If someone told you that beyond FoPo, beyond Lents, there lay a magical realm, your initial reaction would probably be - much like Bilbo Baggins' - a mixture of disbelief and pragmatic indifference. Nevertheless, I am telling you that.
Tuesday-Saturday 9am-4pm. Sunday 1pm-4pm. Closed on Mondays. See official website for holiday closures.
Leach Botanical Gardens is the very epitome of a hidden gem. I had lived in Portland for eight years before I’d heard of it, and practically driven past it (with the doors locked – just sayin’) numerous times without knowing it was there. And then the fact that Leach is a homophone of leech is still off-putting.
Powell Butte and (for the more adventurous) Jenne Butte offer more extensive hiking opportunities nearby.
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is sublime.
First posted: April 13, 2013; last updated: April 15, 2014.
If you find any factual innaccuracies in this post, please email me via richard at thingstodoinportland dot org so I can fix it for everyone. Thanks in advance!
6704 SE 122nd Ave., Portland, OR 97236 [Google map].
The good people of Yelp have posted 44 reviews of Leach Botanical Garden with an average rating of 4 out of 5.