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Matt Wastradowski
Matt Wastradowski is an Oregon-based travel writer who loves writing about the great outdoors, craft beer, and regional history.
Experience the Real “Wildwood” in Portland
See the sites that inspired “Wildwood,” the hit fantasy novel set in Portland and the basis for a new stop-motion animated film from LAIKA.
Matt Wastradowski
Matt Wastradowski is an Oregon-based travel writer who loves writing about the great outdoors, craft beer, and regional history.
On Oct. 23, 2026, the stop-motion animated film “Wildwood” will arrive in theaters, bringing to life the best-selling fantasy novel of the same name — and putting a dreamy version of Portland’s most iconic attractions on the big screen.
Penned in 2011 by Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy and illustrated by his wife, Carson Ellis, “Wildwood” follows the story of seventh-grader Prue McKeel, who journeys into a mysterious forest to retrieve her brother after he’s abducted by a murder of crows. Sequels followed in 2012 and 2014. The story of the first book is coming to the big screen via LAIKA Studios, the Portland-area team owned by Nike co-founder Phil Knight and beloved for crafting the 2009 film “Coraline,” directed by Henry Selick.
Many of the imaginary locations in “Wildwood” are real — like the regal Pittock Mansion (portrayed in the novel as the South Wood’s seat of power) and the bucolic Forest Park — and some are just as fantastical as their stop-motion counterparts. To inspire your own magical journey, here’s a guide to some of the real-life stops and sites featured in “Wildwood.”
Follow the Crows Art Trail
Crows play a key role in “Wildwood,” and the birds are at the heart of an immersive celebration of the book and film. Wildwood: Follow the Crows Art Trail is a collection of 30 avian sculptures displayed across Portland through Nov. 1, 2026. Each 6-foot-tall crow sculpture was cast from an identical mold and given unique feather designs and colorful patterns by a different local artist.
See the crows along a self-guided scavenger hunt and public art trail that spans downtown Portland and select sites throughout the city. The activation concludes with a Wildwood: Follow the Crows Farewell Weekend, a gathering of all 30 crows in Darcelle XV Plaza from October 31 to November 1, 2026. Download the app or get a free printed map at the Portland Visitor Center.
Portland Locations Featured in Wildwood
Want to explore the magical world of “Wildwood”? Whether you’ve read the book, watched the movie or both, check out these Portland sites from the “Wildwood” universe.
Start on the namesake Wildwood Trail, which the book portrays as The Long Road. With numerous trailheads, the well-signed, oft-wooded hiking trail covers about 30 miles (48 km) in Forest Park just west of downtown. Forest Park itself appears as The Wood in the “Wildwood” series and is home to the Bird Alliance of Oregon, doubling in the book as the Avian Principality, and the Stone House — known colloquially as the Witch’s Castle and referenced in a sequel novel.
Map of Wildwood Locations
The Wildwood Trail’s southern terminus can be found in Washington Park, home to the Oregon Zoo, which inspired the book’s South Wood Prison. There you’ll find more than 2,000 animals from around the world, including elephants, monkeys, giraffes, tigers and bears. Other Washington Park attractions include Hoyt Arboretum, the World Forestry Center, the Portland Japanese Garden and the International Rose Test Garden. Start your visit with a trip aboard a free Washington Park shuttle that links the park’s top sites.
Credit: Noël Dong via Flickr
Northwest of Downtown, cross the emerald-green St. Johns Bridge — known in the book as the Ghost Bridge — and into the walkable neighborhood of St. Johns. After perusing local businesses around downtown, savor up-close bridge views along the Willamette River at Cathedral Park.
If you’ve seen the “Wildwood” trailer, you might have noticed a few more Portland locations. Prue loads her baby brother Mac in a wagon and takes him through Ankeny Plaza, home to Skidmore Fountain and the long-running Portland Saturday Market, and past colorful cherry blossoms along the esplanade in Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The duo even stops for a drink at one of downtown’s Benson Bubbler water fountains.
While in Portland, Don’t Miss…
You’ll find plenty of “Wildwood”-inspired fun around Portland, even when it’s not directly featured in the series. Pick up a copy of the book and browse a million or so more — including an expansive selection of children’s titles — at Powell’s City of Books. Continue getting your literary fix at the Multnomah County Central Library a few blocks away, where you’ll find a whimsical bronze tree sculpture in the Children’s Library.
Credit: Celeste Noche, Travel Portland
Nearby, Kinokuniya is one of many bookstores in Portland; the store pairs its well-stocked selection of titles with plenty of gifts and trinkets — including a variety of Studio Ghibli collectibles geared toward animation fans. If you’re looking to catch a movie, see what’s playing at the Hollywood Theatre. The veritable film palace celebrated its 100th birthday in July 2026 and screens a crowd-pleasing mix of new releases, repertory favorites and indie films.
With fantastical characters, enchanting backdrops and awe-inspiring wildlife, the magic of “Wildwood” is alive and well all over Portland — and will continue to enchant visitors long after the film’s premiere. And not to worry; Portland’s real-life crows are far friendlier than those in the book.