Travel

The Best Hikes Within 2 Hours of Portland

You could use some fresh air.

Anna Gorin/moment/getty images
Anna Gorin/moment/getty images
Anna Gorin/moment/getty images

As the grip of COVID-19 loosens, Portlanders find themselves facing an unexpected quandary. What does one do with all this free time now that things are starting to return to normal? Summer is here, so the answer is obvious: Go outside! Temperatures may be in the triple digits as you read this, but the many wooded trails within just a couple hours of the city proper provide respite from the crowds that materialized overnight outside your favorite restaurant once it abruptly reopened in some semblance of normal capacity. While the threat of COVID is allegedly on the wane, wildfires are as pressing a concern as ever, so be sure to keep an eye on local news outlets for up-to-date reporting on which section of the state is a blazing hellscape before you pack up the Subaru and head out for the day. With all that out of the way, read on for a handy rundown of our favorite places to earn your paces just outside of Portland.

Photo by Sabin Timalsena
Photo by Sabin Timalsena
Photo by Sabin Timalsena

Lower Punch Bowl Falls

Distance from PDX: 40 miles; 40 minutes of driving
Hike distance: 13.1 miles
2021 has been the year of silly “nature is healing” memes, but the return of one of the most beloved Columbia River Gorge hikes after a devastating fire torched the Eagle Creek area back in 2017 is no laughing matter. A series of butt-busting inclines wind high above the titular creek down below until the tail lets up and brings you back down to Punchbowl Falls, which is arguably one of the most iconic nature selfie spots within a 60-mile radius of Portland. The glacier melt from nearby Mt. Hood that feeds the falls is as cold as you’d expect, but it’s great for cooling off and splashing around after the trail leads hikers through several high-elevation spots with very little tree cover. The creek bed is covered in smooth rocks, so you may want to bring a pair of Keens or Tevas if you plan to wade out towards the falls. Keep an eye on Gorges Beer Co., which broke ground on an expansive facility in nearby Cascade Locks that’s expected to open at some point this summer. Until they open their doors their local mainstay neighbor Thunder Island Brewing is a dependable stop for a post-hike pint or two. 

 Tandem Ride Photography/Shutterstock
Tandem Ride Photography/Shutterstock
Tandem Ride Photography/Shutterstock

Angel’s Rest

Distance from PDX: 27 miles; 27 minutes of driving
Hike distance: 8 miles
The hike that leads up to Angel’s Rest is a perfect medium in terms of proximity to Portland, effort and reward. Located about half an hour away from Downtown, Angel’s Rest is a popular diversion among locals who want to reward visitors with an epic view at the terminus of a hike that’s sure to burn off that 1,500-calorie breakfast they just scarfed down. The ascent checks all the boxes when it comes to the scenery one would expect in the PNW, and the awe-inspiring panorama at the top is a great way to provoke thoughts of quitting the day job back home and moving out west in order to be closer to this type of action. This one gets a bit packed on weekends and late afternoons, so you may want to show up early after a trip to the nearby Shari’s, which is the regional equivalent to Denny’s that offers local farm-fresh breakfast 24 hours a day. Level Beer isn’t terribly out of the way on your return trip, and we can’t say enough good things about the extremely pleasant experience of enjoying a pint of ESB or hazy IPA in the sprawling backyard of this old greenhouse/produce stand-turned-brewery that’s just a few miles east of the airport. 

Ian Sane / Flickr
Ian Sane / Flickr
Ian Sane / Flickr

Trail of Ten Loops

Distance from PDX: 66.4 miles; ~1 hour of driving
Hike distance: 7.9 miles
If you follow any svelte yogi-influencers from Oregon on Instagram and get serious FOMO every time they post a photo of themselves doing Tree Pose amidst the spray of an epic waterfall, it’s highly likely at least a few of their jaw-dropping photos were staged in Silver Falls State Park. The Trail of Ten Loops boasts 1,100 feet of elevation gain and views from above, behind and besides 10 different waterfalls, making it one of the most majestic hikes available in the entire state. A series of truncated trails are available if you insist on bringing your dog or your kid, but you’re much better off hiring a sitter and plowing through the 7.9 mile trail in one session. Be sure to stop in Woodburn on the way back for a pint of IPA at Crosby Hop Farm’s new TopWire Hop Project, which offers a bucolic brewpub experience amidst the very same hops that were used to brew your beer.

