Gorgeous hikes near Portland, Oregon such as Multnomah Falls, Horsetail Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Latourell Falls are located to the east on Vietnam Veterans Memorial Hwy 84. The falls are different from one another but spectacular nevertheless offering impressive scenery and hikes to reach them. Other hikes like the Wildwood Trails near Pittock Mansion are to the west of Portland. It’s accessible by bus for a nature walk near the city. Regardless of where you decide to go, the lush trees and greenery will make you happy to be outdoors.
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Multnomah Falls
Washrooms: They are located near the path to the falls.
Multnomah Falls, found in the Columbia River Gorge showcases the long vertical waterfall with a bridge halfway up. It’s just as beautiful in person as seen in pictures. The picture above is taken from the base of the falls. Reaching the falls will take patience as this popular trail is packed with people leading up to the falls. Many tour buses along with tourists will stop at this stunning location. Heading to the falls and the bridge could be a single file to accommodate everyone.
Hiking Further
If you decide to go higher, it’s still pretty if you take pictures from the bridge but you’ll only be able to capture the top half of the fall without the bridge, making it less spectacular. You’ll likely get sprayed with water from the bridge as the waterfall is powerful. It’s interesting to check out but more worthwhile to hike even further for better views of the valley if you have time. Plus, it’s always nice to get some exercise and see a bit more as opposed to only the touristy areas.
Tip: Taking pictures without people in it could be tricky unless you zoom in or go early and arrive before 9 A.M. to avoid the crowds. Without the crowds, it’s also a more pleasant experience having the whole place mostly to yourself.
This narrow trail is found above the bridge. Past the falls along this trail, the crowds dwindle and you can enjoy the peace in nature. The lush green trees along the sides will accompany you on your hike. You’ll be able to see one-hundred and eighty degrees around you.
Awareness
Tip #1: Be careful of the sides as they are steep and it can be easy to slip off the edge. On a rainy day, the slopes will be extremely slippery. Caution is advised.
Tip #2: If you’re with a tour bus, they’ll likely tell you not to go further past this point as you’ll be limited on time. Even though this part of the trail is a peaceful area with limited tourists, remember that heading back will likely be slow with people hiking at different paces making it difficult to hurry back down the trail to your meeting point.
Parking: There is a large parking lot for vehicles, buses and trailers as seen in the picture above.
The views are nicer the higher up you go. This is looking back to the parking lot from higher up the trail.
Horsetail Falls
Washrooms: There are no washrooms available at this location.
Parking: There is a small parking lot for vehicles. RVs and trailers will find it difficult to park unless they can find parking on the road. But, even then the roads are narrow, so that might not be an option.
There isn’t any hiking required at this location. There’s a small viewing area to take pictures of the falls. You can head downwards near the base of the falls for a closeup. It’s a nice sight to see this fall. Every camera angle will bring out the beauty in the water and the greenery around you. This is a great destination for those who have limited mobility, as the falls are near the road.
Bridal Veil Falls
Washrooms: Washrooms are available.
Parking: The parking lot across from the Bridal Veil Lodge Bed And Breakfast accommodates a medium-sized parking area.
Bridal Veil Falls is a short thirty-minute hike there and back. The trail is easy to walk on with some elevation gain as you head down into a ravine and back up on your return. The trail is a bit wider than at Multnomah Falls, so it’s easier to pass hikers on the trail or walk side-by-side. This hike feels less crowded than Multnomah Falls even with people exploring. There’s enough space to walk around and not on top of each other.
Hiking to Bridal Veil Falls will allow you to stretch your legs and get outside your vehicle to spend time in nature. You can choose to spend additional time if you want to sit by the water and have a snack or enjoy your partner’s company. A viewing platform invites you to take scenic pictures of this waterfall.
Hiking down lower to the base of the waterfall will give you a different perspective and allow you to take pictures of the gorgeous creek too.
It’s a great place to check out different plants in the forest. Our guide educated us on various plants that were growing in the surroundings.
Latourell Falls
Washrooms: There are no washrooms available at this trailhead.
Parking: There is a small parking lot for vehicles. Our tour bus parked on the street.
We took a longer walk by going underneath a bridge to exercise our legs and capture different camera angles of our surroundings from under the bridge. Hiking back up to the falls, we were greeted by this magnificent Latourell Falls towering above us. The rock with yellow moss growing at the top and green trees on the sides, really made the waterfall stand out in this spectacular setting. This waterfall created a lot of pressure. Stepping close to it caused us to get a bit wet.
Half-Day Columbia River Gorge and Waterfall Hiking Tour
If you are intrigued by the falls mentioned above and would like to include hikes near Portland while you’re travelling, the half-day Columbia River Gorge and Waterfall Hiking Tour is an awesome option. With a guide, they’ll take care of the driving so you don’t have to worry about finding each waterfall. Taking a metro bus can be complicated to figure out if you are unfamiliar with the region. We were brought to many popular waterfalls in the area. This hike was awesome because it included some hiking which I appreciated.
I met some wonderful people making my morning an amazing excursion. This tour is also offered as an afternoon activity if you prefer. It was fantastic to have everything taken care of for me. On this particular occasion, travelling as a single lady, it made me feel safe and at ease that I would still be able to see the waterfalls I wanted to experience without having to worry about transportation there and back.
Wildwood Trails
Wildwood Trails are a thirty-minute drive by bus from downtown which makes them accessible. The one downside, however, in my experience, is the bus to the trailhead can only be reached by walking on the side of the residential road without sidewalks. Maybe there are trails in the woods that connect the two but I was unsuccessful in finding them. That made it a bit tricky to reach them.
A Positive
On the plus side, there are forty-eight kilometres of beautiful trails. This trailhead starts at the back of Pittock Mansion parking lot, to the right.
Tip: The trailhead can be hard to find. When looking back from Pittock Mansion, one sign leads the trail to nowhere. Keep walking until you see the sign shown above. The map shows you the different directions you can take for your walk.
The trails are nice and wide and open in the forest. You can always see where you’re headed. With many kilometres, it isn’t very often that you run into people. Of course, that can also depend on the time of day and week you decide to walk. It’s probably busier in the evenings and weekends as opposed to during the middle of the week in the daytime.
These trails were nice and peaceful to walk around for a couple of hours.
When it rains, it’s possible to suddenly get cold. Make sure to have additional layers such as Merino 250 Top Base Layer and Arc’teryx Covert Cardigan to keep you warm.
There are signs throughout the trail system indicating which way to go.
Tip: I encourage you to keep your data on your cell phone when navigating through these trails. Sometimes there are visual signs but at other times, there are only written signs. If you don’t know the area, it can get confusing quickly. The last thing you need is to get lost somewhere along these trails!
Final Thoughts
Which hikes near Portland, Oregon would you like to experience? Do you feel comfortable renting a car or taking the metro to figure out where you can find the falls or would you prefer to take a guided tour to have everything taken care of for you? Wildwood Trails are nice and conveniently located near the city in case you need to take a city bus. There is so much lush greenery in these forests that it feels awesome to spend time outdoors in nature near Portland. There are so many opportunities to take gorgeous pictures of different waterfalls and trails. Time to plan a trip and decide where you’d like to hike in this area!
Additional Links
- The Best Activities in Maui for Couples
- 3-Day Trip to New York: Must-See
- Outdoor Media Summit: Feel Alive
- City to Wilderness Hiking: Where to Start?
- Gorgeous Hiking to Laughing Falls
Trip Ressources
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- Book your hotel with Booking.com or Hotels.com
- Book your vacation rental with Vrbo
- Book your experiences through TripAdvisor or Manawa
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