To help you kick start some seasonal exploration, here are three suggested “starter hikes” near Portland, Oregon: Powell Butte, Dry Creek Falls, and Mosier Plateau. Each hike highlights features that outdoor adventurers frequently seek in the region.

These hikes were also selected in answer to the questions I hear most often: What is an easy hike I can start with? Where can I hike with my family? Where can I hike with my dog? There are a mountain of caveats to each of those questions, too; one person’s idea of “easy” might not be another’s. A family might include small children, or elderly grandparents. And just because dogs are allowed on a trail, it doesn’t mean that trail is necessarily for all dogs.

I’ve tried to pick locations that are easily accessible to the widest audience, but always consider the abilities of your group before starting any hike. Be sure to pack essentials, snacks, and water, too! It pays to be prepared on even the easy hikes.

Powell Butte Summit Loop Hike

• Total Distance: 3 miles
• Elevation Gain: 220 ft
• Time from Downtown Portland: 25 minutes

Powell Butte is a favorite location when I want to escape to a green space and don’t necessarily have the time to go very far. In fact, you can reach the trails via TriMet (the local transit system) on Route 9. This does add a bit of an uphill walk to the overall distance & elevation. The parking lot is spacious and includes a plaza with restrooms and water fountains. The main trail, marked as the Mountain View Trail, is a paved, wheelchair-accessible route leading up to a circular structure called the Mountain Finder at the top of the butte, but the trails are all dirt and gravel after that. On a clear day, you can see many prominent volcanoes and the Mountain Finder will help you identify each.

Don’t be fooled by Powell Butte’s location within city limits; a great deal of work has been done to return this area to a natural state beyond its visitor amenities. Wildlife sightings including deer, coyotes, rabbits, long-tailed weasels, and a wide variety of bird species are common. In spring & summer months, wildflowers bloom both in the summit grasslands and surrounding forests. If you’re looking for something a bit longer or with more elevation, strike out along one of the many intersecting trails to explore the forested slopes of the butte. You can find more about this location, including a brochure and maps, via Portland Parks & Recreation.

Dry Creek Falls Hike

• Total Distance: 4.4 miles
• Elevation Gain: 725 ft
• Time from Downtown Portland: 45 minutes

With summer temperatures on the rise, a forested hike to a plummeting waterfall may be just what you are looking for! The hike to Dry Creek Falls along the Pacific Crest Trail is a great example of what the Columbia River Gorge has to offer if you turn away from the views. Starting from the Bridge of the Gods Trailhead in Cascade Locks, you’ll have a decent amount of parking plus a restroom. If this lot is full, you can also try the smaller Cascade Locks Trailhead nearby. Both require a Northwest Forest Pass, which is $5 for the day or $30 annually.

You’ll cross the road and dip beneath an overpass to pick up the PCT, and the trail is fairly well marked. It won’t take long after you pass into the forest for the sounds of traffic to fade. This area was impacted by the Eagle Creek Fire in 2017, and the damage is very obvious as you pass burned tree stumps and spy landslides not far off the trail. The trail itself is in good condition despite the fire, thanks to work by countless volunteers in the region; although a great deal of restoration was done, always keep an eye out for potential dangers like weakened trees or unsteady terrain. It’s more important than ever to stay on the trail here so as to not contribute to erosion while the local plant life continues to recover. And what a recovery! One of the things that makes this hike so enjoyable right now is being able to see all the new life coming back into the area. Don’t miss the colorful spots of summer wildflowers amid all that green.

You will hear Dry Creek Falls before you can see it, taking a right off the PCT just before you would otherwise cross a wooden footbridge; following this trail just about a quarter of a mile will take you to the base of a towering waterfall within a natural basalt amphitheater. There is also some remaining machinery from when this was at one time a water source for the city of Cascade Locks. You can find more details on this route to Dry Creek Falls via OregonHikers.org. If you are feeling up for a longer hike, just cross the foot bridge and continue as long as you’d like along the Pacific Crest Trail.

Mosier Plateau Hike

• Total distance: 3.5 miles
• Elevation Gain: 760 ft
• Time from Downtown Portland: 75 minutes

As spring gives way to summer, the sunny yellow balsamroot blooms that are one of the big draws to this part of the Columbia River Gorge will fade – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still worth a visit. Mosier Plateau, located in the city of Mosier, is another location that gives a little bit of a lot of things that regional hikes have to offer. There is plentiful parking between Highway 30 and the railroad tracks, as well as a restroom at the Totem Pole Park. You’ll walk a short distance East down Highway 30, crossing a one-lane bridge (don’t worry, there is plenty of room for pedestrians) before coming to the well-marked trailhead.

You’ll make your way not-too-steeply uphill through a pioneer cemetery, and have an excellent view of a canyon and Mosier Creek Falls from vantage points along the trail. Continue along the hillside, where you will find a few switchbacks plus some well-placed stairs, to the top of the plateau. From here, there are breathtaking views of the gorge to be admired; follow the trail further to find a small loop that takes you to a lower section of the plateau and additional views. Learn more about this trail from Friends of the Columbia Gorge, the foundation which manages this and many other sites in the area.

Would you like to know more?

I have hiked all three of these locations and many others nearby; if you would like to know more about any of them, leave a comment or shoot me a message. I would love to hear from you!

If you’re looking for other hikes to consider, check out my blog posts Autumn Gorge Waterfall Hikes and Portland-Area Winter Hikes!