Matt Payne/500px Prime/getty images
Matt Payne/500px Prime/getty images
Matt Payne/500px Prime/getty images

Tom, Dick and Harry Mountain

Distance from PDX: 55.1; ~1.25 hours of driving
Hike distance: 7.7 miles
The sheer convenience of access to this trail’s starting point-the Mirror Lake Trailhead, located right on US-26 a few miles before the split for Government Camp-can make finding parking tricky, but the incredible scenery offered by this 7.7 mile hike make the hassle of waking up early enough to snag a spot well worth it. Sweeping vistas of the Cascade Mountain Range in the distance  and Mirror Lake below are complemented by the pervasive scent of pine needles toasting in the sun, making it a classic Mount Hood hike with the added bonus of a few walk-up campsites near Mirror Lake available in case you brought a tent or a hammock. If you’d rather not stay the night, you’re just a few minutes away from Government Camp, Mount Hood’s premier (and only) apres-ski village that’s home to a small klatch of cafes and bars that should be back in business by mid-summer. Charlie’s Mountain View is the quintessential dive bar experience in Govy, while The Ratskeller is a tad more family-friendly and appealing for bigger appetites. 

Thye-Wee Gn/shutterstock
Thye-Wee Gn/shutterstock
Thye-Wee Gn/shutterstock

Tamanawas Falls

Distance from PDX: 87.6 miles; ~1.5 hours of driving
Hike distance: 3.3 miles
Located on the eastern base of Mount Hood, Tamanawas Falls is a quick and classic waterfall hike that’s far less crowded than those of the Columbia River Gorge. If you’re in serious need of some fall scenery that’s sometimes rare in the coniferous environs of the Pacific Northwest, the foliage that lines the East Fork of the Hood River is surprisingly diverse and especially vibrant well into early November. Take the long way home through Hood River so you can check out the “Fruit Loop,” which is a stretch of OR-35 between Mount Hood and the Columbia River that has a fruit stand, winery, or alpaca farm at seemingly every other mile marker. If you roll through in the off-season you can make beeline to Hood River instead, which is where you’ll find top-tier breweries like pFriem, Ferment, and Double Mountain selling to-go beers that are actually legal to drink in the streets of this rad little riverside town. 

Eric Prado/flickr
Eric Prado/flickr
Eric Prado/flickr

Cape Falcon

Distance from PDX: 88.5 miles; ~1.5 hours of driving
Hike distance: 4.8 miles
Oregon’s Coastal Range certainly has no shortage of awesome hikes with stunning views, but few pack as big of a punch in such a short distance as the Cape Falcon hike. Located in the truly epic Oswald West State Park, this 4.8 mile out-and-back hike starts in Arch Cape and wriggles its way through an old growth forest that’s at times perilously close to the jagged, salt-battered shoreline that give way to the bosom of the Pacific down below. The trail’s terminus offers a breathtaking view of Neahkahnie Mountain and the town of Manzanita to the South, and an endless expanse of massive trees teetering on cliffs is visible to the north. On the way back you’re better off ditching the crowded tourist trap that is Cannon Beach and heading 30 miles south to Tillamook instead. Here you’ll find legendary wild ale brewery de Garde Brewing, which is now open for both onsite consumption and to-go bottles. 

Cole Saladino/Thrillist
Cole Saladino/Thrillist
Cole Saladino/Thrillist

Lower Macleay to Pittock Mansion

Distance from PDX: 3 miles; ~10 minutes of driving
Hike distance: 5 miles
Boasting 5,100 acres of lush second growth forest only 3 miles from Downtown, Forest Park is the sole reason that being without a car or the time to delve into the deep wilderness surrounding Portland is no excuse for skipping out on a solid hike. Walk, bike, bus, or Uber your way to the Lower Macleay Trailhead, then enjoy an explosion of scenery that includes bridges, a mini-waterfall, an old brick hut littered with graffiti and other detritus of illicit teenage activity, ferns as far the eye can see, and the occasional sunbeam puncturing the misty canopy above. Just when you’ve forgotten you’re still within city limits is when you’ll arrive at Pittock Mansion, a beautifully restored mansion that’s been converted from the home of an Old Portland alderman to the site of the city’s most iconic east-facing viewpoints. When you’re done snapping selfies to prove to your friends back home that you stopped swilling beer and enjoyed some physical exertion for a few hours, head back down the hill to grab an award-winning IPA on the patio of Breakside Brewing‘s awesome new two-story location in the nearby Slabtown neighborhood. 

