Now here's a list that will likely be contentious, but someone has to do it. How do you pick the best of the best? In a state with so much natural beauty and wild diversity, there's certainly a lot to choose from. To get started, we broke the state into eight distinct regions and then asked ourselves two critical questions:

"If we had to pick a handful, what day hikes in this region would we undoubtedly recommend to friends visiting from out of town?"

"Despite their popularity, what day hikes exemplify the unique qualities of this region?"

After hours of deliberation and debate, we've come up with a solid list that is long enough to include destinations that you've always wanted to reach, some old favorites that need to be revisited, and hopefully plenty of spots you've never even heard of. Note that plenty of Oregon's most incredible places aren't included on this list even though they may be accessible by trail; in this case, we've excluded hikes that are less than a half-mile. You can find plenty of these spots by searching Special Destinations, which will yield results such as Toketee Falls off the Umpqua River. We've also excluded any hike over 14 miles round-trip that is better suited for backpacking, including adventures such as Glacier Lake in the Wallowa Mountains.

And, you may ask, why Diamond Peak for the cover? It's a long day to get the top and back down, but this hike is overlooked by many Oregonians. From its summit you can see a huge portion of the state. It's unbelievable! In one spot you can see both Mount Hood and Mount Shasta, and few other places give you that same sense of being surrounded by Oregon's splendor.

So get out your calendars, call your friends, share via social media, pick a weekend, pack your bags, hit the trails, and enjoy all that Oregon has to offer!

Oregon Coast + Coast Range

Columbia River Gorge

*Please note that many of these hikes are currently closed from the Eagle Creek Fire.

Mount Hood/Clackamas River Area

Mount Jefferson + Metolius River Area

Willamette Valley + Foothills

Central Oregon

Southern Oregon

Eastern Oregon