Just a few blocks away from the University of Oregon are the blooming flowers, shady trees and rolling green lawns of Eugene’s oldest park.
Take a break from the bustle of downtown Eugene in Hendricks Park. Find the 78-acre (31.6-hectare) park in the heart of the city, just south of the University of Oregon and the Willamette River. With a central location and stunning gardens, the park is a popular gathering spot for visitors and locals.
Hendricks Park was established in 1906, making it Eugene’s first park. Taking an oak-tree covered plot, the city transformed the area into a park rich in natural diversity. Admire the plantings in the large Rhododendron Garden, Native Plant Garden and a sprawling 58-acre (23.5-hectare) forest.
See the best of Hendricks Park by taking the Ribbon Trail. Follow it through the centre of the park to the adjoining Laurelwood Golf Course. Depart from the northern terminus of the Ridgeline Trail, Eugene’s best-known pathway, in the park. Walk or bike for more than 12 miles (19.3 kilometres) through pockets of wilderness within the city.
Inhale the rich aroma of the park’s 200-year-old Douglas firs. Discover over 6,000 varieties of colourful rhododendrons and wildflowers in the Rhododendron Garden, which erupts into colour in May as the flowers come in to full bloom.
Relax and enjoy your surroundings on one of the many benches scattered throughout the park. Set out a blanket on the sprawling lawn or find a picnic table and dine al fresco. Eugene is known for being a very active city and you can often find a game or Frisbee or a running club in the park.
Although Hendricks Park feels like a wilderness escape, it has plenty of amenities. A bathroom, water fountains and a covered venue make the park a great family location. Find parking in one of the many lots near the Rhododendron Garden or arrive on foot from various attractions across Eugene. There is no fee to enter the park and it is open year-round.
