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Check out these six spots around the Rose City

Portland may be the City of Roses—as well as a great place to bicycle and burgeoning city for electric cars—but it's a great city for parks, too. With over 10,000 acres of parks, from arboretums to wading pools, baseball fields to wedding sites, and most everything in between, there are hundreds of locations and thousands of activities to enjoy in Portland's green space. Here are a few of the lesser-known spots around town for you to seek out and enjoy.

Mill Ends Park

Location: SW Naito Parkway & Taylor Street (here's a map)

The story: Also called "Leprechaun Park," and about the size of a big dinner plate, Mill Ends Park has the unique distinction of being the World's Smallest Park— seriously, it's in the Guinness Book of World Records. It was dedicated in 1948, on St. Patrick's Day; since then, a parade of flowers and trees has occupied the park, and four lanes of traffic now surround it. And across two of those lanes, ironically, is one of Portland's most well-known parks— Waterfront Park— that runs along downtown's riverfront along the Willamette River.

Ideal use: Scavenger hunts and trivia answers.

What's nearby: Aside from Waterfront Park, Mill Ends is adjacent to downtown Portland, making it easily accessible from lots of places, and with lots to do around the downtown core, easy to miss as well.

Learn more: Portland Parks & Recreation and Wikipedia

Hazeltine Park

Location: 5416 SE Flavel Drive (here's a map) The story: Just over an acre, Hazeltine Park is named for longtime neighborhood resident Dick Hazeltine, considered by many as a "founder" of Portland's Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood, where it perches looking down on Johnson Creek and three other nearby parks. Ideal use: Frisbee games and touch football. What's nearby: Brentwood Community Garden, Brentwood Darlington Community Center, and the fun and funky Woodstock Boulevard. Learn more: Portland Parks & Recreation Cherry Park Location: SE 110th Ave & Stevens Street (here's a map The story: Tucked in Portland's Powellhurst neighborhood and surrounded by no less than five other parks within a half-mile radius, just east of Interstate 205, the rectangular park offers over five acres of green space. Ideal use: Walking the dog— it even has off-leash areas. What's nearby: Wong's King Seafood, one of Portland's best Chinese restaurants. Go for the Hong Kong-style seafood, stay for the mobile Dim Sum carts. Learn more: Portland Parks & Recreation Clatsop Butte Park Location: SE 152nd Ave & Belmore Street (here's a map The story: Not far from Powell Butte Natural Park— one of Portland's larger parks— Clatsop Butte Park is hidden away in the Pleasant Valley area of southeast Portland. Don't be fooled by the spare hillside when you pull up; walk down the hill to get a small trailhead and sign. It's removed from the road and nearby development, and a good Ideal use: Quiet contemplation What's nearby: Not too much, and that can be perfect if you're looking to escape without leaving the city. Learn more: Portland Parks & Recreation Mallory Meadows Park Location: NE Killingsworth Street & Mallory Avenue (here's a map) The story: The plot where the park sits, in the King neighborhood, used to be a parking lot, but, thanks to a grant and the hard work of neighborhood volunteers, Mallory Meadows now occupies the space. Perhaps it's most recognizable feature is the wall faced with glazed tiles of elementary school kids' self portraits. Ideal use: Playing with your kids. What's nearby: The hip, funky Alberta Arts district is just a few blocks to the south, and MLK Boulevard, a major north-south thoroughfare, is just to the east of this up & coming north Portland neighborhood. Heritage Tree Park Location: SW Corbett Avenue & Lane Street (here's a map) The story: The name aptly describes the park— it's a beautiful old tree, perched in a lot in a residential neighborhood, about three blocks up the hill from Interstate 5. No signs to speak of, no benches to sit on, just a tree that dwarfs the nearby houses and condos. You'd never know it was a park (unless you know it's a park). Ideal use: Hugging. What's nearby: Bustling southwest Portland— Oregon Health Sciences University, both of the city's Interstates and the Willamette River surround this odd, beautiful diamond in the rough. Learn more: Portland Parks & Recreation