Читать книгу Afoot and Afield: Portland/Vancouver. A Comprehensive Hiking Guide онлайн

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If you want to avoid paying for the privilege of going for a hike, your options are more limited. To date, anyway, state forests and most national wildlife refuges in Oregon and Washington do not charge fees. In addition, all city parks in the Portland area are free. You can also visit the less popular state parks, which generally don’t charge a fee.

Chapter 1

Coast Range

The Oregon Coast Range, which separates the Willamette Valley from the Pacific Ocean, is a rolling sea of second-growth forests that spreads across a contorted land of gnarled hills and stream canyons. Those streams support precious runs of steelhead and salmon, while Roosevelt elk wander the hills providing sport for hunters in the fall and viewing pleasure for visitors throughout the year. Unfortunately, despite plenty of worthwhile destinations, trails through these mountains have generally been few and far between. For the most part, local hikers have ignored this interesting country, thinking of it as only a depressing sea of clear-cuts between the city and the beach. But that attitude needs to change because there is plenty here worth seeing and a rapidly expanding network of trails for pedestrians to explore.