28 Jun Hiking Trails of Oregon

A lot of people think that Los Angeles is just a huge sprawling metropolis. While it is, there is still nature all around. We have the Santa Monica Mountains, Angeles Crest Forest, and other urban parks. The trails there are wonderful – filled with shrubs, sycamore trees,  California poppies, and wildlife. The trails here in Oregon, however, are dramatically different. In the three weeks that I’ve been here, I have hiked on some beautiful trails. I went on an 8-mile coastal hike at Ecola State Park. This trail was filled with giant rich green Spruce and Hemlock trees, 45 degree weather, and gorgeous views of the Pacific ocean.  Hiking below the canopy of the trees and hearing the crash of waves on the cliffs made me realize how small I am and how beautiful nature is. I spent an hour just lying down on the ground looking up at the trees and just being mesmerized by them. Another hike was on Saddle Mountain. Even though it’s just a 2.5 mile hike, it has an elevation gain of nearly 2,000 ft. The views this hike offered were incredible. A variety of wildflowers were blossoming along the hillsides, and I got a 360 degree view of the entire area. It wouldn’t be fair to compare the trails here to the trails in Los Angeles; they are equally beautiful in their own ways. Oregon offers a different set of hikes that I can’t wait to explore more.