Forest Park's Maple-Wildwood Loop is a stunner during peak fall. By now, most of the big-leaf maples that give this trail its apt name have dropped their gorgeous leaves across this eight-mile lollipop loop, but that makes it dazzlingly autumnal, particularly on a moody morning draped in fog. Start at the Lower Saltzman Road Trailhead, which is just off a breezy drive along Highway 30. Exit on Saltzman Road and follow the narrow road up until you reach the trailhead. (Bonus points for spotting the pink bra hanging on a telephone wire.) Portions of the hike can be steep, but it’s a mostly moderate and enjoyable experience trekking through canopies of big-leaf maples, Douglas firs, western hemlocks, and western red cedars. This time of year, the trail is wet and muddy, but a decent pair of boots gets the job done. Check out our other essential Forest Park hikes here.

Ever climb a volcano? If you’ve summited Mount Tabor, you have. And if you haven’t, now’s as good a time as any. Take your pup to the dog park at the base of the park (or take them to any of our favorite dog parks) and then make your way up to the summit for pristine views of the downtown skyline. There are three trails at the park ranging from easy (Red Trail) to moderate (Green Trail) to difficult (Blue Trail). Parts of this park can be muddy, but it’s better than trampling through Best Buy to get a half-off TV. 

There’s lots of wildlife amid this short, relatively easy loop—save for the somewhat challenging Old Slide Trail, a .45-mile unpaved path that takes you up though shadowed forestlands and gives your thighs a decent burn. With a playground and picnic tables at the entrance of the park, it’s truly a perfect family-friendly hike (you may even spot a few families taking some cute golden-hour photos). The best time to go is when the sun sets over Oregon City. You’ll catch a spectacular view of the Willamette River drenched in an orange-yellow glow. Check out our other recommended nature parks here.

Stretching from Scappoose to forested areas of Columbia County, the Crown Zellerbach Trail is a friendly year-round trail with a history that hearkens back to the early 20th century when it was a railroad line that provided timber for loggers in camps between the Multnomah Channel and the Nehalem River in Vernonia. Now, the Crown Z, open to hikers, bicyclists, and horseback riders, snakes through several small communities and parallels the Scappoose-Vernonia Highway, allowing visitors to choose the length of their own adventure with numerous entry-point trailheads along the way.

Former senior editor Ben Tepler wrote about this stellar and secluded hike an hour away from Portland in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness east of Estacada. This Eagle Creek Trail, he writes, offers a polar opposite experience of the heavily-trafficked Eagle Creek Trail in the Columbia River Gorge, providing a “wild, cathedral forest with scarcely another human in sight.” Expect significant elevation gain (about 2,300 feet) during this out-and-back trail, the distance of which can vary depending on how adventurous you’re feeling. Hikers can turn back at any point, or make for a campground alongside a creek about three miles in. Those with a yearning for a backpacking adventure can continue up the creek toward the Eagle Creek Cutoff Trail for even more fun. 

This two-mile jaunt along a stream in old-growth forest is just over an hour outside of Portland. It runs parallel to Salmon River Road south of Welches, and offers five different trailheads to pull off and start hiking. Though the trail is close to the road, the sound of the rushing Salmon River blocks out any potential noise from traffic. Because of its gentle grade and lush scenery, Old Salmon River Trail is a popular spot for families and hikers with dogs. Hit the trail in the early morning if you’re looking for a solitary ramble through the woods.   

Black Friday is synonymous with free parking at state parks and recreation sites across Oregon. While most of the state’s nearly 200 parks are always free to visit, around 25 popular destinations—such as Smith Rock, Milo McIver, and Silver Falls—charge a day-use fee for parking. But Oregon State Parks waives the fee on the day after Thanksgiving, which the agency calls "Green Friday."