Hiking & Biking in Oregon
If you enjoy the outdoors, you’ll love your time in Oregon. Outdoor enthusiasts find miles upon miles of hiking and biking trails, just waiting to be used all year long.
Cyclists are also in luck. Zip down OC&E Woods Line State Trail – a former rail trail creating the longest state park in Oregon.
The paved bike trail starts in Klamath Falls, finishing in Olene to generate an eight-mile trailhead through southern Oregon.
Course off and join the A Canal Bike Path, or head beyond Olene for horseback riding, hiking, and wildlife viewing.
Attention avid hikers, lace up your boots and choose from the many state parks, wildlife refuges and national forests surrounding Pendleton. Hit the nature trail at Emigrant Springs State Park – open from April through October with an onsite Oregon Trail display – or trek down the 7.3-mile Lewis and Clark Trail at Hat Rock State Park.
For less of a challenge, and more of a stroll, check out the Pendleton River Parkway for three miles of level, scenic trails following the Umatilla River – right in Pendleton.
For you fitness types in northwest Oregon, head to Silver Falls State Park – set just to the east of Dallas and Salem along the Interstate 5 corridor.
This Oregon Cascades state park features the famed Canyon Trail – a year-round, seven-mile trail following Silver Creek and taking visitors past 10 glorious waterfalls in this Oregon rain forest. After your hike, take advantage of other outdoor activities like bird watching, fishing, and nature photography.
More hiking can be found in northern Oregon along the Columbia River Gorge – a National Scenic Area where the views can take your breath away. Just north of Hood River, you can journey down the 2.6-mile Starvation Creek Trail where you’ll hike past waterfalls, view of the gorge, and test yourself with the steepness of the trail.
For a more moderate walk, hike the short trail to Multnomah Falls near Troutdale, just east of the Portland metropolitan area. Find more hiking in Columbia River Gorge cities like Cascade Locks, and get ready for an adventure in outdoor Oregon.
OC&E Woods Line State Trail
Stretched across 105 miles of central Oregon landscape, the OC&E Woods Line State Trail is a recreational trail, reaching from Klamath Falls to the Thompson Reservoir. The trail was established in 1992 on the old lines of the Oregon, California and Eastern Railroads.
Approximately eight miles of the trail is paved making an ideal surface for skating, jogging, bicycling and running. Many visitors enjoy riding on horseback, mountain biking and hiking through the Winema National Forest, or fishing in the Sprague River.
Pendleton River Parkway
Running alongside the Umatilla River, the Pendleton River Parkway is a three-mile recreational trail, offering a convenient way for visitors to enjoy the great outdoors of eastern Oregon without ever leaving Pendleton. For years, visitors and residents alike utilize the trail for everything from a relaxing walk to a brisk run to a scenic bike ride.
While your walking shoes are still on, enjoy one of the other walking trails at Pendleton parks, including the McKay Neighborhood Park, Pendleton Community Park, and Rice-Blakey Park. Moreover, summertime fun in Pendleton includes a day at the Pendleton Aquatic Center. Kids love slipping down the tube slides and swimming in the three pools.