Kati Explores

Kati Explores Follow me at kati-explores.com for curated travel and exploration guides!

Helping you experience the PNW (and beyond!) like a local - I've spent most of my life exploring, now I want to help you make the most of your outdoor adventures.

29th National Park for my 29th birthday!Canyonlands National Park is often overlooked when compared to nearby Arches. Th...
05/17/2026

29th National Park for my 29th birthday!

Canyonlands National Park is often overlooked when compared to nearby Arches. This is actually one of the main reasons I visited - I HATE crowds. We spent 2 days in Canyonlands: one scenic drive and easy hike day, and then a longer all-day hike in Chesler Park the next day.

I was born and raised in the PNW, so desert biomes are new to me and can feel desolate. I was struck by the absence of all wildlife in Canyonlands (besides lizards)! The rock formations were incredible, but my favorite part was the cowboy and indigenous history. Petroglyphs are my new obsession and I will travel far and wide to see more.

You can ready my full itinerary at kati-explores.com/post/canyonlands-national-park (link in bio) for more details. We combined our Canyonlands trip with a day in Salt Lake City, a day in Arches, and an eastern Oregon pioneer history day on the drive back home. You can check out my SLC guide now, and “one day in Arches” is coming soon!

We definitely earned our visit to Goldmyer Hot Springs - one of the most remote Pacific Northwest hot springs, deep in t...
05/08/2026

We definitely earned our visit to Goldmyer Hot Springs - one of the most remote Pacific Northwest hot springs, deep in the central Cascades.

Not only does it require a lottery reservation to visit, you also need to brave the most horrific forest road I’ve ever encountered. We took my Crosstrek for the majority, but gave up at the sight of a massive washout and started biking a little early. We biked about 7 miles (each way!) on the most bone rattling gravel trail to finally reach the springs.

It was so worth it! Goldmyer only allows 20 visitors per day and keeps the facilities pristine. It truly felt whimsical and enchanted, like stepping into Lord of the Rings. This would be a great first backpacking or bikepacking trip, just make sure you have AWD/4WD and good clearance! And be prepared for a 14 mile round trip, plus the most insane drive of your life. Read more at kati-explores.com/post/goldmyer-hot-springs

🌲 ♨️ 🚴🏼‍♀️

04/09/2026

Southern Oregon & Northern California Easter/birthday trip 🖤 I used to travel alone out of necessity (it’s shockingly hard to find someone who can keep up 😜) but every once in a while I still take a solo vacation by choice. I’m blessed to be married to the one man in the world who’s crazy enough to join for all my antics, but a solo road trip brings back so much nostalgia for my younger days when I drove all over the country by myself. Total freedom to do whatever I want, when I want, and no pressure or responsibility.

I drove down to Ashland for the Easter weekend, which coincides with my birthday, thinking I’d spend time thrifting and relaxing in local cafes, but I ended up spending most of the weekend in Northern California in the Mount Shasta area, the Modoc National Forest, and Lava Beds National Monument. There is so much wilderness to explore down there, can’t believe it took me 29 years of living in the PNW to figure that out. Full weekend itinerary coming soon!

03/22/2026

The Willapa Hills Trail is a 56-mile rail-to-trail bike path that stretches from Chehalis, WA to the Pacific Ocean. It’s almost totally flat, and paved with packed gravel for the first 28 miles. Stop at Rainbow Falls State Park for lunch, then bike back for an easy 30-mile day trip. You’ll bike through forests, farmland, cattle pastures, along the Chehalis River, and over old railroad trestles. Check out www.kati-explores.com/post/willapa-hills-trail for more! Link also in bio.

🦓Schreiner Farms 🦓 I promise you this isn’t AI, this is an actual zebra grazing in the Columbia Gorge under the shadow o...
03/15/2026

🦓Schreiner Farms 🦓
I promise you this isn’t AI, this is an actual zebra grazing in the Columbia Gorge under the shadow of Mount Hood. In Lyle, Washington, just 90 minutes from Portland, you can find buffalo, zebras, camels, giraffes, and more at Schreiner Farms. Best of all - it’s completely free. This is a must stop for my family every time we head east. Check out the link in my bio, or at www.kati-explores.com/post/schreiner-farms to learn more.

