On the hunt for some Oregon trails the whole family will love? The following 10 kid-friendly hikes will lead you to picturesque beaches, stunning waterfalls, and otherworldly geological wonders. And the best part is, they are all one mile and under in total distance! Check out our picks for the best kid-friendly hikes in Oregon:
- Hobbit Beach Trail
Trip Advisor/Lauren L Stroll through a mossy fairytale forest on the Hobbit Beach Trail. The trail goes through a tunnel before reaching Hobbit Beach. Filled with shells and small crabs, this beach is the perfect place to play. Hobbit Trail Trailhead, 91892-91974 Oregon Coast Hwy, Florence, OR 97439, USA
- Ponytail Falls
Flickr/Bonnie Moreland Beginning at the stunning Horsetail Falls, this 0.8-mile round-trip trail is the easiest waterfall hike in the Columbia River Gorge. Horsetail Falls, Oregon, USA
- Natural Arch Hike
Flickr/Oregon Department of Forestry Located in the Santiam State Forest, the Natural Arch Hike is a one-mile trail that’s one of the best short-and-sweet hikes in Oregon. It will take you past incredible scenery and natural beauty, and the natural rock arch at the end is the cherry on top. Santiam State Forest, Lyons, OR 97358, USA
- Abiqua Falls
Flickr/Thomas Shahan It’s not hard to see why this waterfall hike is one of the most popular trails in Oregon. The 0.8-mile hike leads to jaw-dropping views. Abiqua Falls, Oregon 97375, USA
- Sparks Lake
Flickr/Ted This gentle one-mile loop hike winds around the gorgeous Sparks Lake. Several benches are scattered along the way, providing you with a place to kick back, relax, and take in the stunning mountain views. Sparks Lake, Oregon 97703, USA
- South Falls Loop
Flickr/Kirt Edblom This short trail in Silver Falls State Park offers a unique perspective, taking you behind a waterfall. It is 0.9 miles in total distance. Silver Falls State Park, 20024 Silver Falls Hwy SE, Sublimity, OR 97385, USA
- Castle Crest Wildflower Trail
Flickr/Tim Vo Located near the rim of Crater Lake, this 0.5-mile trail meanders through one of the most vibrant wildflower displays around. Visit in late July and early August for the peak wildflower viewing. Crater Lake, Oregon 97604, USA
- Upper North Falls
Flickr/Ian Sane Enjoy graceful cascading water with a trip to Upper North Falls. This trail is super short (0.4 miles), and is gentle enough for your kiddos. Upper North Falls, Oregon 97381, USA
- Lake Marie
Flickr/CAJC: in the Rockies Located at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, this one-mile loop trail circles around the picturesque Lake Marie. The trail is accessible year-round and good for hikers of all skill levels. Lake Marie, Oregon 97467, USA
- Painted Cove Nature Trail
Flickr/Tjflex2 Travel back in time with a walk through the Painted Cove Nature Trail. This 0.2-mile hike belongs on every Oregonian’s bucket list. Painted Cove Trail, Oregon 97750, USA
How many of these hikes have you done? What are your picks for the best kid-friendly hikes in Oregon? Let us know where we can find your favorite kid-friendly favorites in the comments below.
Trip Advisor/Lauren L
Stroll through a mossy fairytale forest on the Hobbit Beach Trail. The trail goes through a tunnel before reaching Hobbit Beach. Filled with shells and small crabs, this beach is the perfect place to play.
Hobbit Trail Trailhead, 91892-91974 Oregon Coast Hwy, Florence, OR 97439, USA
Flickr/Bonnie Moreland
Beginning at the stunning Horsetail Falls, this 0.8-mile round-trip trail is the easiest waterfall hike in the Columbia River Gorge.
Horsetail Falls, Oregon, USA
Flickr/Oregon Department of Forestry
Located in the Santiam State Forest, the Natural Arch Hike is a one-mile trail that’s one of the best short-and-sweet hikes in Oregon. It will take you past incredible scenery and natural beauty, and the natural rock arch at the end is the cherry on top.
Santiam State Forest, Lyons, OR 97358, USA
Flickr/Thomas Shahan
It’s not hard to see why this waterfall hike is one of the most popular trails in Oregon. The 0.8-mile hike leads to jaw-dropping views.
Abiqua Falls, Oregon 97375, USA
Flickr/Ted
This gentle one-mile loop hike winds around the gorgeous Sparks Lake. Several benches are scattered along the way, providing you with a place to kick back, relax, and take in the stunning mountain views.
Sparks Lake, Oregon 97703, USA
Flickr/Kirt Edblom
This short trail in Silver Falls State Park offers a unique perspective, taking you behind a waterfall. It is 0.9 miles in total distance.
Silver Falls State Park, 20024 Silver Falls Hwy SE, Sublimity, OR 97385, USA
Flickr/Tim Vo
Located near the rim of Crater Lake, this 0.5-mile trail meanders through one of the most vibrant wildflower displays around. Visit in late July and early August for the peak wildflower viewing.
Crater Lake, Oregon 97604, USA
Flickr/Ian Sane
Enjoy graceful cascading water with a trip to Upper North Falls. This trail is super short (0.4 miles), and is gentle enough for your kiddos.
Upper North Falls, Oregon 97381, USA
Flickr/CAJC: in the Rockies
Located at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, this one-mile loop trail circles around the picturesque Lake Marie. The trail is accessible year-round and good for hikers of all skill levels.
