Must See Hikes
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
This is a quick list of hikes recommended by Oregon Hikers for visiting hikers. Click the links for more detailed information.
This list is just a quick glance. There are many other worthwhile hikes in Oregon and southern Washington. (Drive times are from Portland.)
Hike | Distance | Elevation Change | Season | Drive Time | |
Adams Glacier Meadows Hike | 8.2 miles | 2315 feet | Jul-Oct | 160 minute drive | |
Hike up the west slope of Mt. Adams to high alpine meadows at High Camp | |||||
Battle Ax Loop Hike | 6.0 miles | 1765 feet | Jun-Oct | 145 minute drive | |
Scenic loop in the Bull of the Woods Wilderness, with big views from an old lookout site | |||||
Belknap Crater Hike | 6.8 miles | 1880 feet | Jul-Oct | 220 minute drive | |
Cross sere lava flows in the Mount Washington Wilderness to visit a couple of recent shield volcanoes | |||||
Blue Basin Loop Hike | 4.1 miles | 860 feet | Year round | 260 minute drive | |
A loop that takes you into a fossil-rich claystone basin and then up around its rim. | |||||
Cached Lake Loop Hike | 17.4 miles | 4740 feet | Jul-Oct | 350 minute drive | |
Lollipop backpack up a beautiful valley and then over rugged terrain in the southern Wallowas | |||||
Cape Perpetua Hike | 6.5 miles | 1100 feet | year round | 160 minute drive | |
A variety of different trails lead to churning chasms, huge spruce trees, a quiet creek, headland wildflower meadows, and scenic views | |||||
Coldwater Peak Hike | 13.8 miles | 3360 feet | Jul-Oct | 120 minute drive | |
Travel through the heart of the 1980 blast zone, and marvel at the pace of recovery as nature slowly reclaims the scoured landscape. Reach the top of Coldwater Peak for a sweeping vista of the entire Mount Margaret Backcountry, high above picturesque Saint Helens Lake. | |||||
Cooper Spur Hike | 6.4 miles | 2800 feet | Jul-Oct | 120 minute drive | |
Mount Hood's highest trail hike. Hike to a 1930s era stone shelter and beautiful views of the Eliot Glacier. | |||||
Dalles Mountain Ranch Loop Hike | 6.9 miles | 1060 feet | Year round | 95 minute drive | |
Stunning spring wildflower loop in open country on the slopes of the Columbia Hills | |||||
Dog Mountain Hike | 6.9 miles | 2800 feet | Mar-Oct | 75 minute drive | |
Steep yet popular trail to a spectacular summit. Incredible wildflower displays make this the best hike in the area during late May and early June. | |||||
Eagle Creek to Tunnel Falls Hike | 12.0 miles | 1640 feet | Year round | 45 minute drive | |
Classic and ancient trail up the Eagle Creek Gorge. Lots of waterfalls, including Punch Bowl Falls and incredible Tunnel Falls, where the trail actually tunnels behind the waterfall. Lots of cliffside hiking make this a poor choice for dogs or those scared of heights. | |||||
Elkhorn Crest Hike | 12.5 miles | 3600 feet | July-Oct | 360 minute drive | |
Stunning hike along the highest ridge in the Elkhorn Range, with views, wildflowers, lakes, and mountain goats! | |||||
Garfield Peak Hike | 3.5 miles | 1115 feet | Jul-Oct | 250 minute drive | |
Steep hike to a spectacular summit on the rim of Crater Lake. | |||||
Elk Cove from Vista Ridge Hike | 8.8 miles | 1790 feet | Jul-Oct | 120 minute drive | |
Moderate hike to wildflower meadows on the north face of Mt Hood. This trail usually opens in late June, with the best flower displays in early August. | |||||
Hager Mountain Hike | 7.4 miles | 2025 feet | May-Oct | 300 minute drive | |
Hike up through ponderosa forest and mountain meadows to an active lookout on the edge of the Great Basin | |||||
Ice Lake Hike | 15.4 miles | 3380 feet | Jul-Sep | 330 minute drive | |
Hike along a river and then up through wildflowers meadows past a series of waterfalls to a high alpine lake in the Wallowas | |||||
Jefferson Park via Park Ridge Hike | 11.2 miles | 2500 feet | Jul-Sep | 150 minute drive | |
Mount Jefferson Wilderness hike to the lake-studded parklands below Mt. Jefferson | |||||
