Tanner Springs Park

Tanner Springs Park is a wonderful addition to the Pearl District. Though the size is small, there are some miniature versions of wetlands. The animals aren’t nearly as frequent as the signs suggest, however, if they make an appearance at all. Benches and glorious grass are all over. Drinking fountains are not to be seen, but this is the Pearl District, handling thirst should not be an issue in a land of so many stores.
I went here to try this out. While it looked unimpressive at first, the walk through the wetland simulation quickly altered matters. Lots of signs explained this place. The edge has stairs so that carrying about the rest of my day was so simple.
Tanner Springs Park is interesting to say the least.

As far a public spaces go in the city this one is not as functional as it could be given the population density of the area.
If they were attempting a «wildlife refuge» they’ve failed. The blue Herron won’t stick around because it is being gawked at by the tourists, and what can it eat? Goldfish I do not remember on our elementary school indigenous plants & animals walks at Tryon Creek.
Messy grasses of pseudo-​wetlands take up the majority of this park, making it look a lot like an unmanaged rural field, thus conversationally confusing visitors and neighbors alike with «the Fields Park» two blocks away.
The grassland area is so large and there are only a few benches, meaning medium or multi-​generational family gatherings are impossible here. Because the elevation on the south side of the park is so above the grasses, any interest in what ground level «native» plants and critters is also pointless.
The only redeemable feature are the rail ties which are a great backdrop for competing pro photo sessions of engaged couples and poi fire dancers.

By far my favorite park in Portland (be careful right now because there is a ton of construction going on around it so it’s not the most peaceful at this moment)!
It’s my perfect escape from the world around me and it’s found in the middle of the city! Nice oasis of tall grasses, water, marsh, bridge, wildlife, a small stream running through the center and plenty of lawn to sit on to take a break. I love the wide step feature on the north and south sides of the park. I can often be found napping or sun bathing on one of those on a day off. It’s also a great place to bring a lunch or picnic.
Though I am a great fan of dogs and small children, they are often not found (or not permitted in terms of the canines) in this park. Children often want to be a Jamieson square water park which is two blocks away. I feel like the ground I am sitting on, even though I usually have a blanket down, is not spoiled by dogs using it as a toilet earlier in the day. Dogs are also permitted in just about every park in the city including the off lease dog park that is three block to the north so I’m ok knowing they have plenty of other places that have been provided for them to play.
If you are looking for an informational little field trip, since the springs are ecologically sound, they are a few placards around the park that tell you about the water preservation, the animals that can be found in the springs, and conceptual plan for the springs when it was shifted when the Pearl District starting to boom.
There is also this post industrial feel to it with the rusted fence on the east side. This park is picturesque and is commonly used in wedding, graduation, engagement, and marketing photo shoots.
I will keep on returning to this spot through out the year.

This my absolute favorite park ever. I love the natural water features in this park; as well as the incorporation of old town Portland, with the use of the old cobblestone bricks that used to pave Portland roads.

Tanner Springs Park provides a nice oasis that allows you to relax and gather your thoughts. It was one of my favorite stops in the Pearl District when my day was done.
Some of the best things about the Park:
+ The steps to catch a bit of sun and/​or catchup on some much needed reading and/​or thinking
+ Benches– located in various sections, allowed for different points of perspectives
+ The people watching
+ No Dogs allowed! The park didn’t reek of urine or poop
+ The reuse of materials from the past to make something new
+ Photo-​Ops
One thing that was a bit odd in the landscaping was the tall grass, which happened to be dead and didn’t really make that much sense. If the tall grass was alive and standing, it would have actually blocked the views of the bridge from some of the benches. Compared to the rest of the landscape, it wasn’t maintained and seemed like an after thought.

INTO THE WILD! –What good is a body not drawn into creation, the soul craves to exercise its own imagination? At Tanner Springs you do not need imagination, you feel like you are in the Oregon wild. It’s a restored wetlands surrounded by high-​rise lofts, bistros and coffee shops. In the pre-​industrial age Tanner Creek used to flow through here. Today industrial remnants like the railroad rails, inset with Art Deco, are inserted vertically to form the east boundary of this unique park. A network of re-​circulating streams flow into a pond.
A family of ducks nursing seven babies make it home as an Osprey perched on the high-​rise building watches and waits to swoop in. A Blueheron (crane) fishes here and if you’re patient you can take a video of him catching a fish.
The grasses and plants are all native. There are grass areas so you can bring a blanket and snooze, enjoy lunch or soak up vitamin D from the sun’s rays. Oh, no pets allowed so it’s okay to lay in the grass. What a Wildpark to let go in – and get back into the wild without leaving the city!

