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Outdoor Activities

Favorite hikes

ActiveLifestylesNW.com invites you to explore our Great Northwest trails. Here are three of our favorite Northwest hikes:
Catherine Creek Interpretive Trail, located in Washington the east end of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, is the ideal place to walk your dog while viewing spectacular gorge scenery.  For Columbia River views, hike the one-mile paved trail. The longer north side trails longer hikes offer great spring viewing of more than 90 species of wildflowers. Catherine Creek’s botanical significance has earned it a place in Washington Audubon’s Great Birdwatching Trail. For a special treat, hike the trail in the morning and enjoy lunch at one of the many fine eateries in the nearby wind surfing capital of Hood River. To get there from Bingen, WA, travel east on Washington State Highway 14 approximately 4.6 miles to mile post 71 and the junction with County Road 1230 on the left. Turn left onto County Road 1230 at Rowland Lake and follow it 1.4 miles to the Catherine Creek parking lot on the north side of the road.
From Lyle, WA: Travel west on Washington State Highway 14 approximately 1/4 mile and take a right onto Old Highway 8 (County Road 1230). It is an immediate right after crossing the Klickitat River. Follow Old Highway 8 for approximately 4.8 miles to the Catherine Creek parking lot on the north side of the road.
The Trapper Creek Trail offers uncrowded solitude and a change see old-growth forests. Our favorite short hike is the climb from the Trapper Creek trailhead through temperate rainforests and a series of switchbacks along beautiful Trapper Creek.  You can stop at mile 4.9 for views of a 100-foot waterfall or carrying onward for the full 12 mile hike to Observation Peak. The 5,969 acre Trapper Creek Wilderness protects nearly all of the Trapper Creek drainage and provides critical anadromous fish habitat in the Wind River watershed.  Old growth forests provide habitat for spotted owls, woodpeckers, goshawks, blacktail deer, Roosevelt elk and black bear. Trailhead parking requires a Northwest Forest Pass ($5/day or $30/year; discovernw.org)
TO TRAILHEAD From Carson, WA follow the Wind River Road north for about 13.5 then miles take a left on Mineral Springs Road (Forest Road 3065). Take the first right on Forest Road 5401 and follow it for about a half of a mile to the trailhead.
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The Cultus Lake Trail about 45 minutes outside of Bend, Oregon is a sunny, scenic way to enjoy fishing and hiking on beautiful Cultus Lake with your dogs or family. You can stop and swim and fish at sandy beaches just off the trail with the longest beach awaiting you at the boat camp on the west side of the lake. You can also bike the trail.  The wind usually kicks up in the afternoon so best to start early.
Cultus Lake Resort or the nearby camping grounds are a great home base to explore nearby Deschutes River and the many other Central Oregon Lakes along the Cascade Lakes Highway. Our favorite time to hike this trail is early summer and fall.  You will share it with a lot of other hikers and recreationists during August.