Choose Your Trail

"Get outside and fill your appetite for adventure"

If you're reading this article from the great Pacific Northwest and you're thinking about getting out on the trail but don't know where to start, don't worry, the most important decision has already been made...starting. There's no need to overthink where you're going to hike so long as you've decided TO hike. From there on out it's easy. Perhaps you'll just put a map up on your wall and throw a dart at it. There's a lot of reward in this approach, but if you'd like to take a more proactive approach keep reading.

Because there are so many different hiking trails here it can seem like a daunting task choosing the right trail. You only get so many days off that you can allocate towards hiking through the woods and you want to make the most of it. Use this article as a resource in choosing your next hike with advice, links and ideas for getting out there.

Portland is an amazing pivot point of an urban center for the outdoor enthusiast. North, East, South, West and everywhere in between all offer incredible and diverse regions to explore. You won't need to drive much further than an hour in any direction to immerse yourself in an outdoor paradise. Head north and you might find yourself in the remnants of Mt St Helen's 1989 eruption with trees still lying on the ground for as far as the eye can see. To the east you have the beautiful Mt Hood National Forest with sweeping views of Hood and coniferous forests with veins of rivers running in every direction. South you have the Willamette Valley and might be lucky enough to explore Silver Falls State Park. Follow the sun to the west and you'll dig into Tillamook State Forest or further yet to the awe striking hikes on the coast.

So how do you choose? Good question. The fact of the matter is you just have to pick a hike and go. Don't spend too much time on this. Google is an okay tool for choosing a hike however, be weary when reading up on hikes near Portland. These search results are sure to provide you with some ideas, yet the hikes produced via this search are bound to show you the most popular hikes. They're popular for good reason but be prepared for crowds. Some of the best hikes are those that are off the beaten path and only found through chance.

Here are some good resources to lean on when choosing a hike.

AllTrails App: This app is wonderful. It provides you with just about every established hiking trail from inner city walks to the most rugged and remote locations. The filters option allows you to narrow your search. Do you want to go on a hike with a waterfall? Add it to the filter. Looking for easy hikes? Filter. Seeking a certain distance? Set the distance parameter on the filter. It's incredibly intuitive. When you first open up the app it might appear intimidating with so many options. Don't let that dissuade you. Just pick the direction you want to go, add a few filters to narrow it down and choose. It's best to do this the night before so you're not using precious time in the morning trying to decide where to go. Once you make your decision, stick with it and stay firm. Wake up early and go. Take a look for yourself here, you'll dig it https://www.alltrails.com

US Forest Service: This is a great resource for objective characteristics of each hike. Using this website will provide you with mileage, elevation gain, passes needed, range of dates when the hike is available, etc. Another important feature of this site is it will let you know if your particular hike is open. A lot of trails, for example have been closed for the last couple of years due to the Eagle Creek Fire. These hikes are opening periodically as conditions become more stable. This is your go to resource for current openings or closures. For the most part, the information on here is very accurate. There's not much input here from the subjective standpoint which makes it a great, unbiased resource. This site is best used in conjunction with AllTrails if you're looking for some solid beta before heading out. Here's the link https://www.fs.fed.us

Oregon Hikers: This is an online forum that rates and reviews hikes in Oregon and lower Washington. With the US Forest Service being your objective hiking resource, Oregon Hikers is your subjective resource. Hop on this site to see what others think of the hike you may be interested in. You might find tips on how to get to a particularly tricky trailhead to find or recent conditions on the hike. For example, "I hiked this trail last week and the recent rainfall has left the trail completely washed out and muddy". This may be some good advice to save this hike for another day. Check out the site here https://www.oregonhikers.org

Last note on using online resources when choosing your hike. Read the reviews associated with each trail but read them with a grain of salt. If you come across a scathing review consider the fact that one hiker may have just been having a bad day, or maybe it just wasn't the hike they were looking for. There are so many great hikes that have one or two bad reviews, it's not a big deal. Read right over them and go on the hike and decide for yourself.

