Elk Rock Gardens of the Bishop’s Close

Elk Rock Gardens of the Bishop’s Close, dates back to the early 1900s and is one of the oldest gardens in Oregon. Established by Scottish immigrant, Peter Kerr, this 10 acre (4 hectare) garden is perched on the cliffs high above the Willamette River. Kerr was an avid gardener and spent many decades tending to the beautiful garden.

We first visited in 2019 with our dear friends Tim and Lisa, on one of our weekend trips to Portland. It was a sunny, autumn day, and we were immediately charmed by the beauty and serenity of this local gem.

We visited again earlier this week on a beautiful, sunny spring day. We enjoyed the many flowers in bloom.

As you can see from the photos above, there are many inviting pathways for strolling and exploring. There are lovely views of the Willamette River and Mt. Hood as well.

Original art by theTravelsketcher.

The gardens are open Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm, and are located at 11800 SW Military Lane in Portland, OR. Admission is free.

Check out the recent post by theTravelsketcher for more information about the garden.

Have you been to Elk Rock Gardens? As always, I would love to hear from you so leave a comment if you wish.

Happy Spring!

Tricia

28 thoughts on “Elk Rock Gardens of the Bishop’s Close”

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  1. Wow, what a truly beautiful place, dear Tricia. It’s quite amazing how someone’s vision and dedication can transform into something that has endured for over a century, especially knowing that it all began as a modest land purchase and evolved over several decades into a masterwork of garden design that continues to inspire visitors today. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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  9. I absolutely LOVE Elk Rock Garden. The gardens are beautiful, the view is beautiful, the myriad gravel paths are interesting for scampering grandchildren, and it’s FREE! If any of your Portland readers have not been, GO!

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  10. What a beautiful garden this is! To be able to visit it during spring and see all the beautiful flowers blooming must be a wonderful experience. And I also love the views over the river. Beautiful photos Tricia (oh, and Happy Spring … as we enter autumn on this side of the world).

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  13. Beautiful! I’ve been to a few gardens in Portland, but hadn’t heard of this one! I’m in the Eugene/Springfield area, but I like to visit my stepsister in the Woodburn area and bum around Portland area with her family, one member of which is in a wheelchair. Is it accessible? We are always looking for places to explore when we get together up there.

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    1. Isn’t it though? And, yes, it is wheelchair friendly. I think it would be a nice outing for my stepson who is also in a wheelchair. I’ll be covering more of Portland’s gardens in the coming weeks, so subscribe if you’d like. Thanks for your comment!

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