Favorite Run Near Portland, OR - Tualatin Hills Nature Park

The weather has been warming up a few days a week and I have taken advantage of the opportunity to get in a few outdoor runs to break in my new trail runners. The Pacific Northwest winters usually force me to stay inside and run on a treadmill, so I was excited to get outside and go for an afternoon run at one of my favorite trail systems in the neighborhood.

A short 20-minute drive from Next Adventure, the Tualatin Hills Nature Park offers about 5 miles of trails, ranging from 1.5 - 2.8 miles (according to Alltrails). I enjoy the outermost loop of the area. Most maps clock this loop at roughly 2.6 miles so I pop off onto some of the smaller loops to get a solid 5k with a little over 70 feet of elevation.

I ran this trail when it was roughly 40 degrees. It was overcast all day until I parked, then it began to downpour. Luckily, the trees offered some protection from the rain but I also had on a lightweight rain jacket to protect me from getting completely drenched.

Overall, I think this is a great Nature park to visit if you are in the area on a nice day. Parking is free and the trail even has 2 paved trails, making this a wheelchair-accessible location as well! Please remember to practice Leave No Trace by packing out what you pack in, and to follow the park's rules of protecting wildlife by not bringing dogs.