Badger Creek’s wilderness canyon climbs from the sagebrush flats of Central Oregon to the alpine forests of Mt. Hood. In the middle it crosses a strange, mixed zone known as a pine-oak grassland. A short hike along Badger Creek visits this botanically fascinating middle zone, rich with wildflowers from both the high desert and the mountains. If you continue on a longer trek or backpacking trip you can climb to the creek’s headwaters at a high mountain lake.

To drive here from Portland, take Highway . . .

This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes: Northwest Oregon