What's better than hiking by a lovely creek - maybe hiking by a lovely lake. You can do both on Moraine Trail, visiting Fallen Leaf Lake and Taylor Creek in the Lake Tahoe Basin National Forest Lands near South Lake Tahoe. This easy and level loop is 1.1 miles long, including a short side trail to Fallen Leaf Lake Dam. The mountain-cradled Fallen Leaf Lake is located just south of Lake... Read more.

Interpretive trails are usually good places to appreciate the finer features of a forest, but they tend to lack grand vistas. This is not the case with Way of the Mono Trail, which rises to a splendid view over Bass Lake, a beauty in the Sierra Nevada Mountains south of Yosemite National Park. Way of the Mono Trail is a 0.6-mile loop with 140 feet of elevation change. Panels along this... Read more.

Maple Ridge Loop travels behind two breathtaking waterfalls and goes through miles of wonderful forest in Silver Falls State Park. This 2.8-mile loop (with 375 feet of elevation change) is a combination of two trails, Canyon Trail and Maple Ridge Trail. Canyon Trail goes down the trough carved by South Fork Silver Creek, taking hikers amazingly close to South Falls and Lower South Falls. ... Read more.

What is Whalen Island? It's not quite an island. It's not quite on Oregon's ocean shore. What it is... is a place that is unique, soothing, and beautiful. Wrapped be beaches and shaded by shore pines, Whalen Island sits at the heart of Sand Lake Estuary. Whalen Island – which only becomes an island during seasonal high tides - is just inland from the ocean (close enough to see the waves)... Read more.

Measuring 319 feet tall, Munson Creek Falls is no tiny trickler. In fact, this is Oregon's tallest waterfall west of the Willamette River. Munson Creek Falls has picturesque silky tiers framed by canyon greenery. The trek to the waterfall, Munson Creek Falls Trail, is just a quarter mile long (half a mile round trip) with 90 feet of elevation change. The trail explores a lush and lovely... Read more.

If you find yourself in Oceanside, a small community on the Oregon coast west of Tillamook, you are bound to spend some of the day at Oceanside Beach. This inviting stretch of sand looks out at the wild and lovely islands known as the Three Arch Rocks. Beach goers can enjoy all the usual fun in the sand. Plus, Oceanside Beach State Recreation Site has something unique. A tunnel carved... Read more.

After just one bend on Old Salmon River Trail, you will already feel deep within the old-growth forest that surrounds the Salmon River as it flowing through Mount Hood National Forest. This Pacific Northwest woodland feels timeless, or perhaps from another time altogether, with its tall, century-old Douglas firs absolutely covered in green moss. Old Salmon River Trail is 2.55 miles long... Read more.

With monumental Mount Hood rising above its northern shore, Trillium Lake is a picturesque and popular destination for camping, hiking, and fun on the water. The summit of Mount Hood is just 7.5 miles from Trillium Lake and the famed Timberline Lodge can be spotted on its slopes. Hike an easy 2-mile loop around this scenic 63-acre lake in Mount Hood National Forest near Government Camp,... Read more.

What makes Mirror Lake Trail such a popular hike? For starters, it is very approachable. The trailhead is just off Highway 26 by Ski Bowl West in Government Camp, Oregon. The creek-crossing hike through a forest of firs is appealing too. The main reason people are drawn to this 4.3-mile round trip hike (with 550 feet of elevation change) is sure to be the potential for postcard views of Mount... Read more.

Before your visit to Lake Tahoe goes up in smoke, take a hike to Chimney Beach - where a standing-on-its-own fireplace and chimney serve as an unsual landmark for a lovely little cove. The brick chimney is all that's left of an old cabin built in the sand between boulder-strewn points on the east shore of Lake Tahoe. If curiosity about the chimney draws you to Chimney Beach, the beautiful... Read more.