Tom McCall Waterfront Park

I wanted to check out the river before leaving Portland. I figured it would be great to start at the park to see the Saturday Market and make my way back to my hotel. I started from a southern area of the park and walked north. Before I got to the market, there were tons of artists selling their wares out on the grass. I also encountered a group of patrons using another type of grass (lol). This was before it was legalized there. I was surprised at how open it was. Just like cigarette smoke, I am not a fan of the smell. So this was bothersome. I liked the Battleship Oregon Memorial. And I just looked out at the river for a while. This is a lovely park.

The waterfront park is a really nice place to spend some time. I think it’s a good blend of grassy area and pavement. The views are nice! Plenty of photo opportunities. I would recommend bringing a sack lunch and some reading material, on a fair weather day this place would be just the spot to sit, read and enjoy a meal. The park is very clean. On the day I went there were not many homeless folks around. But I have read other reviews stating this park can get their share. If you are not bothered by that I certainly wouldn’t worry too much about it. It’s been my experience that most keep to themselves.
Plenty of paved path for cycling, jogging or rollerblading. Mind your direction and the side of path you are one as not to interfere with the great fitness flow!

Must pay for parking unless you can find free parking. It was raining so i didnt stay long that day. Some homeless were hanging out under the bridge where I had parked.

Portland is lovely.
And this is a great place to walk your dog, or just see the city. We loved taking our time along the grass, watching our dog chase Geese and smell, drink and avoid the water.
Again — if you are new to Portland, visiting or need a place to walk, run or get some fresh air — this is a good option.

More like «Tom McCall Hobo and Streetkid Park.»
Clean up the trash, dear Portland liberals. These homeless are ruining our parks.

Usually I enjoy sightseeing, whether it is close up, on top of the mountain and etc. This place is amazing. I love a good walk in the park and this place met my expectations. It was huge to begin with, and there are plenty of sight seeing of the city. The parking is expensive right at the park, so I prefer parking near the city which was not far from the park. One of the interesting things I saw was that homeless people here travel in packs. Like seriously, they keep each other company but man I did not feel comfortable because I was afraid that they will rob me. I was on guard at all times! ALL TIMES! My gf and I walked near one of the bridges to take pictures and it was a lovely view. If anyone wants to take a ferry then there’s one near the park which I have no clue wha the cost is. But then again, looks nice to go on.

Nice to walk along the Willamette River and take in all of PDX’s multiple bridges. I am still trying to learn them all…

This is a great park. I come here often to walk, to people watch or to come to things like events or Saturday Market. It is located on the downtown side bank of the Willamette River. There is a wide paved path along the river. There are lots of monuments, fountains and large lawns. It seems most big outdoor festivals in Portland happen here. The park runs under all the bridges. Near the Burnside Bridge is the covering built to host the Saturday Market.
While the main path is filled with walkers and bike riders (watch out some go to fast) the grass areas and benches often fill with the homeless when there isn’t an event.
It is hard to imagine Portland without the park, but it has only been here since 1978. The 36 and a half acre park was created by the 1974 removal of Harbor Drive (a freeway). The park was renamed in 1984 after Tom McCall (who had died in 1983). McCall though now controversial was a very popular governor. A Republican McCall saw land use planning as his legacy. He was a champion of Oregon’s Bottle Bill, the construction of Waterfront Park and Pioneer Square. While that is what he wanted to be remembered for, when I hear people talking about him it i for his comments telling people from out of state to not move to Oregon.
Besides the festivals and Saturday market it is a great place to people watch or walk a loop of both sides of the river by combining the path on the Waterfront Park side with the Katz Esplanade side on the other side of the river.

Here’s a review for Tom McCall Waterfront Park which is easier to do by assigning numbers rather than doing it in an amorphous format:
1. A great outdoor space in that it skirts the entire riverfront in one long, linear strip and which is backed by downtown Portland on the other side of the street — Naito Parkway
2. The ability to see the Willamette River, catch its breezes, and see the skyline of the Eastbank and possibly Mt. Hood, though there isn’t enough of an angle to catch the skyline of downtown, to the west, because it’s too close
3. The ability to relax and watch people or pets when nothing is going on or partake in some sort of event, which seems to be case more often than not
MISSING STAR 4. The park is just kind of there, with few features of note, save the fountain and some circular nodes, and no topographical variety, along with a «seawall» which edges the Willamette River. I would not just walk on the grass nor would I automatically sit on the grass, even with a towel or a blanket, because Canadian geese, and their souvenirs for us, seem to be a problem … and not just here, but at many other city parks where they are abundant. Also, at certain hours and probably more so on the northern end, it may not be uncommon to encounter some aggressive behavior from folks looking for money or whatever they’re looking for. However, take heart — there is (always) a police cruiser planted there
MISSING STAR 5. Last but not least, the naming of the park deserves a demerit. I understand that former governor Tom McCall did a lot to clean up the Willamette River and sometimes it’s hard to believe such a river runs right through a major city. However, Tom McCall also has an interesting legacy that I learned about prior to actually noticing it was named something other than Waterfront Park, which is what everyone calls it. In a 1971 TV interview with CBS, McCall said:
«Come visit us again and again. This is a state of excitement. But for heaven’s sake, don’t come here to live.»
If you don’t believe me, check out this Wikipedia page. I couldn’t believe it until I saw it in print.
At that time, the 1970 U.S. Census indicated that Oregon’s 96,000 square miles contained a population of 2,091,533 and, 45 years later, still have a hair less than 4,000,000 inhabitants, slightly less than the entire city of Los Angeles. Now, I might have understood his concern to some half baked degree if he was a native of Oregon. However, he was not. McCall was born in Massachusetts, and thus a transplant himself. New York City’s Central Park is not named Olmsted Park or some derivative thereof including the name Olmsted, that of the landscape architect who master planned the impressive urban forest which cuts a huge swath through the concrete canyons of Manhattan. That said, I don’t see why, like Central Park, the park just couldn’t remain named Waterfront Park.
End of rant. End of review.

