hikespeak

Just off Route 30 between Portland and Astoria, travelers can gush over a short hike to a lovely waterfall. Beaver Falls (a.k.a. Beaver Creek Falls) takes a single-drop plunge off a basalt ledge. The waterfall is nearly 50 feet tall and swells to 40 feet wide. This quick delight of a hike descends 100 feet through forest for a 0.7-mile round trip outing. ...Read more.

Potholes aren't always bad. The creatively carved-out bedrock at Pothole Falls adds to the allure of the cascades. Pothole Falls is just a stone's throw from Round Lake, a 26-acre body in Lacamas Lake Regional Park in Camas, Washington. Round Lake Loop Trail offers a relaxing nature trail through lake-edge forest. Circle Round Lake and check out Pothole Falls on a 1. ...Read more.

It isn't pack mentality that makes Dog Mountain one of the most popular hikes on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. The grassy slopes near the summit put on a winning display of spring wildflowers, enhancing year-round views over the gorge's beautiful surroundings. Dog Mountain Trail is steep and largely forested, ascending 2,825 feet in 3 1/3 miles. ...Read more.

Take a drive through the Columbia River Gorge and you're sure to be impressed by a diagonal band of cliffs on the Washington side of the gorge that rise from the river toward the mountains above. These grand and daunting cliffs are called Coyote Wall or the Syncline. A network of single-track trails and old jeep roads extend up alongside the columnar basalt ledge. ...Read more.

If you've hiked up the hill east of downtown San Luis Obispo on Reservoir Canyon Trail or Summit Trail, you've probably pondered the prospect of connecting the two hikes in order to spend more time enjoying grand views over San Luis Obispo County. Follow Reservoir Canyon Trail up to a stone bench viewpoint, cross Ridge Trail to an old tower housing a bell, and descend Summit Trail to complete a 5. ...Read more.

You'll give a ringing endorsement to this San Luis Obispo hike! Reservoir Canyon's Summit Trail ascends to sweeping panoramas over San Luis Obispo and an old tower with a bell that you can ring with a pebble. The hike from Reservoir Canyon to the High School Hill Tower is 4.1 miles round trip with 1,175 feet of elevation change. Expand your horizons from there by following Ridge Trail up to the high point of Murray Hill and descend Reservoir Canyon Trail on the 5. ...Read more.

You might not realize that Hollywood has a lake until you look down on it from the top of Mount Lee by the Hollywood Sign. Numerous hikes lead to the Hollywood Sign and a level hiking trail wraps around Lake Hollywood Reservoir. To visit the Hollywood Sign, three peaks on the west side of Griffith Park, and Lake Hollywood, set out on the Hollywood Sign – Hollywood Reservoir Loop. ...Read more.

Burbank Peak is a summit-like perch at the end of a ridge extending west from Cahuenga Peak, the highest point in Griffith Park. Hikers have many reasons to reach the top of Burbank Peak. One popular motivation is delivering a message to the Wisdom Tree, a long pine on Burbank Peak that rises above the surrounding brush. The viewpoint also hosts an America Flag in honor of September Eleventh and views over Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. ...Read more.

With the public access closure of the trailhead at the top of Beachwood Drive for the Hollyridge Trail, hikers have lost a key route to the Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee. Those wanting to hike to the sign are now being encouraged to start up Brush Canyon Trail from a trailhead on Canyon Drive for a 6.4-mile hike to Mount Lee's famous sign. While this is a great option for those with the time and energy for a longer hike in the park, a shorter route still exists that presents superb Hollywood Sign views from the get-go. ...Read more.

The panoramic summit of Hazard Peak in Montaña de Oro State Park has excellent coastal views. Hazard Peak Trail is the most obvious route to the top and a great choice, rising to the 1,076-foot summit over 3 miles. A junction partway up Hazard Peak Trail makes it possible to add a couple other trails to the approach. Bloody Nose Trail and Hiedra Trail are a combined 0. ...Read more.