The trailheads for these two hikes are each just off Hwy 26 a bit - an easy hour drive or so from my Portland home that make for quick getaways.
Devil's Peak from Still Creek TH
With a 90°+F forecast for Portland I wanted a workout that ended before the afternoon heat took hold. Relatively short but steep trail climbs fast. Had lunch at the pullout viewsite about half mile below the Lookout: Mt. Hood plus Adams, Rainier, St. Helens.
Trail in great shape. Once it was rare to see others on this trek: maybe a dozen or so this Saturday. Easy access mostly paved - single lane with one blind spot, then short gravel.
A great go to hike.
Paradise Park 778 to Namesake
Hadn't done this route in years - now from the new TH. Easy all paved route to TH. Started bit before 8am. Trail is a bit schizophrenic. First almost flat, then standard graded switchbacks, then flat with a slight descent, then straight up, so on and so forth - but never too demanding. About half mile below junction with Zigtrail Trail you travel through an impressive blowdown event. Many logs cleared awhile ago, but there's a dozen or so across the trail since to work over and under that slows down one down a bit - nothing overwhelming.
You can make great pace on this route - as a couple of runners did. And it does give one a great cross-section of the forest as FG argues.
Wildflowers start a bit after Zigzag connection, and there's a polyphony of bees humming the stunning meadows between PCT and Paradise Park Loop. Lots of happy folks in the park, but 778 is a quiet way there - 14 before PCT - half descending after an overnight in the Park.
I slowed down a lot in wildflower country - ambled about and had a long lunch. Back around 3pm same way I came.