Skamania, Washington

Founded in 1928 to conserve endangered species and educate visitors, Hoyt Arboretum is a 190-acre park in the forest above Portland's NW area. It's only 15 minutes from downtown! There are 12+ miles of trails to explore, my favorite is the Redwood Trail that takes you through towering redwoods a...

Take the train to Washington Park and hike through Hoyt Arboretum. This will bypass a few miles of Wildwood Trail, but you won't miss much. In the arboretum, the trail twists and turns through the trees, will smaller trails jutting off to the sides, through other groups of trees (each trail is a...

Leif Erikson Drive is a wide dirt road running through the heart of Forest Park that is closed to motorized vehicles…making it a magnet for those looking to add some relatively easy and scenic distance to their workouts. The road itself is nicely graded and well maintained. It has relatively goo...

You'll never stumble upon Canemah Park unless you're really looking for it. Tucked away in the hills of Oregon City above the Locks, this residential park has a miniature-sized set of everything you'd expect in a children's park: Playground, picnic benches, bathrooms, and wide, forested trails. D...

This is a lovely shallow lake for kayaking with spectacular views of Mt Hood and Mt St. Helens on clear days. It’s an ideal spot for beginners to learn water sports including, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding and swimming. There is a beach and park available for those afternoon picnics and nap...

After parking in the lot near the mill, walk across the bridge. This is the first good viewpoint for photography. Next, I recommend walking under the bridge, this is my favorite spot for taking photos. The whole area is free to walk around, you can even walk in the mill and then walk up stream do...

Located just 1.5 Hours from Portland and on the east side of clear lake, this campground offers multiple water activities such as Kayaking, SUP, Fishing, and Swimming. What's great about this campground is that the sites are large and are shaded by the old growth trees which makes it feel more s...

This trail is an easy out and back from either the west or east side of Forest Park. The east trailhead is off NW Skyline Blvd, on Saltzman Road, which is a dirt/gravel road like the trail. You'll park near the gates where there aren't No Parking signs up (the land around the trail at this point ...

The Maple Trail loop lies in the heart of Portland’s Forest Park, at 5,100 wooded acres, it’s the largest forested natural area within city limits in the United States. It’s packed with tons of natural variety as it winds through the park’s most heavily forested canyons. You’ll be amazed at how s...

To begin, park on North Pittsburg Ave and walk down to the river. Then, turn left and walk down the short less than a quarter mile until you see a spot where the beach is bigger than in other areas. This is an extremely good place to take photographs of the bridge, especially at night. Feel free ...

Located right underneath the St Johns Bridge, Cathedral Park is hard to miss. It was given its name due to the Gothic looking arches that sit above the park.This is one of my personal favorite places to photograph especially if you enjoy photographing bridges. This park can be crowded or have eve...

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...

As if erupting volcanoes weren't awesome enough, ancient lava flows also left behind these giant, hollow tubes as they cooled. Spend all day exploring deep underground in this 2.5 mile cave.To get there, head to the SOUTH side of Mount Saint Helens. You must pass through the town of Cougar to get...

Surrounded by old growth forest, Merrill Lake near Cougar, Washington is the perfect little gem to get in some late summer, mid-elevation mountain lake fishing. The morning and evening hatches are known state wide for the size of fish they attract. There are stories of Eagles even stealing trout ...

Little Crater Lake to Timothy Lake Campground is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a lake located near Government Camp, Oregon.

This is a great option for a quick hike when you don't have time to get out of the city but need to satisfy your craving to get outside and escape the noise of bustling Portland. Follow Firelane 7 from the Springville Trailhead up towards Leif Erickson Drive and the Ridge Trail. There are signs a...