Portland Spoke – The Official Blog of Travel Portland

Cherry blossoms and rhododendrons herald spring’s arrival within Portland, but if you’re really into flowers, you’ll want to feast your eyes on the many wildflower patches around the region — natural beauties that you won’t find anyplace else.

Bursting with color in late April and early May, the Camassia Natural Area in West Linn was carved out thousands of years ago by the great floods, but it’s a natural work of art that’s stood the test of time. A 16-mile drive south of downtown Portland, the 26-acre preserve can get muddy in the springtime, but from its trails you’ll see more than 300 different plant species and plenty of familiar birds flocking overhead.

About 10 miles west of Portland, Beaverton’s Cooper Mountain Nature Park features 3.5 miles of gravel trails — excellent footing from which to explore the 231 acres of prairies and woodlands. The trails also offer views of the Chehalem Mountains and Tualatin Valley, showing off Oregon’s natural splendor with bursts of wildflowers all around.

Looking for more blooms? Travel Oregon offers a guide to more wildflower hikes around the state.

Photo courtesy of Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival.

Trees adorned with white and pale pink flowers line Portland’s downtown waterfront and Northwest 23rd Avenue to welcome spring. Brighter hues abound just south of town in Woodburn, Ore., where colorful fields reminiscent of Holland burst with acres of tulips in full bloom. Each spring we spend a day wandering the fields and enjoying a picnic (food available on site as well) at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival (through May 1, 2011, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.).

The owners have expanded beyond the flowers, gift shop and café in recent years to feature family fun in the form of a kids’ area complete with a cow train for rides through the fields, rubber ducky races and pony rides. Gardeners enjoy ordering bulbs for fall planting, and even the most amateur of photographers can capture amazing photos – you just can’t go wrong when you get 40 acres of tulips, a windmill and Mount Hood in the frame.

Daily field reports complete with photos highlight conditions (muddy or dry) and bloom updates (early to full bloom). Insider tip: if you have time, make it a day trip and head to nearby Silver Falls State Park, the Oregon Garden or the Aurora National Historical District, which features antique shops and an architectural salvage shop.