Cathedral Park Portland - Location Guide
Updated April 2024
Location Guide For Photo Sessions at Cathedral Park & St. John’s Bridge in Portland
Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Bridge, located in north Portland, are one of my favorite locations where I’ve photographed many family portrait sessions and maternity photo sessions.
Where Cathedral Park and the St. Johns neighborhood are located, we have quite a bit of variety for your photo locations, including a nice mix of urban spaces, natural backdrops, plus an iconic Portland landmark with the St. Johns Bridge.
In this comprehensive location guide I’ll share my favorite features of Cathedral Park, special considerations if you are considering a photography session there, as well as seasonal information.
Access & Logistics
Address: 8706 N Bradford St, Portland
Parking: There is a mix of on street parking and parking lots depending on the part of the neighborhood where we are visiting. During sessions I’ll often have us move between three different areas and we’ll move the vehicles between each.
Accessibility: Depending on the portion of the park we are visiting there are some stairs, other areas with paved pathways, and then to access the beach and river with some climbing and sand walking is involved.
Hours: 5am - Midnight
Seasonal Considerations
Winter: May be cool on the water and under the bridge depending on the forecast, but is still a lovely spot with evergreen trees and the cooler tones of winter.
Spring: There are lots of lovely flowering bushes here and the area will look great as spring brings about new leaves on the trees.
Summer: We can find lovely shade under the trees and under the bridge to cool off on a hot day, but we do need to be aware of events planned in the park such as the Portland Jazz Festival which occurs annually. We’d definately not want to plan a photo session during a festival ;)
Fall: Cathedral Park has lots of beautiful fall color throughout the season, and the sun dips beautifully below the hills across the river. This is a beautiful time in the park but also very busy with lots of photographers visiting the site.
Favorite Features of Cathedral Park & The St. John’s Bridge
The St. John’s Bridge, spanning the Willamette river, is located in Cathedral park. The bridge itself is an iconic symbol of Portland. This is a lovely location with many fun backdrops for your family photos. It has amazing architectural backdrops under the bridge, a large grassy park with the bridge in the background, as well as river access. It is a great area to play, run, jump, and explore.
Architectural Interest
The design of the bridge both from a distance, and from underneath leads to very cool architectural interest, and opportunities to create unique compositions in your photos.
Lots of Trees
The park by St. Johns bridge has a variety of evergreen and deciduous trees that are beautiful during all seasons, provide lots of shade, variety of color based on the season, and add that tru PNW vibe to your photos.
Industrial / Urban Backdrops
Within a few blocks of the bridge, grassy area, and riverfront, there are two neutral industrial backdrops that are great for creating photos. I love the lines and the grey backdrop and work to include them in my images whenever possible.
Large Grassy Area
Do your kids love to run and have fun? There is a perfect large grassy area for just this, that even has the bridge in the background. During the fall there are beautiful fall trees in this area as well.
Riverfront Beach
Do you love the look of the river and bridges in Portland? We can include this awesome backdrop in your photo session at the Willamette Riverfront. There is easy access just a short walk from the parking lot for the boat launch to the sand. Every time I visit the logs, drift wood, and rocks have a different appearance making each photo session unique.
Tips about having a photo session at Cathedral Park:
Be prepared to move your vehicle a few times - If your kids will struggle with getting in and out of the car a few times we may want to limit the locations we visit.
With these little moves, bringing a ‘clean’ snack can be a great break for kids.
Anticipate other photography sessions or weddings happening during peak seasons, and know that we’ll pivot and adjust our locations as needed
This is a great park and area for including your dog at your session, just know that there may be other dogs, people, and a sandy beach….so knowing your pup’s temperament is important.
If it’s cooler outside, bringing a special blanket to sit on at the park or beach can be a nice touch, and can also be nice to cuddle in at the river if there’s some wind.
Shoes may get sandy at the beach, so wear something that is easy to walk on sand and ok to get a bit wet or dirty.
IMAGES FROM VARIOUS PHOTO SESSIONS AT cathedral PARK
Additional Location Guides And Resources
Top Photo Session Locations In The Portland Metro Area
HOW To Select Your Photo Session Location
Cathedral Park Session Feature 1
Cathedral Park Session Feature 2
Cathedral Park Session Feature 3