Council Crest is a park in Portland, Oregon. The park is of modest size, being around 40 acres; but is famous because it is the highest point in the city of Portland, allowing a view of both the east and west sides of the city. It also contains a circle of masonry that has very odd acoustic properties. The name of the site refers to a legend that Native Americans held councils there, or alternatively that a church council held an important meeting there. The park has been part of the Portland Park system since 1937, and is relatively underdeveloped, beside the aforementioned echoing circle and the water tower at the top of the park. The park consists of the flat, clear area at the top. as well as some forested lands on either side that eventually merge into the 40 mile loop, a series of trails linking many of the West Side of Portland's parks.
I had actually lived in Portland for many a year before I had a chance to visit Council Crest. It is a very short distance from downtown, but the West Hills are filled with so many interesting little parks between Forest Park and Council Crest, that you can go for years living in Portland and still not have a chance to visit them all.