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Portland Monthly

Outdoor Activities

Glow Up

Cosmic Tubing Is the Mood-Enhancing Activity You Need

Find neon lights, party tunes, and a jolt of joy on Mount Hood’s snowy slopes.

02/27/2024 By Rebecca Jacobson

Travel & Outdoors

12 Oregon Adventures to Get You Outdoors Every Month of the Year

Fly-fish on the Deschutes River, soak at Terwilliger Hot Springs, and ski late into spring at Mount Bachelor.

01/25/2024 By Portland Monthly Staff

Ski Trips

Beyond Hood: Eastern Oregon’s Ferguson Ridge Is the Gosh-Darn Cutest

The first rule about Fergi is we don’t talk about Fergi.

01/19/2024 By Margaret Seiler

Outdoors

How to Reserve a Hiking, Camping, or Backpacking Trip in Oregon

Trust the process—even if it is a little cumbersome.

01/19/2024 By Portland Monthly Staff

Ski Trips

Beyond Hood: Is Anthony Lakes Worth the Drive?

Find a beer yurt, a rollicking saloon, and the highest base elevation in the state at this laid-back Eastern Oregon ski area.

01/05/2024 By Margaret Seiler

Hiking

6 Post-Thanksgiving Hikes in and around Portland

Skip Black Friday and spend your turkey recovery day at Forest Park, on Mount Tabor, or taking advantage of free parking at a state park.

11/22/2023 By Gabriel Granillo With Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Creative Exercise

Rucking Takes a Hike in Portland

Pssst. People are rucking all around you.

10/20/2023 By Ellee Thalheimer Illustrations by Skyler Elzy

Public Transit

4 Fall Adventures around Portland with No Car

Leave the car at home for World Car Free Day—or just because gas is so expensive.

09/20/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Back Off, Idaho! A Visitor's Guide to Eastern Oregon

5 Crucial Tips for Camping in the Alvord Desert

We caught up with experienced playa-goers for their critical advice on visiting this otherworldly terrain.

09/04/2023 By Sam Stites

Pool Party

Renting a Private Pool in Portland Has Never Been Swimpler

Want to go for a dip? Swimply has turned Portland into a hotbed for backyard pool and hot tub rentals, from saltwater pools on hilltop hobby farms to backyard hangs.

06/22/2023 By Sam Stites

Popular Content

    Your Quintessential Portland Bucket List: 50 Things to Do in Town

    What to Do in Oregon in March

    12 Oregon Adventures to Get You Outdoors Every Month of the Year

    A Summer Traveler’s Guide to Mount Hood

    What Portland Can Learn from Amsterdam’s Swimming District

    In Antelope, Oregon, Light Breaks Through

Rivers

It's Time For You to Meet the Magical Lower Deschutes River

Whatever your speed—dirtbag to debutante—there is something for you on the Lower Deschutes. From its beginnings high up near Mount Bachelor to where it flows into the Columbia River, Central Oregon's Deschutes River is a special place.

06/08/2023 By Sam Stites and Chad Brown

Adventure

Your Best Ever White Water Trip on the Lower Deschutes

Rafting on the Lower Deschutes River is an Oregon rite of passage, just a couple hours from Portland. Our own Sam Stites, a former rafting guide, tells us the outfitters, guides, and rapids to know.

06/08/2023 By Sam Stites

Essay

The Deschutes River Became My Therapist and Healer

"The pain I fought, the darkness I navigated, and the loneliness I endured as a navy veteran fighting PTSD would leave my body the closer I got to the river to fly-fish."

06/08/2023 By Chad Brown

Summer Fun

An Incomplete Guide to Portland’s Biggest Summer 2023 Concerts and Events

Feeling hungry like a wolf for live entertainment? Here’s your guide to the full monty of local shows.

06/01/2023 By Margaret Seiler and Sam Stites

Water Safety

Heading to a Swim Hole? It Might Not Be Safe Right Now

Warm weather earlier in the year doesn't mean it's time to hit your river spot.

05/30/2023 By Sam Stites

Forests

Why You Should Visit Wildfire-Burned Forests This Summer

If they are safe and open, expect surprisingly gorgeous regrowth among mosaics of burned and spared foliage.

05/25/2023 By Matt Wastradowski

Columbia Gorge

Timed-Entry Permits Are Back at Multnomah Falls

Visitors to Oregon's tallest waterfall will again need to obtain a timed-entry permit in 2023 beginning May 26.

05/22/2023 By Sam Stites

Trails

Hike of the Month: Mosier Plateau by Transit

Thanks to the CAT bus, you don’t need a car to get to this wildflower standby in the Columbia River Gorge. Bring a bike along and hit the Mosier Twin Tunnels or a winery while you’re there.

04/27/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Summer Fun

Floating Hot Tubs Offer Novel Way to Get Out on the Willamette River

Can I get a Yacht Tub!

04/26/2023 By Sam Stites

Swimming

Portland's Regional Government Wants to Give You a Life Jacket

Metro’s Jason Ligons helps BIPOC kids have fun in the water, and has advice for everyone on staying safe.

04/21/2023 By Sam Stites

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Summer 2026

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