Looking for something doable with my 4yo and 5yo - ideally under 3 miles, decent views, not too rocky. We've done Liwanu Trail and Wahkeena Falls. Want something new for next month. What are you guys doing with the younger crew in the area?
Don't do Mirror Lake yet - it's beautiful but it's like 5 miles and my 4yo rage quit halfway through. Saved it for when they got older.
Liwanu's awesome but yeah same energy. Scroll through AllTrails and filter by distance/elevation gain - people post tons of family-friendly reviews there. That's how we found most of our good spots.
Bridal Veil to Wahkeena Loop is a game changer if you're already doing Wahkeena. It's like 4.5 miles total but you can cut it short and still hit the waterfall payoff. Kids love the double waterfall thing
+1 on Hagg Lake, also Devil's Rest from the Wahkeena side if you want something slightly more interesting. Views are legit and it's doable with little legs. Just go early because it fills up on weekends
Hagg Lake Trail is perfect for that age range - super manageable, the water is amazing, and there's a little beach area where they can mess around. Only like 2.5 miles and mostly flat. My 5yo was obsessed
Depends how much you wanna drive. If you're staying close to Portland, Oxbow Regional Park has some decent riverside trails that aren't too hard. But if you'll drive like 45min, Multnomah Falls to the top is doable for that age and they'll think they're conquering a mountain lol
Mirror Lake is overrated and crowded but Lost Lake has some solid shorter trails that don't get as packed. The lake itself is worth the drive though
Oxbow Park if you want to mix it up - less "hike" vibes but there are trails along the river, easier for the 4yo and honestly the whole thing is less intense. Sometimes you just want to walk and look at water without the elevation gain
Angels Rest if you want actual views - it's like 2 miles roundtrip from the parking lot and pretty well maintained. Just watch the rocky parts near the top, my 5yo slipped a bit but it was fine. Views of the gorge are legit.
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Hoyt Arboretum has some nice looped trails that are like 1.5-2 miles and pretty flat. My kids loved it at 4 and 5 because there's lots of different things to look at (trees, occasional wildlife, streams). Not super dramatic views but they stayed engaged the whole time.
We did Wahkeena and they asked to do it again immediately so honestly just do that one twice? Sometimes the "new" part doesn't matter as much as the vibe. But if you want something new, Lost Lake Loop is solid - about 3 miles, super easy, and there's a lake at the end which kids go nuts for.