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.

Recently did this 40-mile bike ride and it was a spectacular ride! A friend and I decided to ride…read moreon a gloomy + rainy day which ended up being worth it! It wasn't crowded at all and the views were still great. It was a full day, as we arrived around 10:30 am and were back in the car around 5:30 pm, so expect to take the whole day to enjoy this ride and to stop at the town of Vernonia. I love how this trail had multiple bike hubs and came in handy to put some air in my tires about 15 miles in. It was generally all family-friendly riding, with only a couple of hills where we did walk our bikes, but you can ride uphill if you are looking for an uphill challenge. But do note, that there were considerable amount of uneven spots/small potholes on the trail which my friend didn't remember on her last ride here so just be prepared for that. Luckily, most of them are marked! I will also agree with other reviews - about first 10 miles from Banks was a noticeable workout. We decided to grab some burgers in Vernonia and stretch our legs - which I totally suggest to do. We did see that a neighbor on our way to Vernonia had some free grapes and apples for us, which was such a sweet treat and extra fuel. I will suggest this to all my newbie and more advanced biker friends looking for a workout with a view!

This is a fine trail, but the reviews that mention great views must have never been anywhere with…read moretrees and forests. There are no overlooks or valley views, just forests and a few grass fields. We just completed another section on our e-bikes. We will end up making three visits to complete the trail. Parking at Banks is very limited. Parking in Vernonia is unlimited. Someone has been marking roots and bumps with paint and it was greatly appreciated on our bikes. Our first visit was on a hot sunny day and was not near as enjoyable as yesterday in a cool drizzle. Not real rain, just threats of it.

I really love places which are educational and fun. We wanted to visit the forest for some fall…read morecolors and the overall drive to this place is magical. They have a cute stationary inside the center with a lot of local, handmade, and cute stuff. We bought some maps. From the time you enter inside the place to the time exists, you ll learn a lot of things about nature. They maintained it really well and once you walk out from the other end, you ll see a very pretty bridge with water flowing. And there are couple of small trails outside of the forest center. There's a light house just right outside to experience the beautiful place from top. Overall, we really enjoyed visiting this place. Definitely a must visit if you are around.

Reopened...FINALLY!!…read more The center hasn't been open since we moved to Oregon. We've driven by so many times wondering what was behind the gate...will we ever know? But HOORAY, last weekend the gates opened and we got to check it out. We actually heard an announcement as we were heading towards the building from the parking lot and decided to join a Tillamook Forest tree information walk first thing. A very pleasant employee, Abby, gave us a brief intro into the surrounding trees, their history and importance within the park. After the tour we wandered over the Wilson River bridge and back into the center to meander through the exhibits a bit. There are so many interesting educational items to read and look through inside, as well as a theater and gift shop...and a few trails to take around the vicinity as well. Our first visit was pretty brief, but we were happy to leave so much to explore during future visits. Fabulous and fun spot to learn about the beautiful Tillamook Forest!

Fun place an hour from Portland, bring water shoes! Rocks to jump from! Swim shallow and slightly…read moredeeper parts fun place to cool off! There is a bathroom near by and free parking you park and go down the trail to the river!

Love the campground and the host Christy is awesome. I've been camping there twice in the last…read moremonth because it's so nice.

The campground was full for the memorial day weekend.Close to the River and only 35 minutes from…read moreTillamook. There was only 1 camp host, but he took care of business . Clean camping area and the Bathroom was clean and supplied with plenty toilet paper .. We will return ..

This is a nice little park right on the river. Great for kids. Flush toilet bathrooms there but…read morethey are locked during the winter months. Not tons of parking but I've never had a problem. Not much shade though so it can get hot there. Right in the center of town and easy to find. I like to sit out on the concrete landing at the river bank by the Hwy47 bridge and just contemplate life for a while. I stop at Vernonia a couple of times a year for a street photography afternoon and have been doing so for decades. Meth and those who use it is a serious problem around here so pay attention to your surroundings. I've only had one serious problem in all the time I've been coming to Vernonia but it went sideways in one big hurry. Situational awareness is always important and even more so in this burb.

The Wedding of Chris Grenier & Alice Ziegler. What a cool…read morepark in Vernonia Oregon. Right by the river. Plenty of parking. Kids playground set. Lot's of room to play. Sweeping views of Vernonia and the fields around the park. The Wedding was in The Scouts Lodge at the park. Built in 1928. Destroyed by the Flood of 1996. Friends of The Scout Cabin formed in 1997 to rebuild the cabin and construction was completed in the year 2000. The whole project came out really nice. Lots of updates and of course, it could use a few more. Just the same. The ceremony was held out back of the cabin in the Gazebo. The reception, inside the cabin. Good fun and comfort were had by all. Thank you Mr. & Mrs. G.

This hike was hard, but not impossible. Bring hiking poles. It took about 4 days for my legs to…read morerecover, and I am an avid skater with pretty strong legs to start. Cardio wise I was fine, my friend and I marched right up to the top, but it was very steep at places. For me, going down was much harder and I was slipping a lot on loose gravel. The warning at the trailhead about "sheer drop offs" was a bit scary since I am not a huge fan of heights, but the trail itself is not along any ledges and I felt perfectly safe. Views at the top were great. Bring poles, hike during good weather, and you will be rewarded with a great leg workout and a view at the top.

Unrelenting beauty, even on this wet, misty superbowl Sunday. I set out to hike the King Mountain…read more- Elk Mountain loop, a difficult 11 miles. All the advice about this being a hard hike are absolutely correct. Take it seriously and wear sturdy boots, bring water and snacks. Layer carefully. The trailhead has a good size parking area with overflow across the highway. There is a potty, yay! I headed off counter clockwise, I intended to take Elk first. All the advice says you dont want to have to descend Elk at the end of this crusher. The trail paralleled the highway for a while then at about 3.6 miles I took a hard left and headed up. The gain is 1700 feet in a mile. The "trail" is often a narrow, nearly vertical rock face, and needs careful foot placement. The views are gorgeous. It's a gasping, burning scramble to the top. It was cold and raining (that light omnipresent rain forest rain, not a downpour) until I got to the top, then it was snowing! I'm okay for that, I live in merino base layers, but I was not ready for the other side of that mountain. The snown hid the trail, and if I had thought the east side was a scramble, the west side would have made a mountain goat pause. It was like trying to walk along the backbone of the mountains. The very first part of that side was me on my butt, trying descend a rock face. I got about 500 hard earned yards and decided this wasn't how I wanted to die. I went back to the summit and returned the way I came. Oh, but it's downhill! Easy peasy - not! What was left of my knee cartilage was put to the test and my toes got real sore from jamming up against the front of my boot. Sure, I made better time, but it was very hard going. When I got back to the lower trail and only had that 3.6 miles to go, it was a huge relief. My 11 mile loop ended up a 10.2 mile out and back. If you're looking for advice, I'd say save this one for better weather.

One of our family favorites. We like all the options for camping. It's clean. Kid friendly and the…read moreocean is close enough that even the little ones can make the journey. I found it gets the zoomies out of them and that makes for a quiet night, most times. Sometimes you have a small group of littles and they somehow are fueled by the laughter of other kids and seem to possess unlimited energy. We camp closest to the beach. There is no shade there. We bring our own but at night, the stars are like street lights. It's beautiful. The moon at times feels like you could grab it. The ocean will put you to sleep like a Dr.s prescription. It's amazing. All the bathrooms get used a lot because of the amount of people who stay here but they are constantly being cleaned. The showers are a little strange to me but good. Don't try to park an extra vehicle on your spot even if only unloading. The parking is terrible BUT way down the road, on the "Day Use Area" is plenty of parking. Ya, we all hate parking in the D.U.A. They hold cultural events in the D.U.A. We've seen some awesome Native American dancers. They looked super cool. The beach access is at either end of the dune. The beach is clean and the waves aren't that vicious. The shore is nice and shallow. Low tide brings a whole different look to the area with smooth rock surfaces and cobblestones. Of course the ocean is always awesome.

Cape Lookout is closed to Visitors for Repairs and upgrades. This should continue until Early…read more2027. A obligation Bond was passed to cover expense. Entry is taped and cone marked to bar vehicle access.