Oregon

The Columbia River Gorge is full of hidden gems, especially for new folks like me. I just found out about this little trail right in the middle of Mosier Oregon.  The trail is great for new hikers, and if you have some friends visiting this would be the perfect trail to take them on if they don'...

To get to the trailhead, use the US highway 26 which is the only way you can go to the Painted Hills Unit. Make a turn when arriving at Burnt Ranch Rd junction. Drive up and follow the sign around 6 miles. The trail junction is where you passed the Carroll Rim Trail and Painted Hill Overlook. Tur...

Located three miles west of McMinnville and available for public hiking and activities, Miller Woods is owned and operated by Yamhill SWCD. You may choose different trails to take.From the parking lot the trails are marked by colors to go on the 4.0 mile loop go to the meadow and follow the red m...

Park at the Herman Creek Trailhead in Cascade Locks 2 miles from the exit. Remember to bring your Northwest Forest pass or a $5 payment to park.  Start ascending on the Herman Creek trail a little over a mile until you hit a three-way junction for Gorton Creek Trail #408, Trail #400, and Herman ...

Crater Lake is one of the most visited natural wonders in the U.S. Anyone who has gone will tell you, it strikes a magic chord. Where there was once the volcanic Mount Mazama, now sits the deepest lake in the States. It's brilliant blue color and incredible depth of clarity leaves visitors from a...

Make sure you add this hidden gem to your waterfall chasing plans on your road trip to Oregon. This underrated Oregon waterfall is the perfect hike for the entire family. The trail offers four different falls from 10-30 feet high. The trail slowly climbs 2.2 miles through a beautiful thick forest...

Starting from Scott Lake in the Willamette National Forest, take the Benson Lake Trail head that starts at the end of the road. This climbs gradually up to Benson Lake, a large, deep, cold lake. From there follow the trail up until you see a junction and a sign to Tenas Lakes. Follow this trail u...

Starting in the "Old West" town of Sisters, Oregon and ending at Smith Rock State Park outside the small town of Terrebonne, this route takes riders past a variety of historical sites, shows the gentle curves of the Deschutes River and frames spectacular views of the Cascade Mountains, and ends w...

This 500 ft. long gorge carved out of an old lava tube sits right along highway 62 near Crater Lake. The original road that brought travelers to the National Park passed right next to the gorge but it now remains hidden from view of the current highway.  The area isn't large but has a nice parki...

Youngs River Falls is a scenic 50-foot waterfall on Youngs River, about 15 minutes outside of Astoria. The falls are somewhat unique in that the base is located only about 10 feet above sea level From Astoria. The falls have been featured in several movies, most notably Free Willy 2 and Teenage M...

Getting here was half the adventure. Google led us in quite the wrong way. Whatever you do, approach this park from Allegany, outside of Coos Bay. From Allegany there are signs to the park. The road is about 9 miles from here. Drive until the road dead ends with cement blocks. Here you will have ...

The Trail: This hike is one of the 2 routes that lead to the lookout, and the shorter of the two. It requires more driving to get to the trailhead than the other, but less walking, so if that sounds appealing to you, you have come to the right place! First, you'll be greeted by a dense forest w...

The view from this spot is definitely worth the drive, if you're visiting Portland or the Columbia River Gorge area I highly recommend taking the time to stop here. Not a lot of people know about this spot and its likely you'll be the only person/people there!If you get the chance, definitely com...

Bandon, Oregon, located on the Southern Oregon coast, is about 90 miles north of the California border and about five hours south of Portland. In other words, it's just far enough away so that it has not become a touristy, seaside destination. And that's good news for all of us.This sleepy seasid...

The Black Crater Trailhead parking lot is accessed off the McKenzie Pass (Hwy 242). The trailhead starting elevation is 5,040ft. (using the iPhone app "Topo Maps". Great app) with a 3.8 Mile hike one way to the Black Crater Summit at 7,251ft of elevation. Some parts of the trail are steep and g...

The Wild and Scenic Clackamas River above the North Fork Reservoir is a great destination for paddlers and only about an hour drive from downtown Portland. This popular 13.5 mile section of river lies within the Mt. Hood National Forest and offers continuous class II-III boating with a little cla...