Beacon Rock State Park

This little hike is close to home and has a big payoff.

by Contributor at Citysearch

In Short
The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is less than an hour east on I-84 from the flagship Columbia sportswear store in downtown Portland. Beacon Rock is the core of an ancient volcano and offers bird's-eye views of the scenic gorge with minimal effort. The mile-long Beacon Rock Trail is made up of more than 50 switchbacks rising to the summit, plus the park offers boating, camping and hiking and biking trails.