Forest Grove, Oregon "A place where families and business…read morethrive" We took a drive out to Forest Grove on Superbowl Sunday, before the big game. The drive to Forest Grove felt long from Portland, but it was a nice drive. The reason was to visit Kama'aina Comfort foods, we got our take out from the food truck and had to find a place to enjoy our lunch. My daughter searched for a park on her phone and we happen to be nearby Joseph Gale Park. Who is Joseph Gale? He was an explorer, fur trapper and member of Oregon's Provisional Government Executive Committee (1843-44) He was Commander in Chief of the Oregon Territory Milita and also championed the rights of Native America. A small park in the Forest Grove Community, located right next to Joseph Gale Elementary school. We found street parking right in front of the park. Joseph Gale Park as I observed had a small playground with a few picnic benches. I noticed on this beautiful cool Sunday, 2 families utilizing the playground, a gentleman utilizing the picnic table reading a book, and my family enjoying our lunch on another picnic table. This park is small, very green and also clean. The Amenities at Joseph Gale Park includes: barbeques baseball fields, picnic tables playground equipment restrooms, softball fields Parks and Recreation Director: Tom Gamble Parks Supervisor: Matt Baum Phone: 503.992-3237 Overall, We enjoyed our afternoon visit here at Joseph Gale Park and can't wait to be back again at this park and neighborhood!!

We drove an hour to visit Hidden Creek West Park in Hillsboro, and it was absolutely worth the…read moretrip! This park is a total gem--thoughtfully designed, beautifully shaded, and perfect for families. There are plenty of swings and a great variety of play equipment to keep kids engaged for hours. One of the things I appreciated most was the visibility--there's seating thoughtfully placed all around the park, so no matter where your child is playing, you can easily keep an eye on them. There's even a grassy area under the trees where you can lay out a blanket and relax. Even on a hot day, the metal slides stayed cool thanks to the shade, which is a rare and welcome surprise! The kids there were all friendly, and the parents seemed attentive and involved, creating a really positive, safe vibe. My kids had a blast and would've stayed much longer if I hadn't forgotten snacks--lesson learned! We'll definitely be back, this time with a picnic and more time to explore.

First of all the park is huge and the activities available for the kids are wonderful. Multiple…read moreswings, rotating ball, and great big climbing structure with slides and rock climbing wall. There is a fountain for the summer time and outdoor picnicking and grilling. Nice little trail to walk around. Across the street is 3 futbol piches and more park. The community center features indoor courts for basketball, badminton, track, and a gym. Staff is sorry nice and welcoming and the place is clean and inviting.

Just a fabulous place for wildlife. As we walked the grounds the sights and sounds were constant…read more Lots of reserved land for our winged and furry friends...and plenty of trails for us to get a glimpse. At this time the number of ducks and geese making use of the grounds is insane. (Note however, that due to those huge numbers we unfortunately encountered a handful of deceased birds this weekend on our walk.) Frogs, geese, ducks (of many colors), rodents, hawks, eagles, heron, egrets...we saw and/or heard them all during a walk around the inside path yesterday. Truly a special place to watch birds to do their bird things. They've got a decent amount of parking, both paved and gravel. The trails are dirt and gravel and were quite muddy in places this weekend, but the grounds were free of litter.

A fabulous place for a relaxing walk. The ponds aren't all full right now but we saw plenty of…read morelife and flowers( even an eagle! The paths are plenty wide and solid enough for wheelchairs.