What a lovely park! My sisters and I came here for our annual Sisters’ Day Out to take pictures. This year’s theme was: Steampunk. Decked out in our steampunk finest on a nice sunny Sunday afternoon, we took tons of pictures here. I really like the layout of the park and there were gold fishes in the water. I know it said no pets but I did get a kick out of the gentleman who brought his cat to the park.
Before my sisters arrived, I had some time to just sit and bask in the peacefulness of a nice, city park in a nice growing neighborhood. This neighborhood is definitely not what it used to be.

This is one of my favorite parks in Portland because it has a nice relaxing vibe the minute you enter the area. It is a relatively peaceful and quiet park. Mostly adults reading a nice book or just taking a minute to unwind from a busy day.
The park is special because it holds onto some of the amazing history and ecology of the past and present. Materials used in the park are from recycled goods. The grasses are mostly native to Portland. The tall thick areas of grass swirling in the wind make a really great atmosphere. There is some water in the park with a nice dock to walk on and some running «creek» type water ways that slowly trickle. It is meant to be its own ecosystem and so it is a very delicate park. My hope is that modern man won’t one day ruin this amazing little sanctuary.

This park’s grown into itself over the last three years, and I realize now it’s a pretty cool spot that came together over 10 years of Urban Planning, leaving some of the original ‘hood in tact while brand new buildings, roads, tracks, and shenanigans sprung up all around it.
Stop and mock the fishies. Take a deep breath. Read a book.
And with The Fields now open a block away, add both stops for a lovely stroll in the Pearl.

Fantastic place on a nice PDX afternoon to sit and read, or just think. I have come here twice just to get my Vitamin D and some sun on my pale white Irish legs!
I recommend the park, but not to more than another 5 people lets say ;)

I love the idea and concept behind Tanner Springs, but the tall grass is such a buzz kill. It honestly looks like they quarantined half of the park from maintenance so they could film a zombie movie. However, the water, walkway, small fountain, and nice grassy area make up for the post apocalyptic mess of overgrown plant.
I really enjoy reading here, there is peace in this park.

I visited Tanner Springs Park recently with some friends. The weather was great, it was a beautiful sunny day, and we were looking for a place to eat some snacks. Tanner Springs Park fit the bill. We knew vaguely where it was, so we walked around until we found it, which didn’t take too long. It’s a small park, but it has a lot to offer: greenspace, benches, public art, and water. The location between Portland’s high-​rise developments definitely gives it an urban feel. I’ll check it out again if I’m in the neighborhood!

You have the streetcar running around it, Fremont Bridge in the background and the park itself is a beautiful oasis.
The little spring trickling through it is cool, pond with the fish and pathways all sweet. There is a lot to like about this little park.

Wandering aimlessly around downtown Portland, I stumbled upon this little gem of a park. One more reason why I love Portland.
Tanner Springs is not a very large park, but it really stands out. Signage posted around the perimeter explains the industrial history and the modern significance of the site, but one doesn’t even need that information to appreciate the melding of artistic and natural beauty found here in the midst of an urban landscape. Beautiful!

I visited this park late at night. My boyfriend overheard a lady say this is the most expensive park in Portland. It’s a serene place to visit. I like the concept of the park, how they incorporate environmental conservation into the architectural landscape. There should be more parks like this.

This park was very a nice surprise during my walk through downtown Portland. The use of space and materials here was very thoughtful and well planned out to make use of the environment as well as materials recycled from previous use. The calm waters and lazy grass areas provided a very relaxing atmosphere and there were many people laying out enjoying the sun, reading a book, or just relaxing in the quiet atmosphere that is such a contrast from hectic pace of the surrounding blocks.

