Washington Park and TriMet Have Expanded Bus and Shuttle Access to the West Hills Attraction

Line 63 provides service between Pioneer Courthouse Square and the International Rose Test Garden and Portland Japanese Garden.

Washington Park Shuttle Washington Park Free Shuttle near Int'l Rose Test Garden, Washington Park. Photo by Explore Washington Park.
By Andi Prewitt

After a cool, showery spring and the meltdown of last year’s hot vaxx summer, people are itching to get outdoors. Now, one of the city’s top tourist destinations is making it easier for the coming throngs to get around town.

Explore Washington Park and TriMet have partnered up to expand access to and around the 410-acre attraction. Starting this month, visitors can take a bus directly to the park from downtown and then hop on a free shuttle. Line 63 provides service between Pioneer Courthouse Square and the International Rose Test Garden and Portland Japanese Garden, arriving there daily on the hour between 10 am and 6 pm.

TriMet Line 63 Washington Park Bus Photo courtesy of Explore Washington Park.

In addition to that, Explore Washington Park’s shuttles have started operating on a daily basis, and will continue to do so all year long. Those rides are free and take people to area attractions, including the Oregon Zoo, Hoyt Arboretum and World Forestry Center’s Discovery Museum.

“We’re excited about the opportunity the new transit options create to connect people from the city’s core directly to nature and the unique cultural experiences in Washington Park, and all within just minutes,” Heather McCarey, Explore Washington Park’s executive director, stated in a press release.

The shuttle also now includes the West Hills’ Arlington Heights neighborhood to its loop and added a stop at Southwest Tichner Drive and Kingston Avenue.

Washington Park is known as much for its parking problems as it is for its beauty, which means using transit to get there is strongly recommended. The park has limited spots for visitor vehicles, and lots fill up quickly on summer weekends.

The shuttle’s new daily hours are 9:30 am-7 pm through September and 10 am–4 pm in fall and winter. Visitors can check hours and track the bus using its real-time tracker.

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