Skip to content

Hard Hiking Trails near Portland

17 routes near Portland qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 32.4 km and 712 m (2,336 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 69.6 km.

That is 19 percent of the 91 routes we map near Portland. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 32.4 km against 11.1 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 712 m (2,336 ft) on average versus 245 m (804 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Expert

Banks-Vernonia Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
36.4 km
/ 22.6 mi
Elevation gain
801 m
Typical duration
9 hr 26 min
  • Mountain
Expert

Chinook Trail

Washington · United States

Distance
69.6 km
/ 43.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,531 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Crown Zellerbach Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
35.0 km
/ 21.8 mi
Elevation gain
770 m
Typical duration
9 hr 3 min
  • Mountain
Expert

Wildwood Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
47.1 km
/ 29.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,035 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Hagg Lake Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
21.5 km
/ 13.4 mi
Elevation gain
473 m
Typical duration
5 hr 23 min
  • Lake
Hard

Columbia Slough Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
18.1 km
/ 11.3 mi
Elevation gain
399 m
Typical duration
4 hr 28 min
Hard

I-205 Multi-Use Path

Oregon · United States

Distance
28.8 km
/ 17.9 mi
Elevation gain
634 m
Typical duration
7 hr 22 min
Hard

Marine Drive Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
30.8 km
/ 19.1 mi
Elevation gain
677 m
Typical duration
7 hr 54 min
Expert

Springwater Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
34.5 km
/ 21.5 mi
Elevation gain
760 m
Typical duration
8 hr 55 min
Hard

Westside Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
15.9 km
/ 9.9 mi
Elevation gain
349 m
Typical duration
3 hr 51 min
Hard

Lake to Lake Trail

Washington · United States

Distance
19.4 km
/ 12.0 mi
Elevation gain
427 m
Typical duration
4 hr 49 min
  • Lake
Hard

4T Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
21.4 km
/ 13.3 mi
Elevation gain
472 m
Typical duration
5 hr 22 min
Expert

Tarbell Trail

Washington · United States

Distance
35.4 km
/ 22.0 mi
Elevation gain
779 m
Typical duration
9 hr 9 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Banks-Vernonia TrailOregon36.4 km801 m9 hr 26 minExpertApril to October
Lewis & Clark Regional TrailWashington51.8 km1,139 m13 hrExpertApril to October
Chinook TrailWashington69.6 km1,531 m18 hrExpertApril to October
Crown Zellerbach TrailOregon35.0 km770 m9 hr 3 minExpertApril to October
Wildwood TrailOregon47.1 km1,035 m12 hrExpertApril to October
Hagg Lake TrailOregon21.5 km473 m5 hr 23 minHardApril to October
Goose Hollow to Tryon Creek TrailOregon16.9 km372 m4 hr 8 minHardApril to October
Columbia Slough TrailOregon18.1 km399 m4 hr 28 minHardApril to October
Crescent Park Greenway (proposed segment)Oregon29.6 km651 m7 hr 34 minHardApril to October
I-205 Multi-Use PathOregon28.8 km634 m7 hr 22 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Banks-Vernonia Trail, Lewis & Clark Regional Trail, Chinook Trail. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

People also search for