6 Essential Rainy-Day Hikes Near Portland
Two-tiered Wahclella Falls is a short stunner of a hike in the Columbia River Gorge.
Sure, we love an Oregon excursion with a blue sky above our heads and the sun at our backs. But there’s something about a hike in the rain that just makes us feel alive. With the right gear, a little of the wet stuff shouldn’t deter anyone from the outdoors. In fact, some trails are—dare we say—even better in the rain. Showers are no time for challenging trails, so here are six easy and moderate hikes.
The boardwalk at Tualatin Hills Nature Park is a blessing on a rainy day.
Tualatin Hills Nature Park
Distance: 5 miles
Elevation gain: 85 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Just off Highway 26, Beaverton’s Tualatin Hills Nature Park sits at the confluence of Beaver Creek and Cedar Mill Creek. Rough-skinned newts, great blue herons, and bullfrogs call these 222 acres of wetland and forest home. (For the protection of wildlife, please leave your pets at home.) You’ll find five miles of trails, including paved, soft-surface, and boardwalk. On a really soggy day, stick to the 1.5 paved miles of the Oak Trail and sections of the Vine Maple Trail.
Oregon City’s Newell Creek Canyon is just a half hour from downtown Portland.
Newell Creek Canyon
Distance: 2.5 miles
Elevation gain: 500 ft
Difficulty: Easy
One of Metro’s newer nature parks, Newell Creek Canyon near Oregon City counts 2.5 miles of trails for hiking (plus two miles for mountain biking, though that’s a sport best saved for the dry season). Take the short Tumble Falls Trail, a mix of gravel and pavement, to a cute cascade. Continue your meander down the Cedar Grove Trail, keeping your eyes peeled for pileated woodpeckers, black-tailed deer, and cottontail rabbits—even beavers and red foxes if you’re lucky. As spring comes, spot blooming trilliums and fairy bells.
Not into mud? The Washougal River Greenway Trail is fully paved.
Washougal River Greenway Trail
Distance: 2.2 miles
Elevation gain: 70 ft
Difficulty: Easy
This scenic out-and-back paved trail in Camas is great for a quick nature escape, with birding possibilities year-round. Beginning at the parking area for Baz Riverfront Park, the trail crosses a wide boardwalk over reed canary grass and then a picturesque footbridge over the Washougal River. Pause on the bridge to peer for great blue herons and waterfowl. On a clear day, Mount Hood peeks over the horizon. The trail then cuts through wetlands along a forested path. (A loop option is available for longer hikes.)
Wahclella Falls is perpetually lush.
Wahclella Falls
Distance: 2.6 miles
Elevation gain: 50 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Lush canyons and cascading waterfalls await on this short trek in the Columbia River Gorge. The trail reopened in August 2019 after a two-year closure due to the Eagle Creek Fire, and while slightly altered, it remains a standout. The out-and-back hike takes you along Tanner Creek on a flat path canopied by cottonwoods, alders, and Douglas firs, then crosses a footbridge past Munra Falls. The big payoff is at the end of the trail, where within a towering basalt amphitheater the 350-foot, two-tiered Wahclella Falls plunges into a pool below. A Northwest Forest Pass or $5 day pass is required to park at the trailhead.
A shrine dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe greets hikers on the monk-maintained trails at Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey Trails
Distance: 4 miles
Elevation gain: 800 ft
Difficulty: Easy
The trails at Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey—about four miles in total, including the 3.5-mile Guadalupe Loop—are maintained by the Trappist monks who reside at the Carlton monastery. The mostly forested, sometimes muddy trails travel to a few expansive viewpoints over the Willamette Valley, as well as to a shrine dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe (Mary, in the Catholic faith) where hikers have left flowers, prayer beads, crosses, and other items of affection. A pond, particularly peaceful during a gentle rain spell, provides a nice place to pause before you head home.
South Falls is just one of many gorgeous falls at Silver Falls State Park.
Silver Falls State Park
Distance: 7.2 miles
Elevation: 800 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
The ever popular, ever beautiful Trail of Ten Falls at Silver Falls State Park is even more of a stunner during and after some rainfall. Not only does the forested loop get some decent canopy coverage, the falls should truly be churning. (Keep your raincoat on as you pass behind the 177-foot South Falls.) A day-use parking permit is $5 and available on-site.
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