Skidmore Bluffs

I mean, let’s not oversell it: The Skidmore Bluffs are really just a plot of undeveloped land, overlooking downtown and some of the NW industrial area. It’s grass, a few trees, and a park bench. That’s about it. It’s a mighty fine place to get some fresh air, and catching the sunset would make a nice little romantic excursion. If you’re into day drinking in the sunshine, this could be your spot. Just don’t go expecting to be blown away and your expectations should be met.

Awesome place to watch a sunset. Beware of cigarette smoke all over the place though, and get there early! It gets pretty crowded.

This is not actually a park in City of Portland Parks Department. It is private land!
Some volunteers are trying to raise funds to buy the land then turn it over to park use — see
.
If they are unsuccessful, houses will be built there.

Skidmore Bluffs is the perfect place to sit, chat and daydrink with a bud. Like, *the perfect place. I wanna say this is Portland’s Dolores Park, but on a sunny Saturday afternoon in July there were less than a dozen people there. How completely perfect.
It’s kind of unkept (which I like!) and features a view of industry (the train tracks!) and also of downtown and Forest Hill park.
Just remember, there is nowhere to pee. Not only that, there is nowhere to pee discreetly. Give yourself & your bladder time to make it to your car and then a toilet.

Great spot for an awesome view and a romantic picnic. Sometimes it gets wayyyy too crowded though.

Definitely a locals kind of place. It’s not labeled on the maps or anything and on a Sunday afternoon like today we almost had the place to ourselves. Great view of the industrial areas north of town. Barely see the city (go down to Overlook Park and have a peek from the street next to it to get that view). Kinda unkempt in that empty lot way but plenty grassy and a few benches. Also nice to get out of downtown and check out some normal neighborhoods.

It’s all about the view. Every time I take note of an especially beautiful sunset I try to make my way down to the bluffs to watch it complete. Overlooking the industrial area and the downtown cityscape — It’s a simple reminder of how good we have in here in Portland.
As a park… it doesn’t really stand alone. Nothing for the kiddos. Looks at times as thought as it’s been abandoned by the city maintenance. On a nice day it can get pretty packed but can you blame them? Everyone wants in on this view! A typical summer snap shot would capture people openly smokin’ and drinkin’, bike strewn about, picnics and people just lovin’ life. As a southern Californian I find it fun that people stretch out in bathing suits to suntan at parks. It’s a stretch but allow me to wax poetic for a moment — once in awhile at the Bluffs you can hear the trains in the yard collide, reminiscent of waves crashing on the rocks. If you close your eyes and stretch out on your blanket, maybe in your bathing suit, on a hot day you can pretend your at the beach!
I wouldn’t say that it is my favorite park, but it has it’s perks. If you’re looking for a place to enjoy some beers or a picnic and take in our beautiful city in a sea of hipsters and hippies, look no further!

This is a really great little stretch of land overlooking Portland. Though it would be nice if they cut the mile high weeds a little more often.

This great view of the Willamette river and Forest Park is worth a stop at sunset, but yes– it’s often over-​run with litter and drunkenness. It’s the dive bar of parks, and it’s good for appreciating a nice sunset.

Update for all you Skidmore Bluff Fans. I too like to bike to this park and observe the sunset on a beautiful evening… the park is still great for that. BUT, the police patrols are increasing and tickets ARE being handed out for drinking. It happened last week while I was there.
Like anything else that becomes popular, this small area is becoming a bit «overloved». It’s not the secluded sweet spot it was. More trash, and with the lack of bathroom facilities, more uh.well.need I say more?

When the weather gets nice, when I have out of town guests, when I want a change from regular dive bars, I go to Portland’s very own dive park! Outdoors with an awesome view, a little out of the way and quirky, I have spent many a happy summer evening here. In the evenings you get a varied group of younger people with instruments and plenty of weed and beer.
FOR THE RECORD: I am not encouraging you and your friends to go around fucking up this space! If you go and party it up please clean up your mess! Also, be respectful of residents near-​by. The last thing I want to do is have my precious dive-​park closed down because some young hipsters wanted break shit and set it on fire.

It’s a wonderful park, but it was better BEFORE the hipsters showed up! We’ve been here a decade and we used to be able to take our dogs to play. Now the hipsters have taken over with loads of bikes, and off leash dogs that don’t play well with others. I don’t mind the people, they’re quite nice, it’s just too much clutter!

Portland purists may be disappointed that I’m letting the cat out of the bag about one of Portland’s best green spaces to watch a sunset and hang out with friends while overlooking the industrial maze of Swan Island and the west hills across the river. While other popular parks and crannies are widely known (Mount Tabor, Forest Park, Peninsula Park, and Laurelhurst are among my and others’ faves), the Skidmore Bluffs is somewhat lesser-​known. Therefore, ride your bike up there and bring your camera – the evening light is great for snapping shots of your photogenic friends lazing and laughing together at the Bluffs. To get there, take Skidmore all the way west until it ends. Take right and first immediate left, and you’ll end at the Bluffs.