Hiking

If you’ve looked outside lately and wondered whether hiking in Oregon now requires a complimentary respirator, you’re not alone. Wildfire smoke continues to affect a large portion of the state this weekend, with smoke from fires across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest creating hazy conditions in...

Ten years ago, That Oregon Life introduced readers to the Salmonberry corridor, a place that seemed to exist somewhere between Oregon history and an outdoor legend. Back in 2016, the old railroad through the Coast Range was known for rusting tracks, dark tunnels, towering trestles and sections...

There are forests in Oregon that feel old, and then there are forests that seem to exist outside ordinary time. Crabtree Valley belongs to the second kind. Deep back in the western foothills of the Cascades northeast of Sweet Home, the valley doesn't announce itself with a polished trailhead, a...

There is a moment on the hike toward Broken Top when Central Oregon seems to change worlds. The familiar forest begins to thin. Meadows open beneath an enormous sky. The ground becomes lighter, dustier, and increasingly volcanic. Ahead, the mountain rises in jagged layers of rust, charcoal,...

Ghostly voices echoing through abandoned tunnels, Sasquatch sightings, glowing orbs, and dark histories make these trails just as eerie as they are beautiful.