❄️Salem, MA❄️ Posting this on a brand new phone, because a ghost in Salem may or may not have destroyed my old one… I vi...
01/25/2026

❄️Salem, MA❄️

Posting this on a brand new phone, because a ghost in Salem may or may not have destroyed my old one… I visited Boston last week for work, and took the opportunity to tour Salem, MA. I definitely had the authentic witchy experience… my phone started to freeze up and crash out at the most haunted part of the hour - Rockafella’s restaurant. A few days later, the screen started flickering a glowing green, then went black, prompting a very stressful 12 hours as I was phoneless in an unfamiliar city. Verizon store agreed it was toast, and couldn’t explain what went wrong… until I told them about the Lady in Blue encounter in Salem!

Apparently, the Lady in Blue has been known to crash technology - she was seen on the restaurant’s computer, then a few days later ther entire system crashed. She followed her MO exactly: made her presence known, then a few days later, phone was fried.

I’m more of a ghost-agnostic, but this seems a little too coincidental for me to deny it. What are your thoughts?

You can read the full story on my blog - www.kati-explores.com/post/salem-ma





01/14/2026

As an avid participant, I’m always looking for fun places to walk, preferably with an iced coffee and a podcast. Insomnia Coffee in Cedar Mill is one of my favorite spots to work, write my blog, or have a coffee date, and on good weather days I like to walk to see the Cedar Mill waterfall after picking up a coffee. It’s not a “hike” but a fun destination to add to your suburban walking or running route!

I didn’t think much of it, but I briefly shared about the Cedar Mill Waterfall a month ago, and was surprised at how many people who’ve lived in Beaverton their whole life didn’t know it even exists! I just had a lady on TikTok say she’s lived here 15 years and had no idea. So I hope this adds some joy to your next suburban outing 🥰

12/07/2025

I’ve been wanting to cut my own tree in the Mt Hood National Forest for years! For our first Christmas in our own home, this was the perfect tradition to start. For more details, check out my full post here: https://www.kati-explores.com/post/harvesting-christmas-trees-from-mt-hood-national-forest

It’s only $7 online for the permit! We drove out to Ripplebrook (past Estacada) and took random forest roads that looked promising. There are more firs the higher up you get!

I will say… trees look a lot smaller in the forest than they do in your home. We thought we picked a short tree, but had to trim almost 4 feet off just so it wouldn’t hit the ceiling. And yes, that is an extension cord we used to wrap the tree with. Next year we will bring a rope!

Explore the Hood River Pipeline trail for one of the most unusual “hikes” in the Gorge 🛤️ You’ll walk along an active ra...
03/19/2025

Explore the Hood River Pipeline trail for one of the most unusual “hikes” in the Gorge 🛤️ You’ll walk along an active railroad next to the Hood River, and eventually walk on top of a 10-foot diameter decommissioned water pipe. You can go inside the abandoned Powerdale station at the trailhead too! Check out the link in my bio for more information on this bizarre place.

🌿Bagby Hot Springs - link in my bio for more🌿 Less than 2 hours from Portland, you can hike just 1.5 miles through magic...
03/07/2025

🌿Bagby Hot Springs - link in my bio for more🌿

Less than 2 hours from Portland, you can hike just 1.5 miles through magical old growth forests to a rustic hot spring. I first visited Bagby 8 years ago, and when it closed due to wildfire damage, I really didn’t think I’d see it again. It reopened last fall, with a beautiful new bath house. I’d recommend arriving early or going on a weekday, as it gets crowded fast and the tubs take a while to fill and empty between guests. Let me know if you’ve been, or if there’s other hot springs you love!

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