Clatsop-Tillamook State Forest
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I'm wondering if there are any good hiking options in the Coast Range west of Portland. I know that there are a few trails out there, but I've never heard if they are any good, or what exactly the scenery is like. If anyone has done anything out there, let me know. I'm very interested.
The 50 Hikes in the Tillamook State Forest from the Sierra Club is the only book I know of that has a collection of hikes in this area and is certainly worth picking up if you are interested in the area. You should try all the variations of the Elk Mtn and Kings Mtn hikes - the traverse between the 2 is very nice. Elk Mtn. elevation gain is almost like a Gorge hike. Several of the hikes in the book follow old logging roads where you can run into motorized traffic - I did the Tilden Bluffs hike and halfway up was passed by some vehicle - a bit disappointing. Hikes like the previous are made up by a couple that are out 'n out bushwhacks. I did the hike to Ki-A-Kuts Falls and Maple Creek a couple of weeks back - took a side trip to a residual old-growth Douglas fir stand mentioned in a footnote at the end of of hike description - great looking old trees, huge. I would've gotten lost had it not been for my GPS and compass - elk trail, no trail, dense forest and a solid canopy.
You may check out this book, it sounds pretty interesting.
http://www.saveourtillamook.org/book.htm