Joseph Wood Hill Park is located at the top of Rocky Butte. The park's namesake founded a Hill Military Academy in 1909 on Marshall Street that eventually re-located to the Rocky Butte area.

Chimney Park lies on the spot where the city's incinerator used to be. The park got its name from the tall smokestack that once existed there.

The land that Macleay Park sits on once belonged to Donald Macleay, a Scotsman and prominent merchant in Portland. Macleay could often be heard complaining about the price of property taxes on his land and how he would rather donate the land to the city and have it be made into a park than pay such exorbitant taxes. After finally being countered by a friend with, "Well, then, why don't you?" he donated the land to the city in 1897 in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria's reign. It was one of the earliest parks in Portland.

Pier Park is a large, well-treed park in St. Johns that features an impressive skatepark, disc-golf course, and soccer, baseball, & basketball facilities. It was named for Stanhope S. Pier, who served as a Portland city commissioner in the late 1920's and as acting mayor in 1931.

Forest park officially began in 1947 when 3,000 acres of land were acquired and dedicated to the city by the City Club and Ding Cannon, then CEO of The Standard. But interest in preserving the heavily forested west hills of Portland dates back as early as 1899 when city planners and landscapers were brought in from across the country to design a majestic city park like no other.

Forest Park holds more than 80 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, about 62 species of mammals, over 100 species of birds, and trees as old as 250 years. The park continues to grow in size, thanks to new acquisitions and donations heralded by the tireless work of the Forest Park Conservancy (formerly Friends of Forest Park) and Portland Parks & Recreation.

Dr. DeNorval Unthank was a Portlander by way of Pennsylvania, Kansas City, and Washington D.C. Throughout his career as a doctor, he worked at Good Samaritan, Providence, St Vincent, and Emanuel Hospitals, as well as starting his own practice. An important figure in the early civil rights movement in Portland, Unthank opened many doors and opportunities for other minorities, winning several awards, breaking down racial barriers, and serving as the president of the local chapter of the NAACP.

Ulysses S. Grant visited Portland three times in his life, which is quite a feat considering that it was before the times of standardized air and rail travel.

Irving Park (and the Irvington neighborhood) got its name from Captain William Irving, a Scottish immigrant who became an early pioneer in steamboat travel. He set up a business delivering lumber and other goods between Oregon and California. A good friend recalled after his death, "his purse was always at the disposal of any one in need, and his generosity was unrestricted by class, faith, or nationality... He was a true gentleman in the true sense of the term."

Buckman Field was re-fitted last year with all-weather synthetic turf and brand new stadium lights. But be wary about using the track for running: the southeastern corner runs by VooDoo Doughnut's east-side location (unless the smell of fresh doughnuts is motivation for your workout).

Originally a part of the City of Albina, this park was designed by G.H. Hoch, who was the head gardener of Washington Park at the time, and was based on a park that he visited while in Berlin.

This park was requested by my classmate Murphy Phelan, who commented that, because of the quantity and density of the trees, Columbia Park is the darkest park in the city. It's great for a shady retreat from the sunshine or protection from the rain.

Arbor Lodge Park is a great little neighborhood park, loved by dog owners for its large off-leash area, and loved by everyone else for its tennis courts, baseball fields, and clusters of trees for shade or rain protection.

Alberta Park has a decommissioned tennis court that has been put to good use by bike polo players. The brief snippet of a bike polo game in the opening credits of Portlandia was filmed here. If you're interested in watching (or participating), drop by the courts on Sunday around 3pm.

But this upcoming Sunday, Alberta Park is hosting a handful of great activities for the first Sunday Parkways event of the year. A souvenir photo booth, acrobalance dancing from Kazum, and some dance/fitness classes. Check it out!

The uniquely-shaped Woodlawn Park is home to a great playground, basketball court, and small, circular outdoor amphitheater (which you would be familiar with if you attended last summer's Trek in the Park -a live re-enactment of an original Star Trek television episode).

Fernhill Park used to be a ravine where ne'er-do-wells would strip and dump stolen cars. But since being cleaned up by Portland Parks & Rec, it's now one of the best parks to get some Vitamin D on sunny days. Wide-open, rolling hills, and what many believe to be the best dog park in the city.

Fernhill is also one of the parks involved in the next Sunday Parkways event!

The Pearl District as we know it now has only been around since the late 1990's. Feel old yet?

Jamison Square has a fountain that resembles a shallow tide pool. It's a popular destination for children in the summer (and brave children in the off-seasons).

Edit (5/10/12): It was brought to my attention by some schoolmates that Jamison Square doesn't have any fir trees in it. I was thinking of it more as a simple icon that immediately reads as a tree, and wasn't thinking of the specific trees in that park. But I think that from now on, if I use a tree in a logo, I will make sure that similar looking trees actually exist in that park..

Peninsula Park is home to the city's first public rose garden. Around 100 varieties of roses are grown in the plots surrounding the nearly 100-year-old fountain. The park is also home to Portland's second oldest playground and a gazebo-like octagonal bandstand that dates back to 1913. It is now a popular place for beautiful summer weddings and concerts.

This park was donated to the city by the wife of George G. Gammons, a Portland lawyer in the early 1900's.

Cathedral park gets its name from the cathedral-esque supports of the St. Johns Bridge that run through the center of the park. It's a beautiful marriage of industry and nature.

It was also one of the camping sites of Lewis & Clark! History!

Kelley Point Park is the most northerly park in the city. It's at the point where the Willamette runs into the Columbia River and was once the site of a small lighthouse.

I think the biggest draw about Overlook Park is how it's right on the bluffs overlooking Swan Island and the Willamette. So I made the baseline underneath Overlook curve down to the left to emulate the bluff.