Entry No. 22 — the Portland file — filed under: night view

Joseph Wood Hill Park at Rocky Butte

On top of an extinct 613-foot cinder-cone volcano, a WPA crew hand-drilled a 375-foot tunnel through cinders and lava between 1939 and 1941 just to reach a stone overlook — and the rotating airway beacon erected there in 1929 was officially decommissioned in the late 1960s but, oddly, is still lit and still sweeping the sky over the city every night.

The move: Drive up after sunset (the park stays open to midnight), park at the summit lot, and watch a 97-year-old aircraft beacon still spin over a skyline view of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens.

• 📍 Rocky Butte, NE Portland
• 💸 $
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: NE Rocky Butte Road, Portland, OR 97220

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: portland.gov · Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-20