Three Fingered Jack Wilderness: A Weekend Loop Through Oregon's Most Spectacular Volcanic Ruins
Three Fingered Jack is the most dramatic peak in Oregon's Central Cascades and among the most visually striking in the entire state. A weekend loop through the surrounding wilderness delivers alpine lakes, wildflower meadows, and views of a mountain that looks like it was built for a fantasy novel.
Menagerie Wilderness: Backpacking Oregon's Most Dramatic Rock Spire Country
A dozen andesite volcanic spires rise from old-growth Douglas fir forest 80 miles from Salem — and almost nobody knows they're there. The Menagerie Wilderness is Oregon's best-kept backpacking secret, with solitude, wildlife, and scenery that rivals the Three Sisters.
Eagle Creek Trail: Backpacking the Columbia River Gorge's Premier Waterfall Canyon
The Eagle Creek Trail is one of the most spectacular hikes in the Pacific Northwest — carved into basalt canyon walls, passing seven waterfalls, and threading through a tunnel behind a 150-foot falls. Most tourists turn around at Punch Bowl. The real trip starts where they stop.
North Fork Umatilla Wilderness: A Weekend Backpacking Loop Through Northeast Oregon's Forgotten Timber Canyon
The North Fork Umatilla Wilderness draws a fraction of the crowds that pack into the Eagle Cap just two counties over — delivering old-growth timber, a wild trout stream, and genuine solitude for those willing to make the drive.
Cathedral Ridge to Elk Meadows: Mount Hood's Best Summer Overnight for Wildflowers and Views
The Cathedral Ridge Trail to Elk Meadows delivers one of Oregon's most dramatic subalpine overnights with a fraction of the Timberline Trail crowds. Here's the complete guide.
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area: Backpacking and Camping the Coastal Sand Sea Between Florence and North Bend
The Oregon Dunes stretch 40 miles along the Pacific Coast — a shifting sand wilderness unlike anything else in the Pacific Northwest. Here's how to navigate, camp, and explore one of Oregon's most unusual backcountry destinations.
Timothy Lake Loop: A Weekend Backpacking Trip Near Portland in Mount Hood National Forest
Timothy Lake's 13-mile loop trail offers backpackers a manageable but rewarding overnight escape just 60 miles from Portland — lakeside camping, real trout fishing, old-growth forest, and Mount Hood reflections at sunset.
Cornucopia to Hawkins Pass: A 3-Day Wilderness Traverse Through Oregon's Southern Wallowas
The southern Wallowa Mountains remain one of Oregon's least-visited wilderness areas. This 3-day route from Cornucopia through Hawkins Pass delivers granite peaks, alpine lakes, and genuine solitude.
Ice Lake Loop in Oregon's Eagle Cap Wilderness: Backpacking to the Wallowas' Most Spectacular Alpine Basin
Ice Lake sits at 7,900 feet in the heart of Oregon's Eagle Cap Wilderness, ringed by granite peaks and home to mountain goats. Here's how to get there and what to expect on this spectacular alpine backpacking trip.
Minam River Canyon: Backpacking Into the Eagle Cap Wilderness Through Oregon's Deepest River Gorge
The Minam River drainage is lower, lusher, longer, and far less traveled than the Lakes Basin crowds. Old-growth ponderosa pine, wild cutthroat trout, Roosevelt elk, and a Wild and Scenic river corridor through Oregon's finest wilderness. A 3-4 day backpacking guide to the Minam Canyon.
Red Buttes Wilderness: Backpacking the Oregon-California Border's Most Remote Corner
Straddling the Oregon-California border in the Klamath Mountains, the Red Buttes Wilderness is one of the Pacific Northwest's least-visited and most botanically extraordinary backpacking destinations — serpentine rock, rare plants, and alpine lakes with virtually no crowds.
Pueblo Mountains: A 3-Day Backpacking Loop Through Southeast Oregon's Remote High Desert
The Pueblo Mountains rise nearly 5,000 feet above the Alvord Desert floor and remain one of Oregon's best-kept backpacking secrets. A 3-day Denio-to-Fields traverse covers alpine ridgeline, volcanic plateau, and sweeping Great Basin views — usually without another soul in sight.