Abiqua Falls! I just visited this beautiful 92-foot waterfall sort of in the middle of nowhere in…read moreOregon but located about 50 miles south of Portland. I have a lot to relay about the experience. This review could take the maximum 5000 words, lol, but I'll try my best to keep things as concise as possible... There are many questions about what to expect from Abiqua Falls. Even myself, I had concerns and doubts. But...I survived and it's an easy adventure to a very secluded waterfall. I'll try and answer the following questions... - Can you drive to the trailhead? From my POV, it's a VERY ROUGH ROAD down to the bottom. There's one specific section (and you'll recognize it immediately) where the road is practically cracked in half with divots and potholes. I actually witnessed a Ford Explorer trying to drive over it on the way back up and it was a big struggle for them! They eventually got past it, but I thought they were stuck. You absolutely need a high clearance 4x4 vehicle to make it down to the base to access the trailhead to Abiqua Falls. For me...I have a Suburu and I parked 2 miles away at the Abiqua Falls "Parking Lot" (according to Google) and then walked 2 miles down to the bottom and 2 miles back up. There was no way I was risking a flat tire, especially with not knowing how to change a tire and there barely being cell phone reception in the area. Btw...just to arrive at the Abiqua Falls parking lot, you must first drive 1.5 miles on a dirt road. For me, dirt and gravel roads are like nails on a chalkboard. I cringe driving over them. - Where is the trailhead located? This is a good question because there's no specific sign for Abiqua Falls, but it's easy to discover. Here's how...the road down to the bottom only goes so far. Eventually, you'll confront a white fence where you can leave your car (if you drove). But...there's a clear opening to the forest on the left-hand side of the road as you're going down. People say it's hard to find, but truly...you can't miss it. If you're any sort of outdoors enthusiast, it's simple. The hike is 7/10ths of a mile out and back. That's it! Again...there's barely any hiking involved, especially if you drive down to the base. - What is the ropes section like on the trail? I must be transparent. I read other people's AllTrails and Google reviews, and this can be deceiving. Let me explain... There were many reviews saying how the ropes section is intense and you're practically repelling down the cliff side. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! It's an easy pathway. The ropes are no big deal. I have a serious fear of heights, and I casually made my down to the creek. Using the ropes was necessary for the most part, but it wasn't scary. It didn't strain my hands. IT IS NOT STRESSFUL! I'd rate the trail as easy - moderate. Do not fear the incline/decline slope. There's nothing of that sort. It is 100% safe to get up and down the trail. Once down at the bottom of the creek, hang on the left hand side. You'll notice the trail continuing around the bend that leads straight to Abiqua Falls. It's easy. I had no problems at any point in time. I've been on much, much rougher trails during my explorations. I visited on a random Thursday morning at the end of August and pretty much had the falls to myself. There were a few people that came along towards the middle of the day. I believe if you're coming to Abiqua Falls, you must bring a bathing suit and towel. I think it's a right of passage. The waterfall is scenic and the setting is charming, but other than admiring the views and maybe having a picnic, you must take the plunge in the pool of water that Abiqua Falls splashes down into. - Was the water cold? Absolutely! Lol, I was dreading the cold water but made the premeditated decision that I was swimming to have a fun memory. It wasn't even hot outside as well, but I forced myself in and I'm glad I just did it. Obviously, your body adjusts to the cold and it's not too extreme. Overall, the ambiance at Abiqua Falls was liberating. The canyon walls sort of engulf you from high above. You're standing at this dramatic waterfall and when the sun reaches above the tree line, you can notice some slight coloring in the waters which can make for a magical moment. In all, maybe you need a few hours to hang out at the falls before returning to the ropes section and heading back up to the trailhead and road. Again, the hike back up to the top is barely strenuous. It's a slight workout. Most folks can handle it. Lastly, if you're someone who left their car all the way at the top of the road (like I did), it is possible that you may get offered a lift from those hikers who took a chance driving their cars down to the base. If so, hop in, lol. It'll save time not having to trek back uphill. In the end, I enjoyed getting to witness Abiqua Falls. The journey to arrive here was not as daunting as I initially anticipated. And again, from my POV, be kind to your car tires. Don't risk the drive.

