When spring finally springs in Oregon, we crave sun-soaked hillsides and chase wildflower blooms. By late summer, though, we’re ready for a respite from the sun. Luckily, Portland’s urban canopy and surrounding forests offer plenty of places to take a walk under a leafy umbrella or pitch a picnic blanket in a tree’s vast shadow. Here are some of our favorite shady spots.

All About Dem Trees

Portland’s only state park, Tryon Creek State Natural Area seems to stay moist and mossy all the time, no matter how much the summer sun is turning things dry and brown elsewhere. Similarly, it’s always cool and damp under the trees of 5,000-acre Forest Park, which, like Tryon Creek, is among the 50 stops on our Ultimate Portland Bucket List. Officially a “museum of living trees,” Hoyt Arboretum in Washington Park combines shade seeking with education, with labels identifying many of the plants along its paved accessible trails. (Save on parking by taking the MAX and riding the elevator up near the zoo, or hope on the Washington Park Free Shuttle.) A 46-acre green oasis tucked into some Southwest Portland neighborhoods just off of Barbur Boulevard, Woods Memorial Natural Area is like a tiny Rivendell, with little bridges over Woods Creek. —MS

Parks with a Little Sun, a Lot of Shade

While it’s not quite like going into a darkened, air-conditioned movie theater on a hot day, stepping into the shade of one of Portland’s many tree-dense parks has a similar cooling effect—and the entertainment is free. It doesn’t get much shadier than Pier Park in St. Johns, where you can square in a round of disc golf before hopping in the outdoor city pool. At Columbia Park in Portsmouth, a splash pad in the northwest corner offers some extra chills underneath all the Doug firs. Even parks that put most of their draws in the sun, like Montavilla Park along NE 82nd Avenue, with its volleyball court, fenced futsal field, and outdoor pool, offer some cover: toss a picnic blanket under the bigleaf maple next to Montavilla’s playground.

Not-So-Sunny Sauvie

On a recent Friday, only one other hiker was seen on the path to the smallest lighthouse in Oregon: Warrior Rock Lighthouse on Sauvie Island. The flat, wide trail is almost entirely shaded by willow, ash, and cottonwoods. If the shade isn’t enough, winds off the Columbia help keep you cool, plus there are plenty of beaches along the way to stop at. The seven mile out-and-back takes you to a long pristine…