A “Second” Mill Ends Park Has Popped up in Southeast Portland, Complete With a Sword in a Stone

Although a sign bears the Portland Parks and Recreation logo, the agency says it’s not a city project and was unaware of its existence.

Mill Ends Park 2 (WW Staff)
By Elise Herron

Southeast Portland just got a new park—sort of.

In the small concrete triangle where Southeast Stark Street splits with Southeast Washington Avenue, someone built a sign that reads "Mill Ends Park 2," alongside a pair of potted plants and a giant Excalibur sword carved out of wood.

The compact park is a nod to "the Smallest Park in the World," the Mill Ends Park on Naito Parkway, which recently saw its lone tree cut down and then mysteriously replanted.

The Original Mill Ends Park (Craig Dietrich / Flickr)

Although the Mill Ends Park 2 sign bears the Portland Parks and Recreation logo, Mark Ross, the agency's spokesperson, says it's not a city project and that Portland Parks was unaware of its existence.

"I'm not surprised people would do it," Ross says, "But we'd prefer people not used our trademarked logo."

Ross says Portland Parks and Rec is working to get a new tree to plant in the original Mills End Park.

In the meantime, try your hand at becoming royalty while you still can.

Mill Ends Park 2 (WW Staff)

Related: Whose Bright Idea Was It to Claim Portland Has the World's Smallest Park?

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