Extremely steep. Rope system down to the bottom. I ended up fracturing my spine in 2 places due to…read morea fall. But if you're able to make it then go. Physical fitness is a MUST But a stunning falls to see

Great little park off the beaten path never knew it was there until I saw it on maps only two…read morespaces to park so that's good .wont be too many people here at one time. short walk to the river

This is a nice little park located north-west of Salem. It is easy to miss off of the highway and…read morethat is one of its best qualities in my mind. I drove by this little park several times and had no clue it was ever there. The actual name of the park is a Willamette Greenway. The park itself has a small parking lot. The trail starts from the parking lot and is gravel for some time. Eventually, it turns into a standard dirt trial. The trail makes a nice little loop that splits off after about 200 yards from the start. If you take a left you will go straight to the river and see a nice little bench that overlooks the river. The forest that this trail travels through is a mix of some broadleaf trees and some tall fir trees. It is an absolute beauty of a trial. The trail is very short, so if your looking for a long hike, be prepared to do some laps. If you have a dog, there does not appear to be any rules posted regarding leashes, but it's not a bad idea to bring one just in case. If you are north of Salem and looking for a nice little hike this is a great option, however not a very long trek! Here is a link to the land management agency that manages this park. http://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=194

If you're gonna do the Trail of 10 Falls (or 8 as it was recently due to northside trail closure),…read moreI recommend a counter-clockwise route starting at South Falls to avoid crowds and work your way up the magnificence scale. Also helps to get there early as you can. Trails were wet from recent showers but well-maintained and not slick. If it's really been raining and the falls are pumping, be prepared for standing water behind a couple of the falls. (Luckily someone had put out small stones to balance on, but from the looks of their wet shoes many people were unlucky in their attempts to cross.) Walking sticks can be helpful in the steeper grades. It now costs $10 to park unless you've got an annual pass

Daily parking permits are $10 per day, per vehicle for Oregon residents, and $12 per day otherwise…read more There are machines that sell the permits at the parking lots, so it's a pretty straightforward process. I went when there was a lot of rainfall, and so there was actually an emergency trail closure that spanned the majority of the park. Fortunately, the Canyon trail between the South Falls and the Lower South Falls was still open, and so I hiked that trail. It was absolutely amazing!! The falls were roaring and the creek was almost overflowing. The hike began with dark clouds and rain. As the trail led down and behind South Falls, the spray from the falls was heavier than the rain, soaking you from head to toe. The path then hugs the creek, which threatened to take over the trail at some points. There's a flight of stairs right before the Lower Falls, and at this point you can hear the thundering crash of the falls. As you go behind the falls, a shroud of darkness envelops you and you realize that suddenly you're fording through ankle deep water. With the loss of sight comes with the deafening noise of the tumbling water, and the spray attacks you every which way. Stumbling through, you emerge and find that the rain has stopped. As you crest up the path, the sun breaks, filtering through the trees with only the silence of the forest, punctuated with the occasional plop-plops of the trees shedding the water drops of the earlier rain. The silence is almost deafening. Good thing that the trail takes you right to the Lodge, which has a roaring fire inside to dry yourself with! There are also cool nature exhibits inside, as well as a small cafe to get drinks to warm yourself from the inside too. I would come here again, rain or shine!

The water definitely is amazing , however the hike itself not that much . The route we took was…read moremostly further away from the water and hence not a whole lot to watch on the way but there were multiple waterfalls and creeks etc that you can take a break at and enjoy the cold water and the Sun.Part of the hike was closed which was disappointing but we did the whole 7 mile through a different route .Wished we could have seen the mining villages .It took us approx 1.5 hours to get there from Portland .Parking is limited however since we went on a Weekday it wasn't a problem for us . Also , the crowds were thin , so we really had a great time.

OMG What a great place to hike and swim…read more We went with a big group so we had to break up into two groups. The parking lot is small and they will turn people away if it is full. Luck we made it before they hit maximum. Three miles and a half makes for a long hike but well worth it. The trail follows the creek and is actually the service road for Jawbone Flats. It's an easy hike up and down both ways. You are rewarded with beautiful cool dip in the crystal clear pools. Alternatively there are two hiking trails, one on each side of the creek, you can venture on through this beautiful forest. Afterward we went to the local restaurant at the highway. They had good food and beer.

It's a very nice old forest trail. There's a bit elevation gain and steps/stairs to take whichever…read moredirection you go. Trail was not very crowded.

