Every one of these hikes sits under 90 minutes from a major West Coast city. None of them feel like it once you’re standing there.
Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco each have a trailhead close enough for an after-breakfast start and a before-dinner return — and each one drops you somewhere that looks and sounds nothing like the city you just left. No overnight bag, no vacation days, just a tank of gas and the right turnoff.
Psst — we made you a West Coast Adventure Map. Nearly 1,900 of our favorite spots, already pinned, ready to load into Google Maps in two clicks — grab it here.
Oregon: Ramona Falls, about 75 minutes from Portland
Take US-26 out of Portland to Zigzag, turn onto Lolo Pass Road, and less than an hour and a half later you’re crossing the glacier-fed Sandy River on a log bridge. The falls themselves spread out in a wide, mossy curtain instead of one straight drop, which is what makes them worth the drive in the first place…