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Loop Trails near Portland

12 routes near Portland qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 6.0 km and 131 m (430 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 21.5 km.

That is 13 percent of the 91 routes we map near Portland. They are shorter than the local average, 6.0 km against 11.1 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 131 m (430 ft) against 245 m (804 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Circular routes: park once, finish where you started, and never walk the same section twice. The mix is broad: 8 are rated easy and 1 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Easy

Cascade Streamwatch Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
19 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
Moderate

Hamilton Mountain Loop

Washington · United States

Distance
11.4 km
/ 7.1 mi
Elevation gain
250 m
Typical duration
2 hr 45 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Hardy Ridge Loop

Washington · United States

Distance
10.9 km
/ 6.8 mi
Elevation gain
240 m
Typical duration
2 hr 38 min
  • Mountain
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
Easy

Beacon Rock Trail

Washington · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
27 m
Typical duration
18 min
Moderate

Cape Horn Loop Trail

Washington · United States

Distance
10.5 km
/ 6.5 mi
Elevation gain
232 m
Typical duration
2 hr 33 min
Easy

Blue Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
7 min
Easy

Blue Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
93 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
Easy

Green Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
66 m
Typical duration
44 min
Easy

Nature Loop Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
42 m
Typical duration
28 min
Easy

Park Loop Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
63 m
Typical duration
41 min
Easy

Red Trail

Oregon · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
52 m
Typical duration
34 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
Cascade Streamwatch TrailOregon1.3 km28 m19 minEasyApril to October
Hamilton Mountain LoopWashington11.4 km250 m2 hr 45 minModerateApril to October
Hardy Ridge LoopWashington10.9 km240 m2 hr 38 minModerateApril to October
Hagg Lake TrailOregon21.5 km473 m5 hr 23 minHardApril to October
Beacon Rock TrailWashington1.2 km27 m18 minEasyApril to October
Cape Horn Loop TrailWashington10.5 km232 m2 hr 33 minModerateApril to October
Blue TrailOregon0.5 km11 m7 minEasyApril to October
Blue TrailOregon4.2 km93 m1 hr 1 minEasyApril to October
Green TrailOregon3.0 km66 m44 minEasyApril to October
Nature Loop TrailOregon1.9 km42 m28 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Cascade Streamwatch Trail, Hamilton Mountain Loop, Hardy Ridge Loop. 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

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