This hike in Southwest Washington begins at Moulton Falls Park and goes up to the summit of Bells Mountain through mossy forests and open formerly logged sections with views towards the Silver Star Mountain area.
Wanting a good conditioning hike on a foggy and rainy day, we got a little more adventure than we anticipated when it got pitch dark for the last two miles of our hike.
While camping at Silver Falls State Park over the New Year's holiday, I explored trails in the park's backcountry. There are no waterfalls in this part of the park, but there is plenty of beauty and solitude.
Cape Lookout is a narrow headland that juts westward into the Pacific for over two miles. This hike to the end of the cape is moderate due to the trail condition – full of roots to maneuver and often very muddy – but worth it for the views.
This hike in the Oregon Coast Range features a long suspension bridge over a narrow canyon with a waterfall. And if that wasn't enough, the forest is filled with cedars and Sitka Spruce trees dripping with lichens.
In late October to early November, western larches turn brilliant shades of yellow and gold before dropping their needles. This loop hike on the east side of Mount Hood has masses of them.
The Elk Creek Trail is a quiet, forested route on an old logging road that parallels Elk Creek before ascending a ridge of Elk Mountain.
The Elk Creek Trail is a quiet, forested route in Oregon's Coast Range on an old logging road that parallels Elk Creek before ascending a ridge of Elk Mountain.
Located on the east side of Mount Hood, this trail begins at the Mount Hood Meadows ski area and features a former lookout at Elk Mountain and spacious meadows with a view of the mountain.
Popular with mountain bikers, the Gales Creek trail follows Gales Creek through a coastal rainforest of Douglas fir and red alders, with a thick understory of ferns and oxalis.
Ancient old-growth trees and a suspension bridge over the Ohanapecosh River are the highlights of this short hike in Mount Rainier National Park.
Hike though the blast zone at Mount St. Helens to Harry's Ridge to see the area's remarkable recovery since the 1980 eruption.
Located on the west side of Indian Heaven Wilderness, this moderate hike to Blue Lake from the Thomas Lake trailhead is filled with brilliant fall color and subalpine splendor.
The Indian Racetrack was used by native tribes for hundreds of years. They gathered here in the summer to hunt, forage huckleberries, and race horses in the open meadow. Continue to the Red Mountain Lookout for panoramic views of the Cascades.
The Cone Peak and Iron Mountain Trails are part of the Old Cascades and feature an abundance of wildflowers throughout the summer.
Located on the east side of Mount Hood in the Badger Creek Wilderness, Lookout Mountain is accessible via several trails that lead to the top – this is the shortest route from the High Prairie trailhead.
Located next to the Clackamas River near Estacada, the trails at Milo McIver State Park are great for rainy day hikes with the sound of the river and green forests full of moss.
McNeil Point, located on the northwest side of Mount Hood, is a subalpine and alpine area filled with meadows and great views of the mountain and surrounding ridges.
The Naches Peak loop is an easy hike through subalpine beauty filled with wildflowers and views of surrounding peaks.
If you can only do one hike at Mount Rainier National Park, this incredibly scenic loop takes you from the meadows at Paradise to high above treeline on the mountain.
On the south side of Mount St. Helens, take an easy hike to June Lake with a waterfall spilling into it. Or if you like scrambling, continue to the Loowit Trail and climb over large lava boulders to Chocolate Falls.
The tallest waterfall in Oregon's Coast Range, Munson Creek Falls drops 319 feet in several tiers.
I've been wanting to explore more of the rivers and rainforests on the Olympic Peninsula, so four friends and I rented a cabin on Hood Canal for a long weekend.
The trail to the summit of Kings Mountain is steep – with 2,500 ft of elevation gain in 2.5 miles. At the top are expansive views of Oregon's Coast Range. Don't forget to sign the summit register!