The Pacific Northwest's Gothic Bridge Offers Outdoor Fun And Portland's Most Epic Views

Most bridges are treated as instruments of efficiency, solely in place to get people from one side to the other. There are a few special cases, though, when the bridge itself enchants visitors with its design. St. John's Bridge, one of Portland's most iconic, is one of those that you can't just cross without registering its beauty. It makes a strong statement, with its cathedral-like Gothic Revival arches, a stylistic outlier among bridge designs, towering high over the Willamette River. Standing 400 feet high, it's the tallest bridge in Portland. On one end, it's grounded by suburban Cathedral Park, named for the bridge's appearance. You can stand in Cathedral Park under the bridge's arches and see the other side plunging into Forest Park, the largest urban forest in the U.S. and a destination with some of Oregon's prettiest trails.

When it was being built in 1931, the neighborhood of St. Johns (around where the current bridge stands) was cut off from the industrial Portland districts opposite the Willamette River. People relied on ferries for crossing the river until the bridge was opened, and the bridge marked the shuttering of the last of the ferries across the Willamette. It also helped facilitate Portland's expansion. The St. Johns Bridge was designed by renowned engineer David B. Steinman, whose use of high concrete piers, steel towers without diagonal bracing, and prestressed ropes were innovative elements in bridge design at the time. As for its Gothic styling, HistoricBridges.org notes that the ingenuity of its beauty lies in the fact that its aesthetic signatures are part of the structural framework itself, rather than cosmetic ornaments added on to supplement it.

The St. Johns Bridge is located about 30 minutes by car from Portland International Airport. The bridge spans the Willamette River, which feeds Oregon's scenic premier wine region farther upstream. Situated outside of the more developed urban center of Portland, the area around the bridge is very green, buffered by wooded parks, offering ample opportunities for outdoor fun. Some of the bridge's most epic views are from Cathedral Park on its eastern flank. The park is about 22 acres, with pretty gardens showcasing native flowers, plus spots for picnicking and a performance stage. In 2024, as reported by Portland Monthly, the park also opened a swim dock directly under the St. Johns Bridge, part of Portland's initiative to turn the city into a fun summer swimming hole.

Of course, you can walk across the bridge, as it has pedestrian paths and connects to some wonderful trails in the adjacent Forest Park. One fun hike starts in St. Johns, incorporates the bridge, and then you hike the nearly 7-mile North Forest Park Loop. A shorter option is the 3.5-mile Ridge Trail, named by Portland Monthly as having the best views of any trail in Forest Park. Its highlight is the viewpoint over St. Johns Bridge, with an elevated vantage over the Gothic towers. On a clear day, you can even see out to Mount Saint Helens and Mount Rainier from the viewpoint.