Now for the goods. Every cardinal direction points you to a unique region of the PNW, no two are the same. Let's take a look at what each has to offer

The Gorge: The Columbia River Gorge is as unique of a landscape as you can ask for. There's not another stretch of land and water that is quite like the Gorge...anywhere. Period. Head east on Interstate 84 for the Oregon side of the Gorge or cross over to Washington and hop on Highway 14. In the Gorge you can expect to find steep hikes through luscious forests frequented by waterfalls and sweeping views towards the peak of the hike. Immerse yourself in the depths of the Gorge and experience a raw, natural beauty that can't be found anywhere else. Get on top of Dog Mountain, Hamilton Mountain, hike through Oneonta Gorge, check out Latourell Falls or hop on a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail using Dry Creek Falls. You'll be far from disappointed after a day of hiking in the Gorge. If you haven't spent much time outside and you're living in the Portland metro area the Gorge should be high on your list of exploration.

Mt Hood National Forest: This is a big one. There is so much to do in the Mt Hood region of Oregon. You could spend all of your time hiking here and never do the same trail twice. This region is humbling in its beauty. When choosing a hike here you really can make it whatever you want. If you're looking for an easy hike with views of the mountain try out the Trillium Lake Loop Trail. Virtually zero elevation gain here yet you're rewarded with views of Mt Hood reflecting off the calm surface of Trillium Lake. Looking for a little more exercise? Head up to Mirror Lake for an elevated view of the great Hood. Be prepared for company though as this is one of the most accessible hikes located directly off of Highway 26. In peak traffic months (May - September) you can expect to find plenty of other hikers here. This hike gives you the option of hiking up further to the peak of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain. Highly recommended. Feeling like adding some mileage to your hike? Head towards Ramona Falls for a fantastic 8 mile hike through the woods that leads you to a waterfall where you'd least expect to find it.

Willamette National Forest. Cream of the crop right here. Some of Oregon's best hikes are found here. The Willamette National Forest is a diverse swath of land between the western border of the Willamette Valley and the eastern border of the Columbia Plateau. This area boasts iconic hikes along the likes of Opal Creek, Marion Lake and Waldo Lake. You'll be surrounded by the great giants of Oregon like Mt. Jefferson, Three Sisters, Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top and all of their hidden alpine lakes. There's even a 100 foot deep crystal clear lake with a standing grove of petrified Douglas Firs covering the bottom! The hunt is on.

Tillamook State Forest. Home to the Coastal Cascades, this forest is rugged. These trails are surrounded by large ferns and tall Douglas Firs and they'll send you down into the ravine before bringing you up to the peak. Aside from a few months during the dry summer you can expect to get a little wet while hiking here as this forest averages over 100 inches of rain per year. This just adds to the beauty. The fog will roll in beneath you as you get a light sprinkle from that sun shower. Or you'll get soaked in a downpour, who knows. Drive down Highway 6 and hop onto the Kings Mountain Trail or the nearby Elk Mountain Loop Trail. If you really want to kick your butt you can connect the two using the Elk to Kings Trail. These hikes are known for the beauty and even more well known for their grueling steepness. The reward is worth the effort but if you're looking for something a little less intense check out Gales Creek or hop on a portion of the Wilson River Trail.

Coastal Hikes. The coast should come to mind immediately when thinking about hiking in Oregon. It truly is a rugged, jagged and inspiring place to move your feet. It's the People's Coast! That means the entire coastline is open to the public. No private ownership on the beaches here. If you're headed west from Portland you'll be dropped onto Highway 101 very near Ecola State Park. Not a bad first stop. Climb onto the Clatsop Loop Trail for a beautiful hike along a steep cliff dropping into the Pacific Ocean. Drive a little further south to Oswald West State Park and hike out along the northern cove of Short Sands Beach to Cape Falcon Trail. Further south yet you'll have the opportunity to reach a destination well worth you energy on the Cape Lookout Trail. Wherever you go on the coast there will be rewarding views and long beaches split up by rugged rock protrusions and spires.

There's nothing left to do now except get out there and explore. Portland's backyard is full of incredible crevasses that house beautiful secrets. They're right there waiting for you to find them. Go find them and get after it!