Bull Run Watershed tours (Portland Water Bureau)
The 2026 summer tours are over; 2027 dates are not posted yet.
All-day bus tour of Portland's drinking-water source: a well field, old-growth forest, Bull Run Lake and two dams. Runs June to September; $35 a seat.
Ways to visit
Public Bull Run Watershed tour (full day) Seasonal
23 public tours ran in summer 2026; 2027 dates are not posted.
- What you see
- Inside tour, Groundsportland.gov, 2026-11-05
- How
- Scheduled tour · about 8.5 hoursportland.gov, 2026-11-05
- When
- Meet the bus in Portland at 8:15 a.m.; it leaves at 8:30 a.m. and returns about 5 p.m. Pacific Time. Dates are set each summer.Season: (June through September, a mix of weekdays and weekends. The 2026 tours are over.)portland.gov, 2026-11-05
- Booking
- Not statedThe page invites visitors to join a notification list for summer 2027 tours; how seats are booked is not stated.portland.gov, 2026-11-05
- Cost
- PaidSeat, per person: $35Bring food and drink for the whole day; there is no stop for provisions.portland.gov, 2026-11-05
- Requirements
- Photo ID: Yes. Adults (18 and older) must show identification; people under 18 do not.
- Safety gear: Yes. Everyone must present a signed liability waiver. Wear clean, comfortable shoes and rain layers.
About
The Portland Water Bureau runs public bus tours that follow Portland's drinking water from its groundwater source to the Bull Run Watershed. A natural resources educator leads the day, which takes in the Columbia South Shore Well Field, a hike or walk in old-growth forest, the 1929 concrete dam and the 1962 earth and rock fill dam. Tours run June through September; the 2026 tours have ended and the bureau has a notification list for summer 2027.
Owner: City of Portland. Run by: Portland Water Bureau.
Getting there
Portland, OR
The map point is Bull Run Lake, a stop on the tour in the watershed east of Portland. The tour bus meets in Portland at 8:15 a.m.; the meeting place is given with the booking, not on the tour page.
The pin marks the area, not where to go (45.45595, -121.83036). Show on our map
Portland Water Bureau, Water Resources Education: 503-823-5351 · waterbureaueducation@portlandoregon.gov
Last checked 2026-11-05. Sources are listed below.
Sources
- portland.gov/water/education/community-edu… · official page · read 2026-11-05For: name; who runs it; phone and email; Public Bull Run Watershed tour (full day): open or closed; Public Bull Run Watershed tour (full day): what you see; Public Bull Run Watershed tour (full day): kind of visit; Public Bull Run Watershed tour (full day): days and hours; Public Bull Run Watershed tour (full day): booking; Public Bull Run Watershed tour (full day): cost; Public Bull Run Watershed tour (full day): requirements
- wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityData/Q4996… · Wikidata · read 2026-11-05For: location
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