One of the things thatâs gotten increasingly difficult to enjoy as Portlandâs population swells and great swaths of Oregon catch on fire: HIKING.
Luckily, there are still plenty of ways to hit the trail in and around Portland. Itâs good to keep a few tricks in mind to help avoid the crowds (go early in the morning, and take a âsickâ day to go on weekdays to avoid the minivan masses), and thanks to a devastating fire that tore through the Columbia River Gorge in the summer of 2017, itâs a good idea to seek out trails that arenât on the Oregon side of the Gorge. (Many of the trails that still exist are shut down for the foreseeable future, and there are stiff penalties for getting busted on closed trails.) And remember that as a result of those Oregon closures, the trails on the Washington side of the Gorge are seeing record numbers of visitorsâso if you want to spend your time looking at nature and not the ass of whomeverâs in front of you, venture further afield.
One great option: Highway 26, which runs to Portlandâs northwest and southeast, and offers a significantly less congested route to nature. Three of my favorites off 26 are Ramona Falls, Elk Meadows, and Mirror Lake.
Ramona Falls, an easy, seven-mile hike about an hour southeast of Portland, is popular for a reason: The view on the way there is stunning, and at the hikeâs chill, shady turnaround, you can get real close to a unique waterfall where water cascades and jumps down the wide, jagged face of a small cliff. If thereâs high water, it can be a bit tricky fording the Sandy Riverâbut most of the time, and so long as youâre cool balancing on logs, you should be fine.
Elk Meadows, featuring moderate hikes of varying lengths, is on the far side of Mt. Hoodâit cuts through deep forest, goes over glacier-fed creeks, climbs steep switchbacks, and winds through a fire-ravaged forest before dropping you into a peaceful network of pristine meadows and streams. Give yourself a full day for this one: Itâs easy to get turned around in the meadows, and youâll want to have plenty of time for the descent before dark.
The trail to Mirror Lake is always crowded, and also kind of sucksâlittle more than dark, drab switchbacks from a packed parking lot off 26. But once you get to the lakeâwhich, true to its name, can reflect Mt. Hood with striking clarityâyou realize why the trailâs so crowded. And after you keep going, up above the lake, the hike becomes worthwhile. It can be a trying ascent to the top of Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain (especially when itâs hot), but once you reach its rocky summit, youâll have a breathtaking view: Mirror Lake, tiny below you, and Mt. Hood, looming huge in the distance.
Highway 26 is hardly the only option. If you want to stay closer to town (or even stay in town), spots like Southwest Portlandâs Tyron Creek State Natural Area and Powell Butte or Northwest Portlandâs Forest Park offer some really great (and generally easier and more accessible) trails and views. Thereâs also Rocky Butte in Northeast, or, just north of town, Sauvie Island. Regardless of where you end up, be prepared, get a Northwest Forest Pass and a Discover Pass, and do your researchâI keep local writer Paul Geraldâs trusty 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland in my backpack, and I double-check for trail updates on oregonhikers.org.