Lake Marie, Oregon 97467, USA
Flickr/Tjflex2
Travel back in time with a walk through the Painted Cove Nature Trail. This 0.2-mile hike belongs on every Oregonian’s bucket list.
Painted Cove Trail, Oregon 97750, USA
For more adventures in the Beaver State, check out our previous article: Take This Epic Road Trip To Experience Oregon’s Great Outdoors.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Best kid-friendly hikes in Oregon March 27, 2022 Sarah M. What are some of the best hikes in Oregon? Oregon is a hiker’s paradise, and there are literally hundreds, thousands even, of beautiful trails all around the state. While it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of amazing hikes in the state, we have put together this list of five hikes that we feel are the best of the best. From hiking to a waterfall that’s located on the beach to traversing what’s easily the best waterfall trek in the Pacific Northwest, if you only do five hikes in Oregon, make them those! But we know you aren’t going to only do five hikes in Oregon, so here’s a list of 12 scenic trails to tackle in Oregon, designed to be taken over the course of a year. Happy hiking! What’s the best waterfall hike in Oregon? At 9,000 glorious acres, Silver Falls is the largest and most popular state park in Oregon, and it’s easy to see why once you see all this wondrous place has to offer. And located in Silver Falls State Park, the Trail of Ten Falls is one of the most enchanting hikes in all of Oregon – and quite possibly the single best waterfall hike in the Pacific Northwest. This beautiful trail winds through a lush, green forest, passing 10 stunning waterfalls (four of which you can walk behind). In addition to its dazzling falls, Silver Falls State Park is home to an amazingly diverse array of ecosystems and terrain – the park boasts a lush temperate rain forest of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, Oregon grape, and other native trees and plants. What are some other kid-friendly places in Oregon? It’s good to be a kid in Oregon, with our state offering amazing outdoor parks, fun attractions, quirky restaurants, and so much more. We put together this family-friendly road trip so you can enjoy some of the best the state has to offer our youngest residents. From roller rinks and amusement parks to fun roadside attractions, parks, and kid-approved restaurants, this trip is sure to please Oregon residents young and old!
The OIYS Visitor Center
Best kid-friendly hikes in Oregon
March 27, 2022
Sarah M.
What are some of the best hikes in Oregon? Oregon is a hiker’s paradise, and there are literally hundreds, thousands even, of beautiful trails all around the state. While it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of amazing hikes in the state, we have put together this list of five hikes that we feel are the best of the best. From hiking to a waterfall that’s located on the beach to traversing what’s easily the best waterfall trek in the Pacific Northwest, if you only do five hikes in Oregon, make them those! But we know you aren’t going to only do five hikes in Oregon, so here’s a list of 12 scenic trails to tackle in Oregon, designed to be taken over the course of a year. Happy hiking! What’s the best waterfall hike in Oregon? At 9,000 glorious acres, Silver Falls is the largest and most popular state park in Oregon, and it’s easy to see why once you see all this wondrous place has to offer. And located in Silver Falls State Park, the Trail of Ten Falls is one of the most enchanting hikes in all of Oregon – and quite possibly the single best waterfall hike in the Pacific Northwest. This beautiful trail winds through a lush, green forest, passing 10 stunning waterfalls (four of which you can walk behind). In addition to its dazzling falls, Silver Falls State Park is home to an amazingly diverse array of ecosystems and terrain – the park boasts a lush temperate rain forest of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, Oregon grape, and other native trees and plants. What are some other kid-friendly places in Oregon? It’s good to be a kid in Oregon, with our state offering amazing outdoor parks, fun attractions, quirky restaurants, and so much more. We put together this family-friendly road trip so you can enjoy some of the best the state has to offer our youngest residents. From roller rinks and amusement parks to fun roadside attractions, parks, and kid-approved restaurants, this trip is sure to please Oregon residents young and old!
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Oregon is a hiker’s paradise, and there are literally hundreds, thousands even, of beautiful trails all around the state. While it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of amazing hikes in the state, we have put together this list of five hikes that we feel are the best of the best. From hiking to a waterfall that’s located on the beach to traversing what’s easily the best waterfall trek in the Pacific Northwest, if you only do five hikes in Oregon, make them those! But we know you aren’t going to only do five hikes in Oregon, so here’s a list of 12 scenic trails to tackle in Oregon, designed to be taken over the course of a year. Happy hiking!
What’s the best waterfall hike in Oregon?
At 9,000 glorious acres, Silver Falls is the largest and most popular state park in Oregon, and it’s easy to see why once you see all this wondrous place has to offer. And located in Silver Falls State Park, the Trail of Ten Falls is one of the most enchanting hikes in all of Oregon – and quite possibly the single best waterfall hike in the Pacific Northwest. This beautiful trail winds through a lush, green forest, passing 10 stunning waterfalls (four of which you can walk behind). In addition to its dazzling falls, Silver Falls State Park is home to an amazingly diverse array of ecosystems and terrain – the park boasts a lush temperate rain forest of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, Oregon grape, and other native trees and plants.
What are some other kid-friendly places in Oregon?
It’s good to be a kid in Oregon, with our state offering amazing outdoor parks, fun attractions, quirky restaurants, and so much more. We put together this family-friendly road trip so you can enjoy some of the best the state has to offer our youngest residents. From roller rinks and amusement parks to fun roadside attractions, parks, and kid-approved restaurants, this trip is sure to please Oregon residents young and old!
