Hurricane Creek Trail to Aneroid Lake: A Classic 2-Day Wallowa Mountains Backpacking Trip
The Hurricane Creek drainage offers some of the most dramatic alpine terrain in the Eagle Cap Wilderness — towering granite walls, a rushing glacial creek, and a high lake ringed by wildflowers. Here's the complete route breakdown.
Clackamas Wilderness: A Weekend Backpacking Loop Through Mount Hood's Forgotten Old-Growth Corner
Less than 60 miles from Portland, the Clackamas Wilderness protects some of the finest old-growth Douglas fir forest remaining in Oregon's northern Cascades. Here's a complete guide to the best weekend loop — including access, campsites, wildlife, and why this wilderness deserves more attention.
Mill Creek Wilderness: A Weekend Backpacking Loop Through Oregon's Ochoco Highlands
Just outside Prineville, the Mill Creek Wilderness offers old-growth ponderosa pine, rocky canyon walls, and a twin-pillars landmark that most Oregon backpackers have never seen. Here's the loop.
Monument Rock Wilderness: A 2-Day Backpacking Loop Through Oregon's Forgotten Blue Mountains
Monument Rock Wilderness in the Malheur National Forest offers genuine solitude, high granite ridges, wild redband trout, and summer elk — and almost no one knows it's there.
Black Canyon Wilderness: Backpacking Through Oregon's Most Remote John Day Country
Black Canyon Wilderness in the Ochoco National Forest is one of Oregon's least-visited designated wilderness areas — 13,400 acres of deep volcanic canyons, perennial creek, elk country, and genuine solitude in the heart of the John Day Basin.
Lost Lake Hood River: A Basecamp Backpacking Weekend Below Oregon's Most Famous Volcano
Lost Lake in Hood River County offers one of the most accessible and spectacular basecamp backpacking experiences in the Oregon Cascades — old-growth forest, a perfect Mount Hood reflection, and fishing for rainbow trout all within 90 minutes of Portland.
Three Fingered Jack Wilderness: A Weekend Loop Through Oregon's Most Spectacular Volcanic Ruins
Three Fingered Jack is the most dramatic peak in Oregon's Central Cascades and among the most visually striking in the entire state. A weekend loop through the surrounding wilderness delivers alpine lakes, wildflower meadows, and views of a mountain that looks like it was built for a fantasy novel.
Menagerie Wilderness: Backpacking Oregon's Most Dramatic Rock Spire Country
A dozen andesite volcanic spires rise from old-growth Douglas fir forest 80 miles from Salem — and almost nobody knows they're there. The Menagerie Wilderness is Oregon's best-kept backpacking secret, with solitude, wildlife, and scenery that rivals the Three Sisters.
Eagle Creek Trail: Backpacking the Columbia River Gorge's Premier Waterfall Canyon
The Eagle Creek Trail is one of the most spectacular hikes in the Pacific Northwest — carved into basalt canyon walls, passing seven waterfalls, and threading through a tunnel behind a 150-foot falls. Most tourists turn around at Punch Bowl. The real trip starts where they stop.
North Fork Umatilla Wilderness: A Weekend Backpacking Loop Through Northeast Oregon's Forgotten Timber Canyon
The North Fork Umatilla Wilderness draws a fraction of the crowds that pack into the Eagle Cap just two counties over — delivering old-growth timber, a wild trout stream, and genuine solitude for those willing to make the drive.
Cathedral Ridge to Elk Meadows: Mount Hood's Best Summer Overnight for Wildflowers and Views
The Cathedral Ridge Trail to Elk Meadows delivers one of Oregon's most dramatic subalpine overnights with a fraction of the Timberline Trail crowds. Here's the complete guide.
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area: Backpacking and Camping the Coastal Sand Sea Between Florence and North Bend
The Oregon Dunes stretch 40 miles along the Pacific Coast — a shifting sand wilderness unlike anything else in the Pacific Northwest. Here's how to navigate, camp, and explore one of Oregon's most unusual backcountry destinations.