Oxbow Park

Easy 

3.9-mile loop

200 feet elevation gain

Open all year

Use: hikers, horses, bicycles

Just 7 miles east of Gresham the whitewater Sandy River winds through a gorge where patches of old-growth forest still remain. The trails in popular Oxbow Park are never far from the swift, 200-foot-wide river, with its brushy islands and log jams. Hikers can picnic on pebble beaches, look for great blue herons, discover beaver sign, and watch drift boats negotiate the riffles. The park charges a $5-per-car fee, allows no pets, and closes at legal sunset except for the campground.

Drive 16 miles east of Portland . . .

Other Options

For a longer hike,  . . .

This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes: Northwest Oregon