The watery pools of Tanner Springs Park hold Portland’s history in their depths. And the park is still making history and more than a few make outs.
Tanner Creek was Portland’s big stream.
It flowed down the valley that is now Sunset Hwy 26, through Goose Hollow, through Civic Stadium, across NW 10^th-​13^th into a marshy lake and onto the Willamette. No doubt it teamed salmon.
Though it would be cool to see salmon spawning up close in Portland’s hills, it is no more. Tanner Creek is captured by culverts, and mixed with the ultimate insult of blackwater. An old brick culvert containing the creek goes right under Civic Stadium’s field and the structure. If it ever collapses, there will be hell to pay. The marsh and lake in NW was filled long ago. There can never be any salmon in Tanner Creek, because it doesn’t exist.
The NW street grid plan is old. It was many things, including a neighborhood of warehouses, manufacturers and shippers, where trains, trucks and the river met. Again no more. Artists sought cheap rents in a neighborhood no one went but urban campers. Cafes sought artists. Galleries sought cafes. Developers sought it all. Part of the deal was that several blocks be set aside for parks, as the neighborhood was built into what it is today.
One of the great landscape architecture firms, Peter Walker,
was given the job of planning the parks. The first was Jamison Square. The second was the Tanner Springs block.
A beautiful design of grassy mounds was proposed by architect Maya Lin
. For more on her, there is a great documentary «A Strong Clear Vision» about her early work.
But the new residents didn’t want a public park that could attract children like Jamison Park. It would have been the first of Lin’s «Wave Field» series, a grass covered undulation, right here in little Portland. Lin’s design was canceled in favor of the current design.
I would have liked the Lin design and I like the current design, it’s quiet, it’s different. It’s a good chill or even make out spot on a warm summer night. In a way it’s a perfect park for the neighbors. It has a program that’s pleasant to look down upon from your balcony and enough people repelling specialization to make sure its mainly deserted.
But if you think the dramatic history of the park ends with that, you are wrong. The park is designed to be an ecosystem. The water, grasses, algae, microorganisms in balance. That’s why dogs are banned — their biowaste would inject a huge fertilizer load and throw the whole ecosystem out of wack!
But no, some residentials were still not happy. The park was too pristine, sterile and, the horror, eco! So at night they have been releasing goldfish into the park. Fish also mess up the ecosystem, so the City has established a nest of fish eating raptors on the high condos that swoop down and consume the fish.
So there you have it, history, tragedy, conflict, ecology, drama and a great place to make out. Make some history and ecology there and forget the rest.

Tanner Springs Park in Portland’s Pearl District should be an example for all public spaces and city parks!
A month ago, I visited this park and I really can’t get this place out of my mind.
1 part environmental education
1 part urban development
1 part pure genius
= a whole lotta love and 5 stars from me!
I grew up with hippie parents who taught me to love the outdoors. My dad was a blue shades, suede wearing environmental guru that had me collecting rain water in garbage cans at 5 years old. Yes, he’s always been one groovy dude! I wish that he could see this park because it is EXACTLY the kind of space that every city needs and what all nature loving urbanites dream of having near them.
Portland is leading the way in combining natural environs with city life – and this is just one great example. When I first encountered this space, I was so amazed that I didn’t even walk down the stairs. I stopped dead center on the first step, totally dumbfounded, and stared at what is one of the most perfect parks. I was amazed at not only how much marsh land has been preserved, but how beautifully it is incorporated into the city. The playful cement walkway looks like puzzle pieces that invite you to discover the birds and fish hiding in their homes. Flanked by recycled metal beams that lean to and fro like the water that ripples next to them, every man made detail reflects what was there first. The golden grasses peeking out from fresh water amidst tall buildings are a beautiful oxymoron.
Nature, art, and urban details blur into moments or hours… depending on how long you want to stay and enjoy this perfect Pearl of an escape. Then again, when you think about it… doesn’t it make total sense?

This is my favorite Pearl District Park. Somehow, in spite of being planted in the middle of the Pearl District and surrounded by city, it is still calm, quiet, and peaceful. I think this park is beautiful and I love the crazy industrial fence contrasted up against water and grasses. It is really pretty! There are many great photo opportunities here, so bring along a camera, or just a book, and relax for a little while.
On the other hand, it is also kind of sad that this tiny one block of space is all that remains to remind us that the Pearl District used to be a wetlands. Oh well, the fact that they tried to preserve something and create this gorgeous little space is better than nothing. History from Portland parks:
Oh, and this isn’t the bustling crazy Pearl District meet-​up park… that one is Jamison Square, just a few blocks away. If you have kids and want to play in the fountain, go to that one instead, and leave this park to the folks who are looking for quiet.

The urban planners of the Pearl District did a very interesting thing. They created two distinct parks, mere blocks apart, with very different feels. Jamison Square is a bustling community center. Well manicured, with defined spaces for different activities. A great water feature so kids can frolic and an open grassy area and benches for others to visit, sunbathe and pound away on their laptops. It is every bit a vibrant city park by shops and cafes.
Tanner Springs is a natural, almost unfinished, oasis in the city. It is a nature preserve in the midst of formerly industrial space. It is quiet… peaceful. At Jamison, you hear children squealing. At Tanner Springs, you hear birds chirping. There are grassy steps leading down towards the pond stocked with fish. It is a place to commune with nature in the heart of the city.
Instead of feeling hemmed in by buildings, you see the Fremont Bridge in the distance.