Quick facts

• Starting point: Lower, Middle, or Upper Falls trailheads
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Distance: 8.6 miles
• Route type: Loop
• Elevation gain: ~1,000 ft
• Trail surface: Dirt
• Wheelchair accessible: No
• Open: Year-round
• Dog friendly: Yes, on leash
• Parking permit: Northwest Forest Pass + Lewis River Recreation Area Ticket

Brief overview

Why you should try it

Pro tips

• Chamber Music Northwest Summer Festival: “Très Coloré et Élégant” | Tuesday, July 18 | 12 p.m. | PSU Lincoln Recital Hall, Room 75, 1620 SW Park Ave., Portland | $10-$30 | Listen as poetry meets music in this recital featuring songs from “Our Long War” by composer David Serkin Ludwig.

• Summer Nights | Wednesday, July 19 | 5-9 p.m. | Historic Parkrose, 10402 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland | Free | Do some shopping at the night market, listen to live music, order food from a local vendor, and join family-friendly interactive activities.
• Duckworth Summer Wednesdays | Wednesday, July 19 | 6-9 p.m. | Kevin J. Duckworth Memorial Dock, Eastbank Esplanade, Portland | Free | Join the Human Access Project and Lloyd EcoDistrict for a safe evening swim in the Willamette River while lifeguards and DJ PopCartPDX keep things safe and fun.

• Waterfront Park Concert Series | Thursday, July 20 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Vancouver Waterfront Park, 695 Waterfront Way, Vancouver | Free | Soak in sweeping views of the Columbia River and music by the Bobby Torres Ensemble — or pull up in your boat to enjoy the show from the water.

• 4 Days of Aloha | Friday, July 21-Sunday, July 23 | Times vary | Esther Short Park, 605 Esther St., Vancouver | $8-$75 | Bring the whole ‘ohana (family) for workshops on weaving coconut frond hats and dying clothing using native Hawaiian plants, plus enjoy concerts, cultural performances, and mouth-watering island cuisine.
• Zoo Nights | Friday, July 21 | 5:30-9 p.m. | Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd., Portland | $19-$24 | Spend a warm evening outdoors, eating good food, sipping on locally crafted beverages, and listening to live music from Hit Machine.

• Thursday, Sept. 7: Ann Patchett in conversation with Cheryl Strayed
• Thursday, Sept. 21: Portland Arts & Lectures, their five-part speaker series, kicks off with Zadie Smith
• Tuesday, Oct. 17: An Evening with Barbara Kingsolver

• A brush fire started late in the afternoon of Sunday, July 16, southeast of Estacada. Firefighters estimated the blaze had grown to about 40 acres by the following morning, prompting evacuation notices for nearby areas. Updates can be found on the Estacada Fire District’s Facebook page.

• The northbound lanes of I-405 across the Fremont Bridge will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. every night through Thursday, July 20. Traffic will be diverted onto US 30 westbound just before the bridge while ODOT crews carry out scheduled inspections. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

• Canines are a common sight on Cannon Beach. Felines weighing 100-odd pounds? Not so much. Authorities closed part of the beach after a cougar was spotted on Haystack Rock over the weekend. Tracks were later found leading away from the landmark, which is popular with nesting seabirds, and the area was reopened. (KGW)

• Next month, the Vanport Jazz Festival will pay tribute to its namesake city and those who were killed or displaced by the flood that destroyed it. Artists like Mike Phillips, Boney James, and Goapele will perform Friday, Aug. 4 and Saturday, Aug. 5, at the Colwood Golf Center in the Cully neighborhood. (KOIN)

• Shop for plants and enjoy sweet Filipino treats at a brand-new business in the Woodstock neighborhood. The Botanical Bakeshop houses two BIPOC- and women-owned businesses: Daphne’s Botanicals, which offers potted plants designed for small living spaces, and Shop Halo Halo, which sells traditional and modern Filipino pastries. (KOIN)

• A 1.15-acre plot of land in the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood is overflowing with produce and community. The space, dubbed Black Futures Farm, is working to “heal the connection between Black people and the land.” Approx. 90% of the produce grown on the farm is donated. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

• Our new must-have for concerts and baseball games this summer: this clear, stadium-approved backpack. Psst — It’s also great for football games in the fall.*