Hoyt Arboretum is one of the best places in Portland to get outside in the winter months. Minutes from downtown, the well-maintained trails offer a safe gateway to a lush Pacific Northwest Forest. Explore the expansive conifer collections, the Holly Loop, or the Winter Garden for the best of the season.
Winter Weather
Winter weather like snow and ice can occur in January at the Arboretum. Plan ahead and check our Recent Updates page for information about Visitor Center and park road closures resulting from unsafe conditions. Otherwise, make sure you dress for the weather before your visit! Wear layers and shoes that can get muddy!
Hoyt Arboretum has a weather station! Check back here to see what the weather looks like before your visit:
Recommendation for Your Winter Visit
Read about the Holly Loop at Hoyt Arboretum and take the digital self-guided tour.
January, 2026 Programs
Into the Trees: A New Year Vision Quest
January 10, 1:00pm
With Flora Rudolph as a guide, use the Tree Transformation Oracle Deck and visit specific trees to gain clarity on your vision and direction for the New Year.
Brainy Birds
January 17, 10:30am
With Dr. Kiki Sanford, science communicator and host of the This Week in Science podcast, enjoy the first in a monthly series of short informal lectures accompanied by hikes along the trails focused on the amazing adaptations of birds.
Seedpods in Watercolors and Pastel
January 31, 1:00pm
With Susan Slocum, nationally published watercolor painter, explore common seedpods in the Portland area and transform them into watercolor expressions.
Trees to See
Fire Charm Witch Hazel
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Fire Charm’
Fire Charm is a reliable and profuse witch hazel with red/orange blooms. Originally bred in Germany and sold as ‘Feuerzauber,’ it is a hybrid of Hamamelis mollis and Hamamelis japonica. Fire Charm is just one of over 70 cultivars of witch hazel at Hoyt Arboretum. Find it in the northwest corner of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial parking lot.
Dawn Viburnum
Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’
Viburnums are known for their fragrant flowers; the ‘Dawn’ is no exception. With its bright buds opening to small pink flowers that fade to white, this shrub can be a magnificent sight. Look for red fruit following the bloom. Find it in the Winter Garden.
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