The Best Fall Hikes in and near Portland

"Summer hikes are all about swimming holes and soaking up the sun (or seeking shade when the heat is too much). But as we ease into sweater weather, it's time to gaze at fall colors, catch sight of migrating birds, or let a waterfall cool you off one last time before the true cold sets in and some of these trails get buried in snow. Here are a few of our favorite places for autumn hikes."

"Little-known fact: Nearly three-quarters of the forest of Forest Park is bigleaf maples and red alders-not Douglas firs. Nowhere is this deciduous umbrella more delightful than along the aptly named Maple Trail; in fall, groves of bigleaf maples rain down piles of crimson-and-gold leaves. This loop hike will tour you through much of the central part of Forest Park and past some of its most impressive trees. Note that sections of both the Maple and Wildwood trails are closed, but well-signed detours are in place."

"Just north of Vancouver, Washington, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is a prime place for viewing animals, particularly the many migratory birds that pass through this rich wetland ecosystem from September through December. There are more tranquil attractions here, too-witness the numerous Oregon white oaks, whose fall leaves turn copper as their branches grow heavy with acorns. If you're lucky (and quiet), you might even spot a coyote or an adorable red fox."

Autumn hiking shifts focus from summer swimming holes to fall colors, migrating birds, and last cooling waterfalls before trails become snowbound. Forest Park is dominated by bigleaf maples and red alders, and the Maple Trail features groves that shed crimson-and-gold leaves; parts of the Maple and Wildwood trails are closed with well-signed detours. Portland's living tree museum spans 187 ridge-top acres and about 12 miles of trails; a loop starting at the southern terminus of the Wildwood Trail passes western conifers and eastern stands of sugar maples and flowering ash. Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge north of Vancouver, Washington hosts migratory birds from September through December, features Oregon white oaks with copper leaves and acorns, and occasionally reveals coyotes or red foxes.

Read at Portland Monthly