “Bridgetown”. This nickname comes from the dozen distinct bridges that span the Willamette River right through the center of downtown, connecting the east and west sides of the city.

These architectural landmarks range from historic century-old structures to modern multi-modal crossings.

The Portland Riverfront Walk is one of Portland’s easiest, most scenic urban walks: flat, free, dog-friendly on leash, and you can tie it into the Saturday Market, food carts, or coffee stops nearby.

Best Things To Do Along Portland’s Riverfront

1. Walk Tom McCall Waterfront Park

Enjoy nearly 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles) of beautifully landscaped riverside paths with spectacular views of the Willamette River and Portland’s famous bridges.

2. Visit Mill Ends Park

Located beside the waterfront, this tiny attraction was once officially recognised as the world’s smallest park and is one of Portland’s most photographed landmarks.

3. Cool Off at Salmon Street Springs

One of Portland’s favourite interactive fountains, perfect on a hot summer day and a popular stop for families.

4. Cross One of Portland’s Famous Bridges

Take a stroll across the historic Hawthorne Bridge, Steel Bridge, or Burnside Bridge for fantastic city skyline and river views.

5. Explore the Japanese American Historical Plaza

A peaceful riverside memorial honouring Japanese American history in Oregon through art, inscriptions and beautiful landscaping.

6. Browse Portland Saturday Market

(Open weekends)
One of America’s oldest continuously operating arts and crafts markets featuring local artists, food vendors and live entertainment.

7. Ride a Surrey (Quadricycle)

Rent a four-person pedal bike and cruise slowly along the waterfront—one of the more entertaining ways to see downtown Portland.

8. Visit RiverPlace Marina

Relax beside the marina, enjoy outdoor patios or simply watch boats travelling along the Willamette River.

9. Watch the Cherry Blossoms

During spring, hundreds of cherry trees transform sections of the waterfront into one of Portland’s most beautiful photo locations.

10. Enjoy the Bridge Views

Portland is known as “Bridge City”, with twelve distinctive bridges crossing the Willamette River. Every few hundred metres offers another postcard-worthy view.

Location

Tom McCall Waterfront Park
98 SW Naito Parkway
Portland, Oregon 97204

Know Before You Go

Open: Daily 5:00 am – Midnight
Admission: Free
Trail Surface: Fully paved
Accessibility: Wheelchair and stroller friendly
Cycling: Separate fast-bike lanes in many sections
Dogs: Welcome on leash
Best Time: Early morning or late afternoon during summer

Did You Know?

Tom McCall Waterfront Park occupies 36 acres along the west bank of the Willamette River.
The park opened in 1978 after Portland removed Harbor Drive, once a busy waterfront highway—a landmark urban renewal project that helped redefine the city’s relationship with its river.
The waterfront hosts several major annual events, including the Waterfront Blues Festival, Portland Rose Festival Fleet Week, and Oregon Brewers Festival.
On clear days, you may catch views of Mount Hood rising in the distance.
The park forms part of Portland’s larger network of walking and cycling trails that follow both sides of the Willamette River.

Continue Exploring Portland and Oregon

Nearby Attractions

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USA 5-Day Road Trip (Pacific Northwest)

USA Road Trip| Day 3: Tom McCall Waterfront Park⎮You May Even See A Lone Piper?⎮ Portland’s Beautiful Riverfront Walk