Quick facts

• Six trailheads: Banks, Manning, Buxton, Tophill, Beaver Creek, and Vernonia
• Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
• Distances between trailheads range from 3 miles to 5.2 miles
• Route type: Out-and-back with a loop around Vernonia Lake
• Elevation gain: ~1,000 ft
• Trail surface: Pavement (main trail), gravel (equestrian trails)
• Wheelchair accessible: Yes
• Open: Year-round
• Dog friendly: Yes, leashed

Brief overview

Why you should try it

Pro tips

• Rebecca Martinez in Conversation with Juliette Mohr | Monday, Jan. 29 | 7 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St., Portland | Free | Hear from the author of “Whole Medicine,” a book that provides a comprehensive framework for an ethical approach to psychedelic medicine.
• Musical Fortitude: Schumann’s Second Symphony | Monday, Jan. 29 | 7:30 p.m. | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Portland | $25-$132 | Start the week strong with an uplifting symphony filled with joy and hope; this is the final performance of three.

• Family Paint Party | Tuesday, Jan. 30 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Broadway Grill, 1700 NE Broadway, Portland | $39 | Learn how to create a watercolor masterpiece while enjoying some good food and drink.
• Drag Bingo with Peachy Springs | Tuesday, Jan. 30 | 7-9 p.m. | Living Häus Beer Co., 628 SE Belmont St., Portland | $5 | Play for cash prizes and add a little pizzazz to your week.

• Portland Trail Blazers vs. Milwaukee Bucks | Wednesday, Jan. 31 | 7 p.m. | Moda Center, 1 N. Center Court St., Portland | $65+ | Don’t wait to secure your seats to see Damian Lillard’s return to Rip City — although getting last-second tickets would be pretty on-brand.
• BIPOC Affinity Night for “What the Constitution Means to Me” | Wednesday, Jan. 31 | Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave., Portland | $25-$81 | Members of the BIPOC community and their guests are encouraged to attend this play which works through the Constitution’s impact on four generations of women.

• $19.5 million. That’s how much Portland has agreed to pay the state to clean up Columbia Slough, the 31-mile waterway between Fairview Lake and the Willamette River. Under the settlement, the Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality will oversee improvement projects, including storm water treatment and sediment rehabilitation, for the next 15 years. (OPB)

• The Portland Winter Ice Rink is ready to triple Axel into an encore. The winter activity on the western edge of the Morrison Bridge will be extending its stay through Sunday, Feb. 11. Family skate sessions (think: a slower pace) are held on the weekend.

• There are 55 days and counting until the Portland Thorns home opener, when the reigning NWSL champs NJ/NY Gotham FC — we’re still not over last year’s semifinal loss, by the way — come to Providence Park on March 24. Pick up some gear to look your best.

• Tracy Grammer will headline the 35th annual Winterfolk concert on Saturday, Feb. 3, at the 400-seat Alberta Rose Theatre. Every dollar raised by Oregon’s largest annual folk music event will benefit Transition Projects’ efforts to support Portland’s most vulnerable residents. Advance tickets will be $30, or $32 at the door.

• Portlanders are page turners. Multnomah County Library recently shared their statistics for digital book checkouts in 2023. With just over 6 million, MCL had the seventh-highest digital book circulation in the entire world. Shout out to all the well-read residents of Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, etc. too.