hike – little feet hiking

Have you ever hiked with a kid who just didn’t want to hike? It happens. In my five hiking guides, I give you a lot of general and hike-specific ideas to motivate your kids to keep hiking. However, after 10 years of hiking with kids of all ages, the most tried-and-true motivator that I’ve found (other than ice cream) is PLAYGROUNDS!

After going through all 5 of my kids hiking guides, I’ve identified 22 hikes, within 50 miles of Portland (Oregon) and Vancouver (Washington), that have playgrounds along the trail, at the trailhead, or within a few miles of the trailhead. Better yet, my 10 year old (the original littlefoot) sat down with me to rank the top 10 playgrounds in her opinion (she has visited all of them). You can find that post here. Below you will find the remaining 12 playground hikes!

12 MORE PLAYGROUNDS (AND THEIR HIKES)

Tickle Creek

1.6 to 3.2 miles round trip
Shallow creeks
Paved or gravel, stroller-friendly trails
29 miles from downtown Portland and 32 miles from downtown Vancouver
Learn more in little feet hiking: Portland Metro

Mt. Tabor

Up to 3 miles round trip
Hike atop an extinct volcano
Paved stroller-friendly trails with some hills
Flush toilets available
4 miles from downtown Portland and 11 miles from downtown Vancouver
Learn more in little feet hiking: Portland Metro

Cooper Mountain Nature Park

0.7 or 2.9 miles round trip
Hike through meadows and look for wildlife like deer, frogs, and birds
Nature-themed playground
Gravel trails that are stroller-friendly if you don’t mind hills (the 0.7 mile loop is less hilly)
Flush toilets available
13 miles from downtown Portland and 21 miles from downtown Vancouver
Learn more in little feet hiking: Portland Metro

View of one of the many meadows along the trail

Oxbow Regional Park

2 to 4.1 miles round trip
Hike through old-growth forest and along the Sandy River (use caution near the river)
Two available playgrounds: a more traditional playground and an inclusive nature-themed playground
Flush toilets available
25 miles from downtown Portland and 28 miles from downtown Vancouver
Learn more in little feet hiking: Portland Metro

Photo of nature playground: Learning Landscapes

Lower Marble Creek Falls

1 mile round trip
Hike alongside a lake (reservoir) to a small waterfall
Flush toilets available
46 miles from downtown Portland and 35 miles from downtown Vancouver
Learn more in little feet hiking two

Battle Ground Lake

1 or 2 miles round trip
Hike alongside a volcanic lake and through lovely forest
Flush toilets available
29 miles from downtown Portland and 20 miles from downtown Vancouver
Learn more in little feet hiking two

Pool of the Winds

3 miles round trip
Hike uphill to a beautiful waterfall through forest past Bonneville Dam views
Flush toilets available
41 miles from downtown Portland and 35 miles from downtown Vancouver
Learn more in little feet hiking: Columbia River Gorge

Hamilton Island

3 miles round trip
Hike past Gorge views, through meadows, and along the Columbia River
Vault toilet available at the trailhead
See if you can find all the Bigfeet at the Bigfoot-inspired North Bonneville Park playground located 3 miles from the trailhead
46 miles from downtown Portland and 40 miles from downtown Vancouver
Learn more in little feet hiking: Columbia River Gorge

Campen Creek Greenway

1 mile round trip
Hike through meadows to the turnaround point at Hartwood Park Red Barn Playground
Portable toilets available
26 miles from downtown Portland and 20 miles from downtown Vancouver
Learn more in little feet hiking two