Best Day Hikes Near Portland, OR?

September 18, 2018 10:53 AM

Any particularly recommended day hikes near Portland, OR? Mount Hood, the Gorge, the Coast?

I am going to be at a conference in Portland, OR most of next week. I am staying an extra day, Friday, to get in some time in Nature. I was thinking about renting a car and going to Mount Hood, the Gorge, or the coast and doing a nice long day hike. I have done some hiking in the Gorge previously near Hood River and have spent some time near Cannon Beach and Seaside doing some shorter local hikes.

Any particular day hikes that you would recommend within a couple of hours drive from Portland?

posted by cycleback to Travel & Transportation around Portland, OR (6 answers total)

I would suggest looking at the Oregon Hiker's Field Guide webpage. They have a list of "Must See Hikes". I've hiked all over Mt. Hood, and one of my favorite hikes is the Cooper Spur Hike.

Have a great visit!
posted by elmay at 12:07 PM on September 18, 2018

I was just there last week! The gorge is still very burnt out, but I would recommend the Salmon River Trail if you don’t want to drive very far here(the river is shockingly gorgeous, the first half of the hike is easy, and you can get a charming dinner at the Zig Zag Inn afterwords). If you like caves at all, Ape Cave is a lava tube near Mt St. helens and it was amazing. The harder hike is two miles up towards the volcano (you can rent a lantern) and then back through a weird landscape with dark ashy soil and dune grass and enormous boulders.
posted by velebita at 1:33 PM on September 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

So many good hikes. Can't hardly go wrong.

I second Ape Cave (super weird and cool) and Cooper Spur. On Hood I also really like the stretch of the PCT out there that goes by Lake Timothy and out to Little Crater Lake.

Lots in Gorge as well. Dog Mountain is a really amazing hike with big views I highly recommend. Of course, Multnomah Falls is touristy but worth visiting. Lots of shorter waterfall hikes in that area you could hit as well like Bridal Veil.
posted by Lutoslawski at 4:20 PM on September 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm a fan of Silver Star, east of Battleground, WA. On a clear day, there are great views of the nearby volcanic peaks. It's about 5.5 miles round trip.

The Columbia Gorge historic highway is still closed between Bridal View Falls and Ainsworth State Park, so keep that in mind if you were planning on any of the close-in waterfall hikes on the OR side. Multnomah Falls is still accessible.
posted by peakfrivolity at 6:41 PM on September 18, 2018

Forest Park! It's right there! It's beautiful!
posted by aniola at 7:18 PM on September 18, 2018

I'm a fan of the NW Hiker website. It lists out hikes by area, and lets you know how long they are, what parking passes (if any) you need, what you'll be seeing, and how difficult a hike it is. There are so many good options, I have a hard time narrowing it down for you!
posted by FireFountain at 8:44 PM on September 18, 2018