Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

by Jamie Hale | The Oregonian, OregonLive

You can trace Oregon's history on its trails. Ever since Oregon gained statehood on Feb. 14, 1859 – and for many years before that – pioneers have cut trails through some of the most rugged and beautiful segments of the state. Some trails were made for travelers to settle here, while others were developed for locals to enjoy public lands.



Hiking along the historic trails today can transport us back to various eras in Oregon's history. They can trace the wagon ruts of the Oregon Trail, take us high above our landmark cities, and uncover some of the darker moments in the forcible removal of Native Americans from the land.



All of those stories are important to remember, as we forge ahead through the present, careful not to make the same mistakes twice, and eager to create our own mark on history. It's hard to say what trails we'll leave behind, but for now here are 14 hikes that unveil the past through natural tread.

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Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian via AP

1. Tillamook Head

Distance: 12.6 miles, out and back

Difficulty: moderate

Trailhead: Tillamook Head Trailhead

Historic significance: The farthest point reached by Lewis and Clark on their Northwest expedition was not the mouth of the Columbia River, but Tillamook Head. Clark hiked the headland with a small group in 1806, in search of whale blubber. At a viewpoint, he found himself in awe, writing: "I behold the grandest and most pleasing prospect which my eyes ever surveyed."

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

2. Fort to Sea Trail

Distance: 13 miles, out and back

Difficulty: moderate

Trailhead: Fort Clatsop Visitor Center

Historic significance: Once Lewis and Clark established Fort Clatsop at the end of 1805 near present-day Astoria, their Corps of Discovery had to bushwhack through forests, bogs and beaches to reach the Pacific Ocean. Much of that route can be traced today on the Fort to Sea Trail, which runs from the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center to Sunset Beach.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

3. Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

Distance: 4 miles total, for all trails

Difficulty: easy to difficult

Trailhead: Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

Historic significance: The four miles of trail at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center leads to well-preserved ruts from the Oregon Trail, and offers sweeping views of the Blue Mountains just beyond. From there, you can get a good idea of the landscape those early pioneers encountered in the wild high desert.

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John M. Vincent/The Oregonian

4. Barlow Road Hike

Distance: 8.8 miles, out and back

Difficulty: moderate

Trailhead: Barlow Pass Sno Park/Trailhead

Historic significance: The Barlow Road was built in 1846 by pioneer Sam Barlow as an alternate route around Mount Hood on the Oregon Trail. The road avoided the dangerous Columbia River passage, though it wasn't necessarily easy going. Today, a hiking trail still follows part of the historic route, following wagon ruts and a forest road built over the old passage.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

5. McLoughlin Promenade

Distance: 2.5 miles, loop

Difficulty: easy

Trailhead: Oregon City Municipal Elevator

Historic significance: Oregon City is a vital part of our pioneer history, as the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains, the end of the Oregon Trail, and a major hub for fur trading, shipbuilding, lumber and religion. The McLoughlin Promenade above downtown Oregon City runs past the historic McLoughlin House and the Museum of the Oregon Territory, and gives great views of Willamette Falls.

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Courtesy of Foster Church

6. Fort Rock Loop

Distance: 1.9 mile loop (outside); 1.7 mile loop (inside)

Difficulty: moderate; easy

Trailhead: Fort Rock parking lot

Historic significance: In 1938, in a cave at Fort Rock, archaeologists unearthed a cache of sagebrush sandals estimated to be roughly 10,000 years old. The well-preserved sandals were the first found of their kind, placing human settlement in the area as early as 13,200 years ago. You can only see the cave on guided tours, but a short hike around the exterior or interior of Fort Rock is open to the public.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

7. Amanda Trail

Distance: 7.4 miles, out and back

Difficulty: moderately difficult

Trailhead: Yachats Ocean Road State Natural Site

Historic significance: The Amanda Trail is a beautiful hike, but the history behind it is dark. The central coast trail is named for Amanda De-Cuys, an old, blind Native American woman who was removed from her home and forcibly marched along the coastline with a number of local tribe members. The Indian Agents in charge of the removal threatened to kill all the women, after the rough basalt began to tear up their feet. The trail opened in 1998 as a way to keep the dark history alive.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

