Lace up your hiking boots 🌲

Lace up your boots and try out these Portland hiking trails

From quick and easy loops around town to drives that take you to fantastic lakes and mountains, our city has so many options to hit the trail. So lace up your hiking boots, because we’ve compiled a hiking guide for the Portland area with 15 routes and trails to help you plan your next adventure and experience breathtaking views.

Note: While parks and trails may be listed as open, we recommend checking park websites before visiting for further info, current trail conditions, and safest practices for the area.

Key: Easy = 🥾| Moderate = 🥾🥾 | Hard = 🥾🥾🥾

Mount Hood

A roaring two drop waterfall flows through a verdant forest — This waterfall is brought to you by pristine Mount Hood H2O.

Little Zig Zag Falls | Little Zig Zag Falls Trailhead, 39 Rd., Rhododendron

Difficulty: 🥾
Length: 0.8 miles, out-and-back
Wheelchair accessible: No
Pet-friendly: Yes, leashed

About halfway between Rhododendron and Government Camp, pull off of Highway 26 at the sign for “Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp” and follow the road to a parking lot beneath an exposed cliff face. A short, storybook walk transports you through a verdant forest to a roaring waterfall, where you can sit on a log and have lunch.

Zig Zag Overlook | Timberline Lodge, 27500 E. Timberline Rd., Government Camp

Difficulty: 🥾🥾
Length: 4.4 miles, out-and-back
Wheelchair accessible: No
Pet-friendly: Yes, leashed

Once the snow has melted during the summer and early fall, this trail takes you up and down several spurs of Mount Hood, offering a mind-boggling perspective on just how immense the peak really is. The final destination is a vantage point high above a colossal canyon. Celebrate your accomplishment back at Timberline’s Blue Ox Bar, a hole-in-the-wall featuring flatbread pizzas, craft beers, and glass mosaic murals.

Coastal Range

A side by side of two waterfalls cascading among vibrant green maple trees — See Pleasant Creek Falls (left) on the way to Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls | Niagara Falls Trailhead, Niagara Rd. Beaver

Difficulty: 🥾
Length: 2 miles, out-and-back
Wheelchair accessible: No
Pet-friendly: Yes

Just two hours outside of Portland, you’ll find the most famous Niagara Falls (this side of the Rockies) in the Siuslaw National Forest. You actually get a two-for-one deal on this outing: The trail first passes Pheasant Creek Falls, which drops from an overhang and crashes onto rocks where hikers can cool off on a warm day.

FIND MORE ROUTES

The best hiking snack is:

A. GORP aka trail mix
B. Granola bar
C. Fresh fruit
D. Jerky

NOM NOM NOM

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Friday, Feb. 17

FAN EXPO Portland 2023 | Now-Sunday, Feb. 19 | Times vary | Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland | $37-$119 | Celebrate pop culture with cosplay, vendors, live entertainment, gaming, Q+A sessions, movie screenings, and the chance to meet stars like William Shatner, Michael J. Fox, and Katee Sackhoff.

Saturday, Feb. 18

Watercolor Painting: The Wood Duck | Saturday, Feb. 18 | 10 a.m.-1 p.m. | Portland Audubon, 5151 NW Cornell Rd., Portland | $45-$65 | Learn to paint this exquisitely patterned waterfowl with the help of experienced artist, art educator, and bird enthusiast Ronna Fujisawa.
“The Goonies” in Concert | Saturday, Feb. 18-Sunday, Feb. 19 | Times vary | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Portland | $49-$135 | Relive the ‘80s cult classic story filmed in Astoria with the movie’s adventurous score performed by the Oregon Symphony.

Sunday, Feb. 19

Miller Family Museum Free Day | Sunday, Feb. 19 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Ave., Portland | Free | Enjoy free admission all day in celebration of the museum’s special exhibitions — don’t forget to reserve your tickets online in advance.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

NEED WEEKEND PLANS?

Weather

48º | Mostly cloudy | 13% chance of rain

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 7:09 a.m.
Set: 5:40 p.m.

Travel

Drivers won’t need to buy timed permits to visit the Waterfall Corridor in the Gorge this summer. Last year’s pilot program, which cost drivers $2 per visit, dramatically reduced traffic in the area and was deemed a success — but officials said it’s too expensive (nearly $1 million) to keep going. 🚙 (KGW)

Plan Ahead

The U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters (the Navy’s official chorus) will visit Clackamas next month. Mark your calendar for Monday, March 13 at 7 p.m. — the ensemble will perform a range of music like sea chanteys, opera, and Broadway hits at Camp Withycombe’s Assembly Hall. ⚓

Real Estate

The oldest house in Northeast Portland’s Irving neighborhood is for sale. The so-called Captain Ernest and Lizzie Irving Spencer House was completed in 1884 and relocated from its original site along the Willamette River. You can take a virtual tour of the restored residence through Sunday, March 5. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Number

2.97 million. That’s how many overnight camper visits Oregon State Parks recorded in 2022. That figure, along with 52 million day-use visits, made for the second-busiest camping and day-use year in our state’s history. More campers stayed near the valley’s large cities, opting for places like Milo McIver State Park. 🏕️

Today Is

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day. To be kind, we suggest gifting a special person in your life with a candle from Wixology or a card from Joy Paper Co. 🎁

Sports

Super Bowl weekend may be over, but NBA All-Star Weekend kicks off today, Feb. 17. See the lineup of events — like this afternoon’s All-Star Celebrity Game and Sunday’s 72nd NBA All-Star Game — and get your hands on the limited edition All-Star merch before it sells out. 🏀 *

Finance

Refinance rates are skyrocketing. But home equity rates remain relatively low — which means that now is a great time to borrow against your home. Calculate your payment. *

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THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Cambrie.

Editor’s pick: You won’t need to make off-site lunch plans the next time you visit OMSI because Theory, the restaurant inside the museum’s south end, has reopened. Visitors can enjoy cafeteria-style dining (with specialty pizzas, salads, soups, desserts, and more) while taking in the riverside views, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

The best part? You can go right back to exploring once everyone’s hunger is vanquished.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? We have the real lowdown on REAL IDs.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Cambrie Juarez, Ben McBee, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Julie Brown | Advertise with us.

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