We hiked in a day with no rain, so it was cool and a little muddy. But, the falls were beautiful…read moreand I recommend seeing all three of them. If you have knee problems, like I do, there is a steep, but short climb between the lower and middle falls. I had my hiking poles for support and did just fine. There is also more than one parking lot and different ways to access the falls. If you have extra time while you are out in Linn County, I recommend a walk around Cheadle Lake near Lebanon. It was definitely worth the visit and the scenery in Linn County is beautiful!

Beautiful, quiet and private sunset views in Lake Oswego. An absolutely stunning place. Highly…read morerecommend it to watch a sunset. I can imagine star gazing is also quite lovely from this vantage point. I will be going back. We didn't prepare adequately for the wind we would encounter and wow was it chilly!! Check the weather specific to the location before you head up so you can be warm enough. I'm especially taken by the beauty Oregon offers us, and how you can be SO close to Portland, yet feel immersed in Nature. From this view you can see I-5 and the busyness of life, but you also have beautiful views of Lake Oswego (not the lake itself but the city.) I highly recommend this for the romantic and sunset enthusiast.

Beautiful Views of Tigard and Lake Oswego in a pristine neighborhood. Parking is limited to the…read morebottom of the street.

Beautiful place, love it here, especially when the water is low…read more During winter the ground shimmers.

Shea Point has nice views of Foster Lake…read more Parking lot is on the smaller side, but well maintained and kept clean. Viewing area with deck, awning, and ramp was a great feature. Bathrooms are also available. We stopped here to take in the views when we grabbed a meal @ The Point Restaurant across the street!

Great day for a hike and Chehalem Ridge didn't disappoint. Plenty of parking, clean restrooms, and…read moresome very nice views. I'll be going back.

Beautiful park with tree covered trails and wide paths…read more We did the woodland trail then continued up Timber Road and onto the Chehalem Ridge trail. Path was mostly flat with slight inclines here and there until you got to Timber Road, this was really the only tougher incline, mostly because it was out in the direct sun. The scenery was beautiful forrest and ferns, with a couple viewpoints out to the hills in the distance. Directional signage on the trials was pretty good, didn't notice any maps aside from the one at the entrance, but at least you could see when trail intersected and which way to go for each. We came on a Friday afternoon, the parking was plentiful and we almost had the trial to ourselves. There are two covered picnic areas at the trailhead, both had a handful of picnic tables and benches. Beware - we were chased off by yellow jackets while trying to enjoy our lunch. We were there on a pretty warm day, so they seemed to be extra active. Restrooms at the trailhead were spacious and clean.

Super beautiful and easy hike, very mild elevation change. Easy for children and families, pretty…read morequiet and relatively seculded. Excerpt from Opal creek.org Mileage: 1.8 miles out-and-back Elevation change: 200 feet Bikes allowed: No The Henline Falls trailhead is on the north side of Forest Service Road 2209, about a quarter mile past the junction for Three Pools. This short, easy hike through a classic second-growth forest ends in a spectacular 125-foot waterfall and crystal-clear plunge pool that is shallow enough for wading in the summer. A road track and the unmarked Ogle Mountain trail both head off to the right; keep to the left to reach the falls. To the right of the falls, the Silver King Mine adit is now covered by a bat gate. The shaft continues 1,700 feet into the bedrock. The concrete foundation obstructing the trail at the falls once held the mine's flume-powered generator.

While not an amazing attraction, it's a cool stop if you're in the area. Fairly steep short walk up…read morea paved path to an open area with a rock. Rocks, actually. No facilities of any kind.

We learned about Erratic Rock State Natural Area when looking at a map of what to check out while…read morein the area, and it's easy to miss if you're not looking out for it. But once you do find it, it will be a nice side trip from all the wine tasting. My partner and I visited Erratic Rock State Natural Area and followed Google Maps for directions. But when Google said we reached our destination, all we saw were private residences and one of those residences had a sign that said you are not at Erratic Rock State Natural Area AKA don't come to this house! We then backtracked where we were and finally saw the sign pointing to the natural area, which led up to a grassy walkway along a vineyard. We then noticed across from the entrance was room for a few cars to park along the side of the road. After parking and entering the site, there was some information about the erratic rocks making their way here from the Missoula flood, which gave good background. Along the trail, you will steadily walk up 200 yards to where the erratic rocks are, and there's a nice view of the area from there. It's an easy walk up to see some historical, geological shapes that are telling of our landscape. Just take a break from all that wine and visit!