8. Iwetemlaykin Park

Distance: less than a mile

Difficulty: easy

Trailhead: Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site

Historic significance: The Wallowa Mountains are today considered one of the greatest natural wonders of Oregon, and before European settlers arrived it was similarly revered by the Nez Perce tribe, for whom the area was an ancestral homeland. Iwetemlaykin means "at the edge of the lake," and the state park site established there is meant to honor that heritage. Walk the short trails and be sure to visit the Old Chief Joseph Gravesite overlooking Wallowa Lake.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

9. Cooper Spur Hike

Distance: 6.4 miles, out and back

Difficulty: difficult

Trailhead: Cloud Cap Saddle Campground

Historic significance: As western settlers began to flood into Oregon, some naturally saw potential in developing the slopes of Mount Hood. The Cooper Spur Hike features two historic buildings on the way up one of the most iconic trails on Oregon's tallest mountain. The Cloud Cap Inn was built in 1889, and at the time was the premier destination on Hood. Farther up the trail is the Cooper Spur stone shelter, one of several stone shelters built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early 1930s, as they worked on the Timberline Trail.

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Courtesy of U.S. Forest Service

10. Santiam Wagon Road Hike

Distance: 5 miles, out and back

Difficulty: easy

Trailhead: Mountain House Trailhead

Historic significance: Unlike most other wagon roads that brought settlers in, the Santiam Wagon Road was built for those already here, to bring livestock across the Cascades to rich pasture lands in central Oregon. The road was the dominant route across the mountains from 1865 to 1939, and today the most-intact segment can be seen on the Santiam Wagon Road Hike, which parallels the South Santiam River and winds through lush old-growth forests.

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Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian

11. Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail

Distance: 19 miles, one way (rest of the trail is currently closed by the Eagle Creek fire)

Difficulty: easy

Trailhead: Mark O. Hatfield West Trail Head

Historic significance: The Eagle Creek fire has closed most of the Historic Columbia River State Trail, the paved cycling and hiking path that traces the route of the original Columbia River Highway. The trail was incomplete before the fire, and it will be some time before it re-opens and is finally finished – still, the long segment from the western edge of Hood River to The Dalles is passable, making a nice 19-mile bike ride or long hike that ends at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

12. Fort Stevens Loop Hike

Distance: 10 miles, loop

Difficulty: moderate

Trailhead: Military Museum Trailhead

Historic significance: Fort Stevens is a sprawling state park that's chock-full of history – including the famous Peter Iredale shipwreck, military batteries and the massive Columbia River jetty. For 84 years, Fort Stevens was the primary military defense system at the mouth of the Columbia River, seeing service from the Civil War to World War II. A 10-mile loop hike runs from the military museum past some the batteries, and to the shipwreck on the beach.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

13. Pittock Mansion Hike

Distance: 5 miles, out and back

Difficulty: moderate

Trailhead: MacLeay Park

Historic significance: There are few people as significant to the development of Portland than Henry and Georgiana Pittock. Henry, an English pioneer, was the publisher of the Weekly Oregonian, while his wife, Georgina, was a successful local philanthropist. In 1914, the couple built their dream home: a mansion overlooking the city. They died shortly thereafter, but in 1965 the home was restored and opened to the public as a museum, accessible by a hike on Portland's famous Wildwood Trail.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

14. Boardman Scenic Corridor

Distance: 12 miles driving, with several short hikes; or 27 miles, one way hike

Difficulty: moderate

Trailheads: Several, between Rainbow Rock and Arch Rock

Historic significance: Our state park system might not be what it is today without Sam Boardman. Considered the father of Oregon state parks, Boardman was a staunch advocate for conservation and minimal development on park land. The coastal park that bears his name shares that vision, stretching 12 miles along the southern coast past striking sea stacks, hidden beaches and towering capes. You can hike through on 27 miles of the Oregon Coast Trail, but it's easier just to drive the 12-miles along highway 101, hiking small segments at the dozen pull-outs throughout.

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AP Photo/The Daily Astorian, Lori Assa

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--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB