Ridgefield, Washington

The Coldwater Lake Recreation Area has restrooms, telephones, and a picnic area. Make sure you have already acquired your permits for camping in the Mt. Margaret back country. Follow trail #211, which runs along the entire 4.5 mile length of Coldwater Lake. It is a beautiful and fairly flat hike...

The hike is relatively easy. I'd say intermediate due to the incline at the beginning. Also intermediate due to it being an backpacking camp adventure. A friend of mine and I backpacked in to shoot the sunset and sunrise. We went a little early in the season so it was also to scout for future ad...

This trail is temporarily closed. Please visit the Forest Service website for updates to trails in the Columbia River Gorge. This hike starts at the Wahclella Falls trailhead, but does not use that trail. Instead, walk back towards the freeway and take a left onto the Columbia River Highway Tr...

The wooden bridges, Munra Falls, beautiful canyon walls, and the mossy grotto at the end of the canyon itself would be enough of a draw for this hike, but you round the last corner and 65 foot Wahclella Falls comes in full view.The big snow covered river rocks looked like giant marshmallows, and ...

This is a very short and fairly easy, 1 mile in – 1 mile out, hike with a little bit of elevation gain. I took my time hiking and enjoying the scenery with the intention of this being a photo heavy trip. When I got to the end I spent at least an hour shooting from every angle I saw fit. Once you ...

From roughly May to September, both star gazers and photographers alike travel to the darkest locations in order to capture something truly magnificent- the galactic core of the milky way. The Loowit Viewpoint is unlike any around due to the perfect combination of it's remote location, higher ele...

While thousands of visitors come to witness the raw power and devastation left behind from Mount St Helens' famous 1980 eruption, few wander past the groomed paths surrounding the Johnston Ridge Observatory. It is beyond these paths where you come across the more commonly designed backcountry tra...

The Boundary trail is amazing. It's 54 miles long and runs for the most part along a ridge in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. You can climb various peaks and viewpoints right off the trail, but this trip report is for climbing Coldwater Peak and hiking up to Harry's Ridge Viewpoint on the way. H...

Park at the Eagle Creek Trailhead, and backtrack out towards the highway. Take the path to the right and walk alongside the highway for nearly a half mile. Stop when you are on the bridge and see the Ruckel Creek Trail to your right. If you look left, you will notice a waterfall dropping below yo...

This is a somewhat incomplete report because we did not venture too far into the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness. The sky had been threatening us with rain for the duration of our hike along Eagle Creek and we did not want to push our luck too far since we were hoping for an early start on our drive ...

Note: The overlook at Metlako Falls is closed. Find out more info here. This is a fairly short hike. 2 miles in to Punchbowl Falls (past Metlako Falls) and then 2 miles out. I’ve done it in all sorts of conditions from 95 degree sunny summer days to a trip in a deep freeze where I got in my wets...

Note: This trail may be closed. Additionally, getting to Mossy Grotto Falls is a very challenging adventure, especially when conditions are muddy.  Before exploring this adventure, consider checking for updates with the Forest Service for the Columbia River Gorge: (541) 308-1700.   This beautifu...

This ridge is one of the lesser known paths from the Eagle Creek Trailhead. Instead of taking Ruckel Creek Trail, find the trail leading up Ruckel Ridge. It is a far more difficult hike of about 7 miles leading up to Benson Plateau. Along the way there are beautiful lookout points for Mount Hood,...

This hike begins at the Eagle Creek Trailhead. This is the same trailhead that goes to popular Punchbowl Falls. The trail to reach Tunnel Falls is 12 miles roundtrip on an out and back trail. If you continue another 0.5 miles on the trail after Tunnel Falls you will reach Twister Falls. The hike ...

This is a 4.4 mile out and back hike with only 710 feet in elevation gain. From the parking area at the Bridge of The Gods Trailhead, make your way across the road to the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs parallel with I-84. Shortly you'll run into a street that goes under I-84. Make your way up...

Driving from Portland, Oregon west towards Tillamook, Oregon this is an easy bank access river to hit with big fish. Approximately 45 - 60 minutes drive from Portland to Highway 6 west towards Tillamook, the rivers runs next to the highway for several miles making it easy to pull-off and hit the ...