Recreation

When the wind dies on your kite session, shower beneath the 90-degree water that has been baking in the dry sun from your portable camp shower, grab a fresh burrito and a bag of Rainier Cherries from the local stand at the northern edge of town and pull the skateboard out for some concrete surfing.

Difficulty: All levels and abilities

Season: The dry season begins in June and typically lasts into the Indian summer of September.

Fees: The park is free and open to the public all year long.

47500 Anthony Lake Highway | North Powder, OR | 541.856.3277
Terrain: 900 vertical drop
Lifts: one triple chairlift, one handletow
Nordic: 13 kilometers of groomed trails

The conical shaped Mt. Hood, the highest peak in Oregon, rises 11,235 feet and is just 35 miles to the south of Hood River. This picturesque board sport hamlet of Hood River is situated on the steep banks of a narrow, lush river valley - the famed Columbia River Gorge. The Columbia River splits two towering icons just beyond the gorge, Mt Hood to the south and Mt. Adams to the north.

Drive the highest road in Oregon to viewpoints of mile-high cliffs and canyons in the desert.

About the Hike: Three short paths lead to viewpoints of Kiger Gorge, the East Rim, and Steens Summit. A longer trail descends to Wildhorse Lake, in a treeless bowl of wildflowers.

Difficulty: Altogether, the three viewpoint trails are an easy, 1-mile hike with 250 feet of elevation gain. The trip to Wildhorse Lake is a moderate 2.4-mile hike with 1100 feet of elevation loss.

Explore a creek with a dozen small waterfalls, following a trail on catwalks bolted to the cliffs

About the Hike: Just a few miles inland from Florence, the waterfalls of this dramatic Coast Range gorge are accessed by an easy trail. Visit in April or May to see woodland wildflowers, including big white trilliusm and a rare breed of pink fawn lilies.

Difficulty: The easy, 2.2-mile round-trip trail to Sweet Creek Falls gains just 350 feet of elevation.

Season: Open all year.

The Old Salmon River Trail provides an easy hike through old-growth forest

About the Hike: A few miles upstream from the Wildwood Recreation Area, this quiet riverside path traverses an old-growth forest with 10-foot-thick red cedars and leads to small sandy beaches with deep green pools suitable for a chilly summer swim. Because a paved road parallels the route, it's easy to arrange a car shuttle so you can hike the 2.6-mile trail one way.

"I behold the grandest and most pleasing prospect which my eyes ever surveyed."

- Capt. William Clark

About the Hike: The farthest point reached by the Lewis and Clark expedition was not at the mouth of the Columbia River, but rather 20 miles south at Tillamook Head, where they went hiking in search of whale blubber.

Sample the 37.6-mile Timberline Trail that circles Mt. Hood, starting with a short section from the mountain's historic 1937 lodge.

About the Hike: From Mt. Hood's Timberline Lodge, three particularly tempting goals await hikers. Short trail climb to the Silcox Hut and visit the Zigzag Canyon overlook. Plan a longer day hike or a backpack for the trek to Paradise Park's spectacular wildflower meadows.

Terrain: 8,540-foot top elevation, 3,590-foot vertical drop
Lifts: six chairlifts: 4 quads, 1 triple, 1 double
Nordic: Telemark skiing on downhill trails; no cross-country trails. 
Highlights: Timberline Lodge, Oregon's only slope-side lodging, is a national historic landmark that draws skiers from around the world. Timberline is open year round - the longest ski season in North America - and serves as the summer training site for the US Ski Team.

Timberline Lodge, OR | 503.622.7979

Terrain: 6,464-foot top elevation, 764-foot vertical drop
Lifts: one triple, one surface
Nordic: 1.5-mile of groomed trails
Highlights: Powder hounds searching for some of Oregon's fluffiest white stuff, look no further. With no lift lines, beginners, advanced skiers and snowboarders will find they have lots of time on the wide-open slopes

Highway 140 E | Lakeview, OR | 541.947.5001