Consulting Web Sites

The World Wide Web is a rich resource for hiking information. You can find trail reports, learn about hiking groups and investigate online maps.

Trail Reports

Before you go, check these websites for reports on the condition of trails and the recent experiences of other hikers.

Cool Trails: www.cooltrails.com

This 100% hiker-written site features reports for backcountry trips in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia.
National Forests of Oregon and Washington: www.fs.fed.us/r6/r6nf.htm

Click on the name of an individual forest to get forest service reports on specific trails.
Pacific Crest Trail Association: www.pcta.org

The "Trail Conditions" section of this page helps identify major problems such as fires and closures.
Washington Trails Association Online: www.wta.org

This site is the best source for recent hiker reports from all regions of Washington.

Do you want to hike with a group? Try the following websites to learn about membership requirements and obtain schedules of planned hikes.

Bergfreunde: www.bergfreunde.org/index.htm

Originally a ski club, Bergie now has several hikes and "city walks" each week in addition to many other outdoor activities. Members can access the Mogul Notes newsletter to learn what hikes are offered.
Chemeketans: www.chemeketans.org

This Salem-based group sponsors a variety of hikes in areas accessible from Salem, emphasizing the Santiam and Mount Jefferson areas.
Mazamas: www.mazamas.org/hiking/index.php

This large Portland club schedules many hikes of all levels that are open to members and non-members.
Mountaineers: www.mountaineers.org

The many hikes planned by this group focus on the Washington Cascades.
Ptarmigans: www.ptarmigans.org

Based in Vancouver, WA, this group plans hikes with an alpine focus.
Trails Club of Oregon: www.trailsclub.org

Based in Portland, the Trails Club plans a variety of outdoor activities for its members.

Use these sites to supplement the maps in the library's collection.

Northwest Hiker: www.nwhiker.com

Maps on this site link to trail information, web cams and more.
Portland Parks and Recreation: www.parks.ci.portland.or.us

Here you will find clickable maps for urban trails in and around Portland.
Topozone: www.topozone.com

Topozone includes every USGS 1:100,000, 1:63,360, 1:25,000 and 1:24,000 scale map of the entire United States.