Angel's Rest Hike

A popular hike but kind of difficult one. This hike is mostly going up and if you're not in shape then this one might take you about two hours but the view is worth it! If your in top shape then this one might take you an hour or so. Angel's rest is part of the Columbia River Gorge hikes and you get a spectacular view at the very top. To get here from Portland just take I-5 N toward Dalles and then I-84 E toward the Dalles then take exit 28, the Bridal Veil(Which is part of the Historic Columbia River Highway). Taking on exit 28 and the first stop you encounter there should be a parking lot on the right and that should be the spot you park your car. Its right there by the exit so you won't have trouble finding it. Or if you're not that great with written directions just GPS it it should be there on the map.

You should see a sign(like the image above) and see how far from the beginning to the top of Angel's Rest is, which isn't so bad. When you start the trail in the beginning you'll meet two paths and take the one to the left or go to the one thats straight to the path that you are on. Then the path should be pretty straight forward from here. :)

I went to Angel's Hike when it was Fall so that explains some trees being naked :x but its still a beautiful place, but I prefer this place in the summer :) I'm going to stop chit chatting now and let you enjoy the rest. I hope I encourage you to go out and explore your own backyard :)

You don't need hiking shoes to hike :) and running shoes will do

Latourell Falls

Before school started I went on a solo hike to the Latourell Falls. It is the first water fall after the Vista House on the Historic Columbia Highway. You can take the Vista House exit or you can take exit 28 on I-84 then turn right. You'll see it on the left side and it is pretty noticeable so you won't miss it. This is a nice place to go to if you are not able to hike far because the Latourell Falls have an lower fall and upper fall, which takes about an mile to get to.

These pictures are in order of the path that I took which I hiked to the upper fall first then I went into a loop to go back to where I started then I went to the lower falls. For the lower fall there is no hike needed, all you have to do is go down a set of stairs and you'll instantly see the fall.

I think the lower fall is the most beautiful one out of the two and you can get more close and personal to the waterfall than the upper fall. There are a lot of people so come early or maybe later in the day. There is a park where you can have picnics which is nice if you go an outing with your family. :)

I just wanted to make this post short because I'm just a little behind studying but I wanted to post this one up so I hope you enjoy it! This is probably one of my favorite falls in the Gorge that is easy access. I hope you guys have a nice day :)

Oswald West State Park

A little different from the usual Oregon hikes: Oswald West State Park. Located at the coast of Oregon, just a few miles south of Cannon Beach. Getting there is a easy, just a hour and a half drive from Portland and easy to locate with the GPS. There are four parking spots for the state park(its that huge) and one of the parking spots are a rest area(that is where I parked) and there is an walk way that leads to the beach and other hiking trails.

My friend and I went and we did not explore all of the state park because of all the walking and the hunger >o< So we mainly explore the Short Sand beach (a popular spots for surfers to go to) and the southern half of the park. We tried to reach to Neahkanie Mountain Summit but we failed to do so because we were tired so we decided to go back since we have already traveled a long way. Even though we did not reach to the top we still had beautiful views of the ocean. I'll be returning to this place again for sure, maybe next summer since Fall is already here, so I can explore more of its' wonders!

Nothing much else to say about this place but go there yourself and explore it! It is such a beautiful place to be! I swear!

Eagle Creek Trail - Punch Bowl Fall

Hello! This time I'm going to talk about one of the famous gorge hike in Oregon and that is the Eagle Creek Trail. This trail is about 20+ mile all around but I choose to not go all the way and just reach to the Punch Bowl Fall and turn back around due to the fact that I don't really have the gear. I've read that there are a lot of places that you can reach up to on Eagle Creek Trail but I think I might save that for another day.

First off with direction it is easily accessible on the GPS, all you have to do is type in Eagle Creek Trail. When you get there you will have to pay a fee for being there, Since I was only there for a day I had to pay $5(in cash). There are two parking lot: the first one you'll see with a bathroom building and a camp site, the other is if you go past the first parking lot mentioned and follow a road up you'll see another one closer to the trailhead.

2 miles isn't so bad ;P

Be careful the trail can get a narrow but at those parts there will be metal rope for you to hold on to if the ground seems to slippery(rainy season). Luckily it was a good day when my friend and I went :) Also enjoy the view as you go along and take in the scenery.

Along the way to the Punch Bowl, if you pay attention, there will be a trail on the right side that leads to a viewpoint of Metlako Falls. I believe there is no way for you to get close to it but you can get a good view of it from the side of the fall which is pretty amazing.

make sure you pay attention to signs!

Going back to the main trail just about half a mile you'll reach the lower Punch Bowl Falls! The most exciting part as you go down some man made stairs you'll first see a stream going down into a little water fall. If you go against the way the water is going you'll be able to see the Punch Bowl Fall. This place is just plain beautiful and it kind of reminds me of a cave even though it isn't. I hope you guys get what I mean when you get the chance to see it or maybe it's just me, hahaha.

It was such a great experience and such a great hike to share with friends and family, it was super easy, there wasn't much difficulties to it. Next time for sure I'll try to go all the way to the lake! Now I must go and read the latest Naruto chapter, have an awesome day lovelies! :)