Got a road trip in mind for spring break? Want to stretch your legs along the way? Want to sit out the traffic for a spell on the way back into town?
Here is a list of the best hikes/walks along the highways that lead out of Portland and back into town. Most of these outings are as close to the highway as possible and offer a 45-minute to two-hour stroll.
The road back into town may be clear when you're done.
I-5 north to Olympia: Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, three miles west of the freeway at Ridgefield, Wash., the Oaks to Wetlands Trail.
I-5 south to Eugene: Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge, Ankeny Hill exit just south of Salem; go west on Wintel Road to the Rail Trail at 2.2 miles and the Egret Marsh Boardwalk Tail 0.3 miles farther.
U.S. 26 east to Mount Hood: Wildwood Recreation Site in the Hoodland area, just past milepost 39; the site opens to vehicles April 3, but you can park outside the gate on the south side of U.S. 26 and walk in now.
U.S. 26 west to Seaside: The 4-County Point trailhead has a brown four counties sign on the north side of U.S. 26, at milepost 34.8 (this is 2.9 miles west of the Timber-Vernonia junction, or about 39 miles west of Portland). Hike a mile to the only place in Oregon where four counties meet.
I-84 east to Pendleton: Multnomah Falls is the obvious choice, but for smaller crowds duck off the freeway at Bonneville Dam exit 40, take the exit road to the southwest, park and hike less than one mile to Wahclella Falls.
U.S. 30 east to The Dalles: This is the scenic route that partially parallels I-84 all the way to The Dalles. The Historic Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway is loaded with great hikes, but is any better than Rowena Plateau? Take the mile long lower trail from the Rowena viewpoint, 6.5 miles east of Mosier.
U.S. 30 west to Astoria: This route lacks many options, so consider the 1.25-mile Gnat Creek Trail. Park at Gnat Creek Fish Hatchery on U.S. 30 (near milepost 78), cross the highway north and follow the creek downhill.
S.R. 14 east to White Salmon: Washington's Columbia River Gorge is loaded with hikes right along the highway. One of the easiest to reach, and always one of the best, is the staircase trail to the top of the rock in Beacon Rock State Park (35 miles west of Vancouver).
99W south to Corvallis: This is a tough one, because there is a lack of federal land for trail building along this route. The best bet is to peruse the Chehalem Parks District website for one or more of the short trails that make up the growing network of Chehalem Heritage Trails in Newberg and Dundee.
99E south to Salem: Another road with not much to choose from for hiking, but there is Molalla River State Park, an expanse of about one square mile at the confluence of the Molalla and Willamette rivers, with less than two miles of trail, north of 99E in Canby. (I last wrote about it in 1995 so the memory isn't very fresh.)
S.R. 503 north to Lewis River: Lewisville Park is right along the highway, just north of Battle Ground, Wash. The park has some short trails and grassy areas for walking. The highway also passes Moulton Falls Park (but not real closely) and eventually gives access to lots of hiking on federal land in southwest Washington.
Oregon 18 west to Lincoln City: Bite the bullet and travel well south of the highway, from Rose Lodge, for the hike to Drift Creek Falls in the Siuslaw National Forest. The 10 miles of winding road is a small price to pay for such a beautiful hike.
Oregon 6 west to Tillamook: The Kings Mountain and Wilson River trails are directly accessible from the north side of the highway near milepost 25.
Oregon 47 north to Vernonia: The Banks-Vernonia State Trail, a 22-mile paved bike route, parallels much of this highway and can easily be accessed at Banks, Manning, Buxton, Stub Stewart State Park, Tophill and Vernonia.
Oregon 213/214 south to Detroit: This road south of Oregon City past Silverton goes right past Silver Falls State Park, before eventually connecting with Oregon 22. Need I say more? And yes, you can enjoy a sampler of Silver Falls's magnificent trails and still make it to central Oregon the same day. I did last year on Dec. 31.
Oregon 224 east past Estacada: Another corridor with lots to choose from on the Mount Hood National Forest. The four miles between Fish Creek trailhead and Pup Creek Falls is one of the gems of the Clackamas River Trail.
More hikes heading out of Portland:
* Coast hikes: 10 best hikes on Oregon coast for spring break
* Gorge hikes: 10 best hikes in Columbia River Gorge for wildflowers
* High desert hikes: 10 best spring hikes in central Oregon's high desert
* Oregon city hikes: 10 best city hikes in Oregon for spring break
* Best hikes along I-5: 10 best hikes close to Interstate 5, north/south of Portland
-- Terry Richard
trichard@oregonian.com
503-221-8222; @trichardpdx