Kati Explores

The three Little Mashel Waterfalls are easily accessed through the University of Washington Pack Forest, just outside Mt Rainier National Park. Combine with Hugo Peak for a great rainy day hike!

Harvest your own wild Christmas tree from the Mt. Hood National Forest! Surprisingly easy and affordable, it's a magical Christmas tradition to start with your family.

Visit Beaverton's only waterfall! The little-known Cedar Mill Falls is surprisingly impressive for being in the middle of the suburbs.

The perfect hike - a gentle grade to a fire lookout through a forest of ponderosa pines and yellow western larches

See the rare Western Larch, just 2.5 hours from Portland! These unique conifers turn golden yellow every fall - check out the Metolius Preserve to see for yourself!

Visit the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge for your best chance of seeing moose in Washington state

Deep in the woods of Forest Park, you'll find a mysterious sculpture garden on NW Saltzman Road. Keep reading to learn from the artist himself.

Shaniko is Oregon's oldest living ghost town! Visit its 30 (living) residents, just 3 hours south of Portland, for old west saloons, a probably haunted hotel, and the best of Oregon's sagebrush desert views.

One of the most unusual hikes in the Northwest! You'll walk on a decommissioned pipeline by the Hood River.

Bagby Hot Springs is open after a 4 year closure! Enjoy soaking in a rustic whiskey barrel tub in a log cabin, under 2 hours from Portland!

Running AND wine, in Oregon's beautiful Willamette Valley? Sounds like a perfect day. Read up on these four parks and hit the trail!

Oregon's "other" National Park that you've probably never heard of - log cabin forts, WWII bunkers, hiking trails, and more!

Westfir, Oregon is a tiny town south of Eugene with lots to explore - fishing, lakes, hot springs, biking trails, covered bridges, and elk!

If you don't ski, you can still enjoy winter in Portland. Here's your guide to snow-free hiking, snowshoeing, snow safety, and xc skiing.

A guide to exploring Portland's Forest Park - over 80 miles of forested hiking, running, and biking trails all within Portland city limits.

A guide to my favorite urban and suburban parks around Portland, Oregon.

A guide to the quaint logging town of Vernonia, Oregon.

Hi friends! Here's a little bit about me and why I created this blog.