oregon

2024 Hike 3: White River Falls State Park

Located about a hundred miles east of Portland is a magical place called White River Falls State Park. From Portland, you can take the freeway through the Columbia River Gorge or the highway that snakes up and around Mt. Hood. Once you’re at the park, you’ll notice it’s not your typical Oregon terrain.

View from the observation area

The area felt a little more like New Mexico or Northern Nevada to me than Oregon, and I’m excited if this i the gateway to the eastern part of the state where the desert is located.

Not your typical Oregon terrain

The park has two parking lots, one is only open seasonally. There are bathrooms and a little picnic area. The highlight, obviously, is the viewpoint to see the main falls area. There’s a huge area with a fence to see the roaring waterfall.

The trail down

Take the trail, and follow it down to into the canyon, and you’ll see the falls from a new angle with a new waterfall added in. Keep going, along the river, and you’ll see the lower falls and subsequent rapids downstream. Take the walk and sit by the edge of the river. Take in the sounds and sights.

A View of Celestial Falls (with the main falls in the background) at about 1/3 of the way down the trail

I sat by the river for a while, feeling the spray from the lower falls and listening to the water splash into the rocks. I watched how the water flowed over the edge and how the clouds moved through the sky.

The Lower Falls

The trail itself is around a mile to the lower falls and back. It’s all uphill on the way ack, and not universally accessible. If you go when the weather is warm, take plenty of water.

52 Hikes and Looking Forward

First things first, I did not complete the 52 Hike Challenge for 2022. I tried, for a few months, and subtly gave up. I don’t love Dallas/Ft. Worth hiking, I didn’t take a lot of trips, and I just wasn’t feeling the temperatures. The hikes that did happen in 2022 were great and mostly occurred in New Mexico while I still resided there. I did a few paddles early on in the summer, before it was too hot to enjoy, and then didn’t do much until late summer when I purchased a bicycle. All in all, it wasn’t a total loss but nowhere near what I’d like to accomplish.

If you haven’t heard, I’ve relocated to Olympia, WA. I now reside within a quick drive of more places to hike, paddle, or bike than my tiny brain can handle. The options for getting hikes in for the next calendar year are so abundant, so it will inevitably mean I probably do more than 52, which would be a welcomed change.

I’ve been wanting to live in the PNW for years now, and I’m not letting any opportunities slip away now that I’m here. I have a google map full of pins and several documents full of ideas. I’m ready to be overwhelmed with the beauty and access I’ve only dreamed of between my semi-annual visits. I’d fly in to Seattle or Portland at least twice a year to visit the mountains, woods, and friends up here and now I live right in the middle of it all. It’s a dream come true, it is something I know is a privilege, and something I will not take for granted. I’m lucky to have a partner who wants to do many, if not all, of these things with me, so that’s just icing on the cake.

If you’re in the greater PNW region and want to hike along, get in touch. The plan is to do a variety of hikes in a variety of places, vague I know. Some weekends it’s going to be as simple as going somewhere around town, but others it may be a bit of a drive or a camping weekend to see all the sights out there. There so many forest trails, waterfalls, mountain views, beaches, and winding rivers to see.

I feel a renewed zest for life since being here and I can’t wait to share the hikes, stories, and adventures with you all.

#hike21 - Mt. Tabor Park

HIKE 21

Date: Monday, August 12, 2019

Location: Mt. Tabor Park, Portland, OR

Distance: 6.21

Trails: All trails and fire roads, roadways to park

Miles from Home: 1,994

Weather: Sunny, mild, breezy

I hadn’t seen my oldest, most best friend in years, so I meandered down to Portland on my recent trip to the Northwest. I got a cute little basement room nearby, and her and I hiked and explored for the better part of 2 days-ish. One of the most urban, yet not, hikes I’ve done was at Mt. Tabor Park on the SE side of Portland and I got to do it with someone who knows the park very well. This park is/was my friend’s go-to for daily fitness and I can see why - the hills were alive.

With the hills (within city limits) are huge trees, great views of downtown, and miles of trails both paved and natural surface. We crisscrossed the entire hill, an old volcano (that’s two for this trip) and put on just over 6 miles with the short walk to the park from her house.

If I lived in the Southeast neighborhood, I’d visit this place every chance I could. Enjoy some photos from the trip and if you’re in Portland and looking for an urban yet wooded hike, visit Mt. Tabor Park.