A hideout indeed! Google maps and pics do not properly show the enormity of this place. I came…read morehere a couple of months ago for disc golf, but there was way more to be discovered here then I had thought. Here's a little bit about Horning's Hideout: = Just Getting Here = Be aware that once you drive off the main road, you'll see the signs to the hideout, but it's all gravel and tall trees from there. From the main sign, the drive heads downward, winding through the forest, down the canyon. Similar to that of driving to Pittock Mansion, only unpaved and narrower turns. So please proceed with caution. Once at the bottom, it opens up to a pleasant little valley. = Parking and Fee = Past the barn, to your right is the parking area. It's an open field. Pay at the parking station, $5 per person. = Features & Activities = * For fishing, I had inquired at the office. Once you park, there is a house or an information office just above the parking station. The lady (or owner) was helpful as she explained to me the lay of the land. Again, this place was way larger than I had imagined. But back to fishing... There is a lake that gets stocked with trout. No fishing license required. Assuming due to this being private land. You do pay a catch/cleaning fee. They also have fly-fishing during the winter through spring season. More details on their website. I did notice they've got paddle boats as well. So, forget the stupid ipad, and keep the kids busy with fishing and paddle boating! * For disc golf, there are three huge courses. One, only being par 3's. Which to me was like a good hike, yet still challenging. A medium course that's par 3's and 4's through the canyon that's said to be scenic. I have yet to try it. And a championship course with par 5's; Difficult greens around trees, and a U-turn. Someday, but not any time soon! * As for the wedding venues, I can only imagine, but there are three venues to use depending on your wedding party size. Can you envision your wedding photos or even your reception being close to a pond, a lake, a creek, or even a waterfall, with trees all around? Yeah, that's this place! Oh yeah, and with peacocks too! * Camping is also allowed as well. Reservations required of course. * And as you can see with the yelp photos, they occasionally have concerts which I though was really cool. Well, that just about sums it up, not sure what else to say. It's just a secluded place worth checking out. Especially if you need to escape some city life.

An Absolutely Beautiful place for a wedding. My son and daughter in law chose the lakeside venue…read more We were blessed with a wonderful day weather wise. It had forecasted to rain but luckily it held off until the following day. It would have been a totally different event had it rained. I do wish there was a way of getting around having to walk in gravel but unless they pave it there is no getting around that. So guests were told ahead of time to be aware of that. Different chairs were rented rather than the plastic ones that are provided which was a nice thing. Extra hanging lights were rented and hung up by the brides father. It made a big difference and I think the venue should consider investing in adding them permanently.

What a wonderful under the radar waterfall this is...Beaver Falls!…read more Located 6 miles east of Clatskanie, Oregon, this area near the Columbia River is beautiful. Let's get straight to the heart of what Beaver Falls is all about... If you plug "Beaver Falls Trailhead" into Google Maps, you'll have no problem finding it. Then just park along the side of Highway 30 and hike 1/3rd of a mile through the forest to the base of the falls. It's that easy. When I visited on a Thursday in early afternoon of July, there was hardly anyone around which was good for taking quality photos. Best of all, you can swim in the waters. So definitely bring a bathing suit, towel and a pair of water shoes so the rocks won't hurt your feet while entering the pool beneath Beaver Falls. The water is cold but once you jump in and get comfortable, it's a terrific setting. There's also a long rope where you can swing across and splash down below. It's great for kids (and adults too, lol) to have playful times. For me, I was content soaking in the pool and appreciating the surroundings. More info... - It's free to visit. - Cell phone reception works fine. - You can walk underneath the falls! This is a Must-Do. You can capture some amazing moments standing beside Beaver Falls. It's not hard or dangerous and offers a unique perspective. - Beaver Falls is just one of many outstanding waterfalls situated around Oregon and especially near the Columbia River. There's also Lower Lewis River Falls, Panther Creek Falls and Spirit Falls, to name a few. - You can spend a few hours hanging out or as little as 30 - 40 minutes. It depends on your time horizon. But overall, it's really pleasant to be here that I'd suggest bringing snacks, lunch and maybe having a picnic. This Beaver Falls is absolutely so much fun to hang out at. When you can swim in the waters, swing from a rope and even walk underneath the falls, It makes for a worthwhile summer visit.

Great day for a hike and Chehalem Ridge didn't disappoint. Plenty of parking, clean restrooms, and…read moresome very nice views. I'll be going back.

Beautiful park with tree covered trails and wide paths…read more We did the woodland trail then continued up Timber Road and onto the Chehalem Ridge trail. Path was mostly flat with slight inclines here and there until you got to Timber Road, this was really the only tougher incline, mostly because it was out in the direct sun. The scenery was beautiful forrest and ferns, with a couple viewpoints out to the hills in the distance. Directional signage on the trials was pretty good, didn't notice any maps aside from the one at the entrance, but at least you could see when trail intersected and which way to go for each. We came on a Friday afternoon, the parking was plentiful and we almost had the trial to ourselves. There are two covered picnic areas at the trailhead, both had a handful of picnic tables and benches. Beware - we were chased off by yellow jackets while trying to enjoy our lunch. We were there on a pretty warm day, so they seemed to be extra active. Restrooms at the trailhead were spacious and clean.

