Winters in the Pacific Northwest can be dreary, with endless days of rain. However, it can also be a great time to camp at the coast whenever there’s a break in the wet weather.
On this hike at the Salmon River Canyon, there was no rain but plenty of water, especially in all of the creek crossings. The rainforest here has a magical feeling every time I visit it.
Popular with mountain bikers, the Gales Creek trail follows Gales Creek through a coastal rainforest of Douglas fir and red alders, with a thick understory of ferns and oxalis.
Cape Disappointment is located at the southern end of the Washington Coast – where the Columbia River meets the ocean. I spent three days exploring the area and practicing landscape photography skills.
This after-Thanksgiving hike on the Wilson River Trail featured ferns in a mossy forest and views of the Oregon Coast Range mountains.
This section of the Wilson River Trail between the Jones Creek and the Footbridge trailheads provides an easy hike through coastal forest with several riverside access points.
This hike to Lookout Mountain in Badger Creek Wilderness features western larches displaying golden yellow fall color, multiple viewpoints along the Divide Trail ridge, and of course, the summit of Lookout Mountain.
The Sunset Bay campground provides access to several scenic miles of the Oregon Coast Trail – where I spent three days hiking with a fellow photographer friend so we could focus on landscape photography.
Located on the east side of Mount Hood in the Badger Creek Wilderness, this was my first time hiking to Lookout Mountain. There are several trails that lead to the top – we took the shortest route via the High Prairie trailhead.
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