Diana Robinson / Flickr
Diana Robinson / Flickr
Diana Robinson / Flickr

Lost Lake

Distance from PDX: 88.3 miles; ~1.75 hours of driving
Hike distance: 3.1 miles
Most people in search of a proper photo of Mount Hood’s reflection in an alpine lake are content with a trip to the ever-popular Trillium Lake, but the extra 30 minute drive to this gem near the southeastern base of the mountain is absolutely worth it once you finally see what awaits. The water is a tad too chilly for the casual swimmer, but Lost Lake Resort rents kayaks, SUPs, and the like if you’re still itching to glide across those glassy waters and bake in the hot sun. Bring a tent or hammock on the off chance that a walk-in site just a ways up the Buck Peak Trail is available, then commit a few extra hours to exploring that and the Huckleberry Mountain Trail, which joins up with the legendary Pacific Crest Trail just a couple miles in. 

J. Maughn / Flickr
J. Maughn / Flickr
J. Maughn / Flickr

Tryon Creek

Distance from PDX: 5.7 miles; ~15 minutes of driving
Hike distance: 5.7 miles
Much like Forest Park, Tryon Creek State Natural Area is a dense patch of misty forest that may as well be hundreds of miles from civilization. If it weren’t for the park’s steady stream of rich boomers and stoned youngsters from nearby Lake Oswego and Lewis and Clark College, respectively, it would be quite easy to spend a day here and wonder if you fell through a hole in the universe and wound up on your own episode of Lost at some point. The nearby strip mall on Terwilliger is where you’ll find Chez José, a favorite of every alum of Wilson High School who thinks their stiff margaritas and bountiful to-go options are Southwest Portland’s best-kept secret for no-frills Mexican fare. Now they’re not. You’re welcome.

Evan Lovely/flickr
Evan Lovely/flickr
Evan Lovely/flickr

Ramona Falls

Distance from PDX: 52.1 miles; ~1.25 hours of driving
Hike distance: 7.1 miles
The hike to Ramona Falls is not for the faint of heart, but a quick image search of this iconic waterfall located at the western base of Mount Hood will reveal why fording the Sandy River to get a peak is totally worth it. Anyone who grew up playing Oregon Trail should leap at the opportunity to ford an actual river in Oregon, and although you’re likely to get wet while doing it, people have certainly done crazier things in search of nature’s greatest attractions. That being said, wear a pair of river shoes and bring a friend, because dying while in pursuit of sick nature scenes is not the Oregon way. The openness of the various roadside dives that dot US-26 is a crapshoot at this point, but you shouldn’t have too much trouble grabbing a quick bite on the way home at Wraptitude or Koya Kitchen, both of which are within just a few minutes of the trailhead in nearby Welches.

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on InstagramTwitter, PinterestYouTubeTikTok, and Snapchat.

Pete Cottell is a writer and barista who’s been making fun of Portland since he emigrated here from Ohio in 2013. Follow his escapades at @VanifestDestiny.

Travel

Ditch your Phone for ‘Dome Life’ in this Pastoral Paradise Outside Port Macquarie 

A responsible, sustainable travel choice for escaping big city life for a few days.

nature domes port macquarie
Photo: Nature Domes

The urge to get as far away as possible from the incessant noise and pressures of ‘big city life’ has witnessed increasingly more of us turn to off-grid adventures for our holidays: Booking.com polled travellers at the start of 2023 and 55% of us wanted to spend our holidays ‘off-grid’.  Achieving total disconnection from the unyielding demands of our digitised lives via some kind of off-grid nature time—soft or adventurous—is positioned not only as a holiday but, indeed, a necessity for our mental health. 

Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, an accommodation collection of geodesic domes dotted across a lush rural property in Greater Port Macquarie (a few hours’ drive from Sydney, NSW), offers a travel experience that is truly ‘off-grid’. In the figurative ‘wellness travel’ sense of the word, and literally, they run on their own independent power supply—bolstered by solar—and rely not on the town grid. 

Ten minutes before you arrive at the gates for a stay at Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, your phone goes into ‘SOS ONLY’. Apple Maps gives up, and you’re pushed out of your comfort zone, driving down unsealed roads in the dark, dodging dozens of dozing cows. Then, you must ditch your car altogether and hoist yourself into an open-air, all-terrain 4WD with gargantuan wheels. It’s great fun being driven through muddy gullies in this buggy; you feel like Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park.  As your buggy pulls in front of your personal Nature Dome, it’s not far off that “Welcome…to Jurassic Park” jaw-dropping moment—your futuristic-looking home is completely engulfed by thriving native bushland; beyond the outdoor campfire lie expansive hills and valleys of green farmland, dotted with sheep and trees. You’re almost waiting to see a roaming brachiosaurus glide past, munching on a towering gum tree…instead, a few inquisitive llamas trot past your Dome to check out their new visitor. 

