Walk with me for a minute. It's your day off. The morning light shines through your window and gently pries open your eyes. It's a beautiful day. Your plans are up in the air, you've got a few errands that you could run but the gorgeous day outweighs your pull towards responsibility. You do have that appointment at 4 this afternoon but hell, that's plenty of time to get outside! No time to waste, if you're going to make it back in time you better get moving now. Consider hopping on one of these hikes that are about an hours drive from Portland and squeeze as much juice from today's lemon as you can.

Below I've curated a list of five outstanding hikes that don't require an endeavor of a drive to get to. These aren't the five "easiest" hikes, you'll work up a sweat. They are however, extremely rewarding. In this post I'll refrain from giving you an exact play by play of each hike. I think that's better to be found out on your own. No spoiler alerts here. Instead, I'll provide logistics and an overview of what you can expect on these trails. Let's get started.

Hamilton Mountain

Distance from Portland: 55 minutes

Total Length: 7.5 miles

Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult

Elevation Gain: 2,100 feet

*Discover Pass or parking fee required*

If you've never hiked Hamilton Mountain, you should. If you have, you should again. This hike is tremendous. Right in the heart of the Gorge on the Washington side, this hike provides stunning views and is ridden with beautiful Douglas firs, waterfalls, wooden bridges, babbling brooks and steep switchbacks. It's proximity to Portland and beautiful drive from the city puts it at the top of the list. Not to sugar coat it, this hike is an ass kicker. You'll climb close to 1,000 feet of elevation per mile but boy let me tell you it's worth it. Pack a little picnic, beer, hammock, whatever your pleasure is to kick it at the top before heading back down. You'll be satisfied with your day.

Ramona Falls

Distance from Portland: 1 hr 15 min

Total Length: 7.1 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Elevation Gain: 1,035 feet

*Northwest Forest Pass or parking fee required*

Drive straight into the depths of Mount Hood National Forest and immerge yourself in the glory of this forest with the reward of a waterfall that lives where you'd least expect to find it. While hiking this trail you will cross paths with both the Pacific Crest Trail and the Timberline Trail. If you're not already sold then keep reading. Ramona Falls is a beautiful waterfall in the heart of Mount Hood National Forest. I'll purposefully refrain from sharing a picture of the falls because seeing it for the first time as you round that corner in the forest is a magical experience. This hike starts out relatively flat as you meander along the Sandy River. Soon you will cross the river, however you can. The permanent bridge crossing the river has been washed out so you'll rely on log crossings that seem to change every time I go back. That's the fun of it. You just never know how dicey it might be (so far it's never been dicey). If it's a clear day Mt Hood will be looming over you as you cross the river. Because the river crossing changes often, it might take you a minute to relocate the trail after crossing the river. No sweat, you'll find it. Hook back up with that trail and hike your way to the falls. Once there it's a nice loop back to the parking lot. 10/10 hike.

Silver Falls State Park

Distance from Portland: 1 hr 19 min

Total Length: 7.1 miles

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Elevation Gain: 1,095 feet

*State Park or parking fee required*

This description refers to the Trail of Ten Falls. Get yourself here. It's the most stunning hike there is in relation to experiencing waterfalls. Throughout the seven miles of hiking you will pass ten waterfalls that range in height from 27 to 178 feet. The trail is beautifully crafted to allow you to walk directly behind 4 of the waterfalls. Get used to saying the word "stunning" as you hike this trail. It's easy to get wrapped up in your day to day life living in Portland, hiking this trail will remind you that there is a plethora of beauty outside of your daily routine that lives very close to you. Waterfall after waterfall, keep on hiking. Be prepared to get wet with overspray and enjoy your time in the woods surrounded by water falling.

Tom Dick and Harry

Distance from Portland: 1 hr 4 min

Total Length: 7.7 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Elevation Gain: 1,460 feet

*No fee or pass required*

I'm hesitant to put this hike on the list because of its major popularity. Being one of the few hikes that is accessible right off of Highway 26 that offers views of Mt Hood and many surrounding peaks it is popular to many people who are just passing through. It made the list however, because it truly is remarkable. Recently this hike has been given a new trailhead which is in the parking lot of Ski Bowl. The trail is very wide and easy to navigate. Your hike up to Mirror Lake will only be about 2 miles. Easy as pie. If you want to take a lap around the lake and turn back there you certainly can. If you want to continue on and hike up to the top of Tom Dick and Harry you'll be rewarded with a 360 degree view of the surrounding peaks. To the north the view is dominated by Mt. Hood and Mirror Lake. If you're lucky you'll also see Mt. St Helens, Mt. Rainer, and Mt. Adams. To the south is a glorious view of Mt. Jefferson. From here you can turn around and hike back down or if you're feeling a little rugged you can turn this hike into an adventurous loop by continuing along the ridge as you make your way towards Ski Bowl and back down to the parking lot.

King's Mountain

Distance from Portland: 1 hr 10 min

Total Length: 4.6 miles

Difficulty: Difficult

Elevation Gain: 2,532 feet

Of all the hikes on this list, King's Mountain is the most rewarding. This is a nice way of saying it's the biggest ass kicker with arguably the best views. The amount of energy required to get to the top makes the summit that much more fruitful. Nestled in the middle of Tillamook State Forest this hike starts out in some of the most beautiful forest land you can find in Oregon. From the beginning you'll start climbing up. Gradual at first, but consistent. From there it gets steeper and steeper until you've reached the last half mile. If you thought it was steep before then you'll be pleasantly reminded of what steep actually means. Grueling comes to mind. But this is what makes a hike a hike. Not every trail needs to be a walk in the park. Sometimes you venture into the woods because you want to get your ass handed to you. Welcome to King's Mountain. At the top you'll be greeted with sweeping views of the coastal range of the Cascades. This is a great spatial reference viewpoint offering views from north of Cannon Beach all the way along the coast to Pacific City. You have the option of making this a long loop trail connecting with Elk Mountain or (the more popular route) turning around and heading back down. I recommend micro spikes and/or a trekking pole for this steep endeavor.

There you have it. Use the time in your day to explore your surroundings. Get outside!