I really enjoy this park and after visiting twice this weekend, I'm reminded that I should make an…read moreeffort to visit more often and experience it in every season. This park has extensive walking trails, both paved and unpaved with lots of variety in the elevation which makes for a great workout with inclines and downhills. There are tons of trees but also lots of open space so you can experience the sun and also have plenty of shade. With benches and other built-in seating (retaining walls) throughout the park, there are so many places to take a break, enjoy the sights and sounds of nature or meditate. There is also a play area for the kids as well as picnic areas and a nice wood burning fireplace, and rest rooms nearby. There are also tennis courts and parking is plentiful. On this visit we ventured off to the left of the main trail and did some serious hiking up the hill, which we surprisingly discovered backs up to a nearby neighborhood. It felt like we were truly away in the woods even though civilization is so close by! This park is a true example of why I love Oregon so much. Nature is so accessible and part of the community, not separate or hard to get to. It's magical that you can literally cross the street from your house and be surrounded by beautiful trees and wildlife.

Beautiful park and very nicely kept grounds. This park has something for everyone. There's a…read moreplayground side with covered picnic tables. A little pond area with a small deck. Grassy fields. Tennis court. A water ramp for kayakers/SUP. And then the nature trails! The best part of the park. You can walk next to the river and enjoy all the sights and sounds. Dog-friendly too, make sure they are on leashes tho. During some periods of the year, the park and trails get flooded so you can't walk in some areas but it's still cool to see.

Love that park but there's only one flaw, maybe too... No…read moreumbrellas? No trees? No shade? Limited tables? Yikes. And those little hills in front of the slides? I heard a kid screaming because he faceplanted going down the hill and then a mom couldn't even get up the hill to help her kid. Maybe add some steps? Hot location. Not enough shade for summer.

Great park, not many shades spots. Also idk when the fountain on the sand box works…read more But great for all ages

Celebrating 12 years of f-cking, s-cking, and occasionally eating Turducken (very rarely)…read more My girlfriend looks thrilled about it eh? We went to the Meating Place Cafe to get some food (I recommend the Turkey Cranberry sandwich with Mama Lil's Peppers) and then headed to Henry Hagg Lake (I also recommend) to eat, hike, and swim.

It's a decent sized lake with great views. There's ample parking and easy access to view the lake…read more Saw a bunch of people boating and fishing in it. Really worth going on a clear day and spending time in the sun laying down in the green grass. There's also a restroom nearby so that's a plus.

What a beautiful camping spot close to Portland. We…read morereserved 2 spots for tent camping for 2 nights. The sites were clean and well maintained and parking was very close to our sites (28 & 29). The tent pads are gravel and there's a nice grassy area for hanging out in our freestanding hammock. There are miles of beautiful trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Stargazing was incredible and we wished we had brought a telescope. The tent area has 2 bathrooms with flush toilets which were mostly clean. They could use some spider web removal and a good floor scrub. One of the bathrooms was locked, maybe for maintenance, on the second day of our stay. We saw deer, a big variety of birds and a couple cute squirrels and chipmunks. A pond along one of the hiking trails hosted a large number of salamanders! We will go back and try a cabin site next.

The "walk-in" campground is a legit WALK-IN campground. It's far enough away that I suggest…read morecarrying in as much as you can, grab the wheelbarrows available (appreciated these) and start your trek. We arrived kind of late and didn't realize how far in it really was. It's pretty secluded and quiet which is nice, the fire pits are in areas shared with other campsites, great way to meet other people, but there is not individual pits. There was an outhouse next to us, it was kept really clean and park rangers went through consistently which was also nice. There are lots of paths to hike and other parts of the campground near by. Really loved the location and how close it is to Portland. Very nice area, would love to try the actual campground next time!