Cool park. There are always a bunch of people around which makes this feel like a happening place. Great views of some of the PDX bridges and the east side. I recommend bringing family and friends here as a cool tourist spot to show off the cool bridges we have.
The grass is a bit sad and trampled, but it’s not surprising with the foot traffic it experiences. You can find some spots to sit down at (and there are benches) but I would recommend bringing a blanket or something to sit on. Unless of course you don’t mind getting dirt on you.
Came here to watch fireworks for 4^th of July which was pretty fun. The park was packed and sadly people left a bunch of garbage all over the place. Come on people, clean up after yourselves!

I was here as a performer at the Waterfront Blues Festival on the 4^th of July 2015.
The Waterfront area has always been the heart of the City of Portland. It’s beautiful, scenic and maintained very nice by Portland Parks & Recreation.
Playing this gig was awesome, the crew from top to bottom was very very professional. The Back stage area had the greatest view.
I can’t wait till next year’s Blues Festival !
Well done !

The grass is green
But is it clean?
The number of turds
Was quite absurd
It was a lofty task
Finding a spot to bask
Where our bums could rest
Without being bothered by pests
The geese came a beggin’
For our chicken, their brethren
We shooed them away
Much to their dismay
They kept coming back
Which was totally whack
I wanted to yell, «No means no
Both here and in the sack!»
Seriously, dried white chalky goose poop everywhere. Watch your step! The place a nice spot to walk/​jog while taking in the waterfront. It’s probably not an ideal spot for a picnic.

Beautiful place to enjoy with family if you had done during Saturday market you’re most likely find something unique
My only issue is the gangs of homeless Street kids and homeless people that make a nice camping area for themselves by the benches near the water they smell they do drugs or belligerent a fight and they’re dirty I think the city needs to do a better job of cleaning up this area so families can come and enjoy the area

This park is a people-watcher’s paradise. Cop a squat in the grass or on the steps and enjoy the view of the river, the cornucopia of folks walking by, and, if you’re lucky, a little bit of sun on your smiling face.
This would have been a solid five star park but for the lack of facilities. If there’s restrooms, I couldn’t find them. And, really, the locked ones don’t count, so resist the urge to point ‘em out.

beautiful weather, calming waters, breathtaking cherry blossoms, what else could one ask for!!! Completely blown away by the amazing cherry blossoms that follows this waterfront park along the waters.
Walking down here you’ll see all kinds of people that Portland has to offer, some good, some that you wouldn’t exactly want to take home to meet your parents, either way though, such an amazing vibe from everyone. Great place for the usual jogger with great scenery!

Watch your step! There’s sh*t everywhere! Other than that this is a great place to relax and people watch. You’ll see everything here from walkers, joggers, cyclists, skateboarders, photographers, boaters, picnics, tourists, locals, etc. and the views of the bridges are superb. I stumbled across the Saturday Market the other day and spent hours looking around. I’m still new here, so I haven’t seen everything yet and should be doing a better review soon. Later…
Unilocal: GEAD

Wow! Breathtaking views of Portland’s river waterfront. The park is alive and thriving with joggers, walkers, sight seers, jugglers, hula hoopers, skate boarders and every other group that enjoys Portland’s beautiful riverfront and all that it offers.
I started my walk at the Marriot Downtown Waterfront Hotel and walked under, and past the Burnside Bridge. The walking paths and grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Scupltures and fountains dot the landscape at various intervals. This is a great place to people watch as well as to get out for some fresh air. l
A walk along the riverfront should be top of the list for visitors and residents of the Rose City.

Tom McCall Waterfront Park is located in downtown Portland and runs along the Willamette River between the Steel and Hawthorne bridges. It is the spot for many local events in town like the Bite of Oregon. This is essentially the Seattle Center equivalent in Portland without the Space Needle and KeyArena.
It is a great place for a stroll anytime of the day. It is a well taken park with a great view in all directions. I took in a Flaming Lips concert on my recent trip here as part of the MLS All-​Star Game festivities. The stage was located by the river which does not have any shade, making the experience quite uncomfortable since it was 90 degrees on a mid afternoon. So maybe don’t come here at the warmest time of the day.
If you are downtown and shopping is not your thing, I would suggest visiting Tom McCall Waterfront Park to pass the time instead. It is a perfect place to get lazy.

I am sorry, this place was so gross and littered with poop and trash all over the place. I don’t know how people were able to lay in the grass, even with a blanket under them, when there is poop everywhere.
I bookmarked this place while planning my Portland trip and was excited to check this place out but I was really let down. Nothing was breathtaking and I kept having to look down to avoid all the poops so I couldn’t really enjoy the view…
Tourists, you can pass on this place.

I love the waterfront park for a place to tire out my dog. It’s fairly flat, so I can walk as long as he does without upsetting my asthma. There’s always new things to see, too: cute kids, cute dogs, people making art or juggling.
I just hate how it’s so often off-​limits in the summer, what with all the festivals and concerts. It’s great if you want to go to festivals and concerts, but not so great for dog walking.