I've made multiple trips to Washington Park, trying to get to know it better. Every time so far I have answered questions for at least two sets of people.
Usually it is something about the trains, and how to get there. However, last time I helped three different people asking about the Japanese Garden.
We were by that cute little park building by the Holocaust Memorial. Technically it is only about a mile, but it is easy to get turned around. Also, it is mainly up, and then once you get there, you have another hike up. It may be best to save your energy for the garden. (Plus, one of them did not realize there were multiple gardens.)
I directed them to the shuttle, as there was a stop nearby, and that would eliminate any confusion.
The Washington Park Free Shuttle will take you to most destinations.
Most of those stops are also covered by the Tri-Met Line 63 bus, which also links to downtown.
There are also many links that you can make via trails. Twice now I have ended up connecting to Bus 20 by leaving the park via Stearns Canyon, ending up at the Judge Stearns Fountain on Burnside. The second time it was totally on purpose.
It is worth pointing out that some of the trails can be confusing. It has been helpful keeping the maps with me. There is one for Washington Park in general, and on that focuses on Hoyt Arboretum.
However, there are some limitations. I suspect that some of the spaces are compressed to allow for the size of the park. Even if that is not the case, I know that the maps do not adequately reflect the change in altitude. I started from on the Wildwood Trail from Hoyt Arboretum, and even though it felt like I was going mostly downhill, I still found myself above the Japanese Garden, with quite a bit further down to go. (And the steepness is something; a lot of people had walking poles, and that's not a bad idea.)
It is worth noting that when trails intersect, there are guideposts showing you what lies in each direction. However, sometimes the different intersections can be confusing. Maybe the same paths cross more than once.
That can be part of the adventure. Sometimes I was not lost, but I ended up closer to something that I was planning on seeing a different day than to what I had planned that day, and plans changed. I still think there is a lot of benefit to having a plan, and some idea of where the points on the plan are in relation to the rest of the park.
Another fun option for getting around? Biketown rentals.
But that is the point: Washington Park has lots of options, and taking some time to explore them is a great way of celebrating its sesquicentennial!
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