Little Blitzen Gorge Hike | 9.9 miles | 1290 feet | Apr-Oct | 400 minute drive | |
Hike up one of the classic glaciated gorges on Steens Mountain. | |||||
Lookingglass Lake via Shorthorn Trail Hike | 11.8 miles | 2495 feet | Jul-Sep | 135 minute drive | |
Hike along the south side of Mt. Adams, beginning in a burn, to reach an isolated reflection lake | |||||
Lower Imnaha River Hike | 9.8 miles | 610 feet | Mar-Nov | 440 minute drive | |
Follow a sheer-walled canyon to the Snake River and an old mining settlement | |||||
McClellan Mountain Hike | 10.3 miles | 3030 feet | Jun-Oct | 320 minute drive | |
Ridgecrest hike on the Aldrich Mountains with an easy cross-country section | |||||
McNeil Point Hike | 10.4 miles | 2200 feet | Jul-Oct | 120 minute drive | |
Stunning views to the west highlight this hike. Another stone shelter and you can see the lights of Portland at night. | |||||
Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop Hike | 4.9 miles | 1600 feet | year round | 40 minute drive | |
Popular loop hike with 10 waterfalls. Starts at the famous Multnomah Falls Lodge. Where else you get a mocha at the trailhead? | |||||
Opal Pool-Cedar Flats Hike | 10.5 miles | 400 feet | year round | 120 minute drive | |
Water level hike on a closed road near Opal Creek. Highlights include an old mining town and an ancient grove of cedars. Overnight lodging is available in Jawbone Flats and you have to hike to get there. | |||||
Painted Canyon Loop Hike | 9.4 miles | 1145 feet | year round | 500 minute drive | |
Off-trail adventure down one desert canyon and up another, viewing spectacular rhyolite formations. Be well-prepared! | |||||
Paradise Park from Timberline Lodge Hike | 12.3 miles | 2300 feet | Jul-Oct | 120 minute drive | |
Hike through massive Zigzag Canyon to summer flower meadows. | |||||
Rogue River Hike | 39.8 miles | 3080 feet | Year round | 270 minute drive | |
Easily graded, early season backpack along the Rogue River; commercial shuttle is possible | |||||
Sahalie and Koosah Falls Loop Hike | 2.6 miles | 380 feet | May-Nov. | 135 minute drive | |
Lovely loop to several waterfalls, large and small, on the McKenzie River. | |||||
Samuel Boardman: North Island to Arch Rock Hike | 8.4 miles | 1080 feet | year round | 350 minute drive | |
A spectacular hike along the rugged coastline north of Brookings. | |||||
Sheep Canyon Loop Hike | 12.1 miles | 2975 feet | Jun-Nov | 90 minute drive | |
Varied loop on the south side of Mount Saint Helens. | |||||
Silver Star Mountain Hike | 5.7 miles | 1240 feet | Mar-Nov | 90 minute drive | |
Climb to a peak with an open 360 degree summit. Five volcanoes can be seen from here, if you can pry your eyes from the June-July wildflowers and October fall colors. | |||||
Smith Rock Summit Loop Hike | 7.7 miles | 1840 feet | Year round | 190 minute drive | |
Spectacular views of the Smith Rock area and the Cascades as you loop over Misery Ridge and back via Burma Road | |||||
Strawberry Mountain Hike | 12.6 miles | 3610 feet | Jun-Oct | 300 minute drive | |
Hike through a varied landscape with lakes, meadows, a waterfall, and wildflowers to the top of the highest peak for miles | |||||
Table Mountain from Bonneville Hike | 15.5 miles | 4320 feet | Apr-Oct | 60 minute drive | |
Very tough hike. Lot of elevation gain, including climbing a talus slope. The rewards are incredible clifftop views of the entire gorge. | |||||
Tam McArthur Rim Hike | 5.0 miles | 1200 feet | Aug-Oct | 180 minute drive | |
Short hike with a very big payoff: spectacular views of the central Cascades. | |||||
Trail of Ten Falls Loop Hike | 7.8 miles | 870 feet | Year round | 90 minute drive | |
Pleasant creekside hike featuring ten (count them ten) waterfalls. The waterfalls are more impressive in the spring, but this hike great all year. | |||||
Yocum Ridge Hike | 18.4 miles | 3880 feet | Jul-Oct | 120 minute drive | |
Challenging hike to amazing alpine viewpoints | |||||