Tualatin Hills Nature Park and Interpretive Center, located in the heart of Beaverton, is one of several attractions in this growing city.
Oregon’s Washington County encompasses 727 square miles and boasts 10 cities. Each month, we’ll be spotlighting each city and highlighting its various attractions. This month the featured city is Beaverton.
Beaverton is Washington County’s second-largest city, with a population of more than 90,000. Apparel giants Nike and Columbia Sportswear, Reser Foods, optical scope maker Leupold & Stevens, and makers of test and measurement equipment, Tetronix, are just some of the major companies that call this city home.
Nestled in the heart of the Tualatin Valley, Beaverton is surrounded by farm lands and natural resources, and boasts 30 miles of hiking trails and a 25-mile network of bike paths. It is home to a diverse array of attractions, dining and family entertainment centers, plus tens of miles of hiking trails and bike paths. Beaverton also is home to two wineries, which earn the acclaim of being the closest wineries to Portland.
Shop
Bibliophiles rejoice! Beaverton boasts a smaller version of the infamous independent bookseller Powell’s City of Books at Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing (3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton; 800-878-7323). With more than half-a-million used, new, rare and hard-to-find titles, it’s easy to spend half a day browsing the aisles of this iconic bookstore. See more shopping options in Beaverton.
Dine
Fresh Italian cuisine, prepared with locally sourced ingredients makes up the ever-changing menu of decarli restaurant (4545 SW Watson Ave., Beaverton; 503-641-3223). Inventive and delicious cocktails, diverse wine list, warm and inviting dining room, and hopping happy hour make decarli a must while in Oregon’s Washington County. Also in Beaverton is the venerable Hall St. Grill, which specializes in traditional American dishes prepared with a distinctive Northwest flair. For more dining options in Beaverton, and throughout Washington County, visit our dining page.
Play
Beaverton is home to two nationally-recognized wineries, Ponzi Vineyards (14665 SW Winery Ln., Beaverton) and Cooper Mountain Vineyards (9480 SW Grabhorn Rd., Beaverton), both noted for their exceptional wine and commitment to sustainable farming practices.
For those under the age of 21, Beaverton offers myriad family-friendly activities, from batting cages and laser tag to indoor rock climbing and bingo. See the complete list of attractions and activities for the entire family.
Explore
The 222-acre Tualatin Hills Nature Park and Interpretive Center features 1.5 miles of paved trail (which is ADA accessible) and four miles of secondary trails, each offering a relaxing journey through the ecologically diverse habitat that includes ponds, creeks, marshes and forests. The Interpretive Center offers programs and special events for all ages. The trails and the center are open year-round; admission is free. There are plenty of other places to explore in and around Beaverton. Check out our website for more interesting things to see in do here.
Cooper Mountain Nature Park, a 230-acre site, features 3.5 miles of trails that traverse the park and pass through a mosaic of oak and madrone woodlands, native prairies and conifer forests. The park also houses a demonstration garden and a play area for children.
Stay
The Beaverton area has a bed-and-breakfast, Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast (3392 SW Delaney Pl., Portland), plus nearly a dozen hotels and motels.
If you’re in the Beaverton area, be sure to stop by the Washington County Visitors Association’s visitor information center (11000 SW Stratus St., Beaverton; 503-644-5555, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., closed holidays) to pick up a visitor guide, area map, biking and recreation map and a host of additional material about Oregon’s Washington County.