Wilsonville, OR Outdoor Activities

Tucked away in the foothills of the Western Cascade Mountains, Camp Dakota Camping & Adventures flouts the constraints of gravity with high-flying adventures that test participants' skills, stamina, and propensity to scream at high altitudes. Suspended steel ziplines whiz above the forest canopy as squirrels wave from nearby branches and passing meadowlarks pause for fist bumps. Teamwork trumps individual heroics on the high-ropes course, whose elevated, threaded obstacles sway precariously above the distant ground.

The aerial odyssey doesn't stop there. Instructors supply safety harnesses and words of encouragement before leading the way to a vertical rock-climbing wall. Replete with slim footholds and perturbed mountain goats, the wall poses a challenge to climbers of all abilities, who take solace in the added safety of fully automated belays.

Whereas Sheila grew up in a large city, reading books on horsemanship and dreaming of open trails, Jahn was practically born on the saddle, owning his first horse at 10 and fully training one by 17. Today, at Into The Wild Equine Adventures, the Hoovers—Sheila and Jahn are now married—share their lifelong passion by leading small-group trail rides along Oregon's miles of trails and naturally occurring treadmills, helping visitors connect with nature through both their surroundings and their steeds. As the head guide, Jahn provides every rider with personalized attention and works to ensure comfort by outfitting the mounts with foam-padded Australian saddles. Along with leading expeditions into verdant forests and snow-covered canyons, Into The Wild Equine Adventures serves as the only trail-riding company in the state of Oregon with permission to access the Monument Peak Trail System—12 miles of multiuse trails unfettered by motorized ATVs or steam-powered moose.:m]]

Adam Ball literally grew up on the water—he can’t remember ever not living next to it, and most of his fondest memories involve being on the water with friends and family in some way. “If I go for three or four weeks without being on the water, I don’t feel right,” he said. Through happenstance, Adam’s passion for the water transformed into a business. After discovering paddle rafting, he started taking out whoever would go with him: friends, coworkers, friends of coworkers who had a cousin who knew this guy who said his mailman mentioned something about wanting go rafting. Then people started calling to book group trips. And thus Adam became a business owner.

Today, he and his team of experienced guides take adventurers out onto North Santiam River, which drops 27 feet per mile as it races along the Cascade Mountains. Guides prepare guests for the Class II and III rapids—sporting nicknames such as Rock & Roll, Upper and Lower Escalator, and Jaws—which provide safe yet challenging obstacles for passengers of all skill levels. The river winds past sights that range from canyon walls to opulent homes. Wildlife sightings abound, such as osprey that swoop to snatch salmon, river otters that lounge on the shore, and duck and geese that ride alongside the boat through the rapids. A local rottweiler also makes regular appearances, lumbering down to the shore to bark and solicit lunch money.

At Courthouse Athletic Club’s six locations throughout the Salem area, the cheering of children and the warm pop of tennis balls against rackets fill the air. Stationary cycles, treadmills, basketball courts, and swimming pools help visitors to work toward fitness, train for triathlons, or teach a basketball to swim. Indoor and outdoor courts span the tennis center’s grounds, hosting matches and instruction sessions in both sunny and snow-laden months. Training opportunities are available for children and adults, with private lessons and group sessions covering yoga, Zumba, Pilates, cardio, tennis, basketball, and swimming. Courthouse Athletic Club also hosts children’s movie nights and a dance academy.

At Albany Scuba, a team of aquanautic veterans hosts a variety of diving classes, certification courses, and diving excursions. The team gives students the benefit of one-on-one tutelage, tailoring their instruction to each student's rate of learning and prior experience, from seasoned divers to newbies who've never even had a glass of water dumped on their head before. Beginners are offered a chance to practice in a placid diving pool before taking to the open ocean, and all certified divers are welcome to join the team on regular excursions to nearby lakes and calamari petting zoos.

The Oregon Garden gives horticulture habitués the opportunity to fully discover the floral kingdom with more than 20 specialty gardens. The grounds bloom with horticultural rarities and aesthetic scenery, such as a sprawling, 400-year-old signature oak and an alluring collection of miniature conifers. In the Pet Friendly Garden, pups frolic around nontoxic plants, and in the Children's Garden youngsters can explore features such as dinosaur-bone digs and a real hobbit house.

The Oregon Garden also lodges the historic Gordon House, the only Frank Lloyd Wright–designed building in the state and the only one open to the public throughout the Pacific Northwest. The garden's retail nursery furnishes a crib and changing table for baby plants and also cultivates vegetation all year round, selling perennials, shrubs, annuals, and veggies.