To fully capture the awe of inhabiting a geodesic dome for a few days, a little history of these futuristic-looking spherical structures helps. Consisting of interlocking triangular skeletal struts supported by (often transparent) light walls, geodesic domes were developed in the 20th century by American engineer and architect R. Buckminster Fuller, and were used for arenas. Smaller incarnations have evolved into a ‘future-proof’ form of modern housing: domes are able to withstand harsh elements due to the stability provided by the durable materials of their construction and their large surface area to volume ratio (which helps minimize wind impact and prevents the structure from collapsing). As housing, they’re also hugely energy efficient – their curved shape helps to conserve heat and reduce energy costs, making them less susceptible to temperature changes outside. The ample light let in by their panels further reduces the need for artificial power. 

Due to their low environmental impact, they’re an ideal sustainable travel choice. Of course, Tom’s Creek Nature Domes’ owner-operators, Cardia and Lee Forsyth, know all this, which is why they have set up their one-of-a-kind Nature Domes experience for the modern traveller. It’s also no surprise to learn that owner Lee is an electrical engineer—experienced in renewable energy—and that he designed the whole set-up. As well as the off-grid power supply, rainwater tanks are used, and the outdoor hot tub is heated by a wood fire—your campfire heats up your tub water via a large metal coil. Like most places in regional Australia, the nights get cold – but rather than blast a heater, the Domes provide you with hot water bottles, warm blankets, lush robes and heavy curtains to ward off the chill.

nature domes port macquarie
Photo: Nature Domes

You’ll need to be self-sufficient during your stay at the Domes, bringing your own food. Support local businesses and stock up in the town of Wauchope on your drive-in (and grab some pastries and coffee at Baked Culture while you’re at it). There’s a stovetop, fridge (stocked as per a mini bar), BBQs, lanterns and mozzie coils, and you can even order DIY S’More packs for fireside fun. The interiors of the Domes have a cosy, stylish fit-out, with a modern bathroom (and a proper flushing toilet—none of that drop bush toilet stuff). As there’s no mobile reception, pack a good book or make the most of treasures that lie waiting to be discovered at every turn: a bed chest full of board games, a cupboard crammed with retro DVDs, a stargazing telescope (the skies are ablaze come night time). Many of these activities are ideal for couples, but there’s plenty on offer for solo travellers, such as yoga mats, locally-made face masks and bath bombs for hot tub soaks. 

It’s these thoughtful human touches that reinforce the benefit of making a responsible travel choice by booking local and giving your money to a tourism operator in the Greater Port Macquarie Region, such as Tom’s Creek Nature Domes. The owners are still working on the property following the setbacks of COVID-19, and flooding in the region —a new series of Domes designed with families and groups in mind is under construction, along with an open-air, barn-style dining hall and garden stage. Once ready, the venue will be ideal for wedding celebrations, with wedding parties able to book out the property. They’ve already got one couple—who honeymooned at the Domes—ready and waiting. Just need to train up the llamas for ring-bearer duties! 

An abundance of favourite moments come to mind from my two-night stay at Tom’s Creek: sipping champagne and gourmet picnicking at the top of a hill on a giant swing under a tree, with a bird’s eye view of the entire property (the ‘Mountain Top picnic’ is a must-do activity add on during your stay), lying on a deckchair at night wrapped in a blanket gazing up at starry constellations and eating hot melted marshmallows, to revelling in the joys of travellers before me, scrawled on notes in a jar of wishes left by the telescope (you’re encouraged to write your own to add to the jar). But I’ll leave you with a gratitude journal entry I made while staying there. I will preface this by saying that I don’t actually keep a gratitude journal, but Tom’s Creek Nature Domes is just the kind of place that makes you want to start one. And so, waking up on my second morning at Tom’s —lacking any 4G bars to facilitate my bad habit of a morning Instagram scroll—I finally opened up a notebook and made my first journal entry:

‘I am grateful to wake up after a deep sleep and breathe in the biggest breaths of this clean air, purified by nature and scented with eucalyptus and rain. I am grateful for this steaming hot coffee brewed on a fire. I feel accomplished at having made myself. I am grateful for the skittish sheep that made me laugh as I enjoyed a long nature walk at dawn and the animated billy goats and friendly llamas overlooking my shoulder as I write this: agreeable company for any solo traveller. I’m grateful for total peace, absolute stillness.” 

Off-grid holiday status: unlocked.

Where: Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, Port Macquarie, 2001 Toms Creek Rd
Price: $450 per night, book at the Natura Domes website.

Get the latest from Thrillist Australia delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe here.

Related

Our Best Stories, Delivered Daily
The best decision you'll make all day.