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Oregon's Great Outdoors
Hiking Trails
The Pacific Northwest is a mecca for hikers of all levels of experience with over 150 miles of hiking trails in Portland's city parks alone.
Forest Park is the nation's largest forested urban park, covering over 5,000 acres of massive Douglas firs, canyons, and creeks, and over 60 miles of interconnecting trails. Looping throughout the park is the 30-mile Wildwood Trail, a well-marked trail that is considered easy navigation, especially at the southern end. The trail actually begins at the Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington Park as the shorter 4-mile Hoyt Arboretum Trail which then links to the Wildwood Trail.
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Camping Grounds
Oxbow Park, operated by the Multnomah County Parks Services, is located 20 miles from Downtown Portland in Gresham. This campground offers sandy beaches by the beautiful Sandy River, known as the top-rated winter steelhead stream in Oregon. There are 15 miles of hiking trails in the park, some of which allow horses also. Above Oxbow Park are Class III and IV whitewater rapids for kayakers and rafters. Non-motorized boat rentals are available at the park office. 503.663.4708
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Biking Paths
Cycling is a favorite sport in the Northwest, especially in Portland, which features over 260 miles of bike lanes and trails. One of the most popular is the 16.5-mile Springwater Corridor Trail, a paved surface, multi-use trail that runs along a former rail line through part of the city, past Powell Butte Nature Park, and then through meadows, woodlands, and natural wetlands to Gresham.
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Wind Surfing
The 25-40 mile per hour winds that blow down the Columbia River Gorge make it the perfect place to go for world-class windsurfing. Hood River, Oregon, sixty miles east of Portland on Interstate 84, is considered to be the windsurfing and kiteboarding capital of the world. Even if you aren't a windsurfer, the beautiful scenery alone is a good reason to visit this part of Oregon. Closer to Portland in the Columbia River Gorge, Rooster Rock State Park is a popular destination for windsurfers in winter as well as summer. Rooster Rock also has one of the largest swimming beaches near Portland as well as a nude beach.
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Skiing and Snowboarding
Mt. Hood's naturally rugged terrain offers skiers some of the best skiing in the Pacific Northwest.
Little more than an hour's drive away, Mt. Hood is the premiere skiing destination for Portlanders. The ski season lasts from November through February and can run longer if the weather dictates. Mt. Hood's three most popular ski resorts are Mt. Hood Meadows, Timberline Lodge Ski Resort, and Mt. Hood Ski Bowl.
Mount Hood Meadows has one of the longest vertical drops in the country as well as five high-speed express lifts. The Epicenter sports learning center helps guests get the most out of their winter snow activities.
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 Live Oregon Pass Camera (TripCheck.com)
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