PNW Adventures

A weekend full of outdoor adventures right outside my door, is one of the many reasons I love living in the Pacific Northwest. There is something so restorative about being in nature- the scent of the trees, the dirt beneath my feet, the sound of the water trickling along the bank of a river. Real fresh air. Even when a hike is challenging, I always feel refreshed afterward.

If I could, I would definitely spend every weekend either hiking, camping, kayaking, SUP’ing or doing a mixture of those three. So of course I jump at any opportunity that I can.

A couple of weekends ago Kris (my bf) and I planned on hiking Falls Creek Falls. I chose that hike because I really wanted him to experience these falls for himself. I hiked there last summer solo on a weekday and although I had a great hike full of solitude and reflection, I really wanted to do this hike with him. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to come but our best friends joined me and we had a great time!

The location of Falls Creek Falls is isolated, found about 25 miles north of Stevenson Washington and down winding forest roads and forgotten gravel stretches, you’ll find the Trailhead. #152A, a trail that is about 3 miles out and back. The trail begins along the gorgeous creek and winds uphill, eventually leading to a short suspension bridge. You only leave the creek for a short while as you ascend closer to the falls. As the massive Falls Creek Falls approaches in the distance you can’t help but hear it’s thundering roar from afar, and then suddenly the top section of the falls emerges from the trees in the distance.

Photos only do so much justice, Falls Creek Falls is a tiered falls, and it’s difficult to grasp the volume without seeing it in person. After viewing the falls and taking photos we decided to take the side (loop) trail option and head up to the top area of the falls where there is an expansive view. It was a bit of a struggle getting up there, I’m not going to lie… it shouldn’t have felt that difficult but I haven’t kept up on my fitness over the last few weeks. Ooops! I did make it, and the view was great, but it’s also a great spot to take a rest and it’s not crounded

Hiker Tip: Start out early, by 10:30am there will be a massive amount of people

Total Miles: 6 miles

After hiking we all went out to dinner and my friend Misty and I decided that since the guys would be doing a guys golf day we would head out for another hike. She suggested the Clackamas River trail to pup creek falls, which is about 4.5 miles one way. I had done the hike before but didn’t make it to pup creek falls because I saw fresh cougar tracks… I was alone, without cell service and decided to turn back. But I was really disappointed I didn’t make it to the falls so I was really excited to head back to this trail.

Clackamas river trail #715 is long, it’s a traverse hike of about 7.8 miles one way but leads to both a waterfall and a cool location called “The Narrows” which is a chasm of waters joining together. We didn’t venture to the Narrows since we planned on being back at a specific time. Hopefully I’ll make it at another time.

I really feel like Pup Creek falls is undervalued and not talked about enough, the falls are so gorgeous. Due to needing to take a side trail, the falls are definitely secluded.  Perfectly situated to take a break, have a snack or lunch and even dip your feet in. It was very serene there and I definitely could have spent a lot of time just sitting there taking in the surroundings.

Over all it was a great hike!

Total Miles: 9

So many more adventures to look forward to this summer! What has been your favorite adventure this summer?? Leave a comment 😊

Here is a quick lil clip of our Pup Creek falls hike!

Pup Creek Falls from Tee Padron on Vimeo.

Hope you enjoyed learning about these two hikes, I’ll be back soon with more exploring! ✌🏼