Active Pursuits

If you're planning ahead for a visit to Portland, contact Metro, 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland, OR 97232-2736 (tel. 503/797-1850; www.metro-region.org/parks), for its Metro GreenScene publication that lists tours, hikes, classes, and other outdoor activities and events being held in the Portland metro area.

Biking

Portland is a very bicycle-friendly city, and you'll notice plenty of cyclists on the streets. There are also miles of paved bike paths around the city, and some good mountain biking areas as well. For mountain-bike rentals, head to Fat Tire Farm, 2714 NW Thurman St. (tel. 503/222-3276; www.fattirefarm.com), where bikes go for $40 to $75 for a 24-hour rental. Straight up Thurman Street from this bike shop, you'll find the trail head for Leif Erickson Drive, an old gravel road that is Forest Park's favorite route for cyclists and runners (the road is closed to motor vehicles); the trail is 12 miles long.

If you'd like to explore Portland's riverfront bike paths, stop in at Waterfront Bicycle Rentals, 0315 SW Montgomery St., Suite 360 (tel. 503/227-1719; www.waterfrontbikes.net), where you can rent a bike for $8.50 to $13 per hour or $28 to $40 per half-day. From here head through Tom McCall Waterfront Park, cross the Steel Bridge, and ride down the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade path. This trail leads 4 miles south to the upscale Sellwood neighborhood.

Golf

If you're a golfer, don't forget to bring your clubs along on a trip to Portland. There are plenty of public courses around the area, and greens fees at municipal courses range from $23 to $40 for 18 holes. Municipal golf courses operated by the Portland Bureau of Parks and Recreation include Redtail Golf Course, 8200 SW Scholls Ferry Rd. (tel. 503/646-5166); Eastmoreland Golf Course, 2425 SE Bybee Blvd. (tel. 503/775-2900), which is the second-oldest golf course in the state (this one gets my vote for best municipal course); Heron Lakes Golf Course, 3500 N. Victory Blvd. (tel. 503/289-1818), which has two courses designed by Robert Trent Jones; and Rose City Golf Course, 2200 NE 71st Ave. (tel. 503/253-4744), on the site of a former country club. For more information, log on to www.portlandonline.com/parks.

If you want to tee off where the pros play, head west from Portland 20 miles to Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, 12930 NW Old Pumpkin Ridge Rd., North Plains (tel. 503/647-4747; www.pumpkinridge.com), a 36-hole course that has hosted the U.S. Women's Open. Green fees range from $30 to $150 on the one course that is open to the public.

Also west of the city, on the south side of Hillsboro, you'll find The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club, 4805 SW 229th Ave., Aloha (tel. 503/649-8191; www.reservegolf.com). Green fees range from $45 to $85 depending on time of year and day of the week.

Hiking

Hiking opportunities abound in the Portland area. For shorter hikes, you don't even have to leave the city, just head to Forest Park. Bordered by West Burnside Street on the south, Newberry Road on the north, St. Helens Road on the east, and Skyline Road on the west, this is one of the largest forested city parks in the country. Within this urban wilderness, you'll find more than 70 miles of trails. One of my favorite access points is at the top of NW Thurman Street in Northwest Portland. (After a hike, you can stop for a post-exercise payoff at a neighborhood brewpub, an espresso bar, or a bakery along NW 23rd Ave. or NW 21st Ave.) The 30-mile Wildwood Trail is the longest trail in the park and along its length offers lots of options for loop hikes. For a roughly 2.5-mile hike, head up Leif Erickson Drive to a left onto the Wild Cherry Trail to a right onto the Wildwood Trail to a right onto the Dogwood Trail, and then a right on Leif Erickson Drive to get you back to the trail head. There are also good sections of trail to hike in the vicinity of the Hoyt Arboretum. To reach the arboretum's visitor center, 4000 SW Fairview Blvd. (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm and Sat 9am-3pm), drive west on West Burnside Street from downtown Portland and follow signs to the arboretum. You can get a trail map here at the visitor center.

About 5 miles south of downtown, you'll find Tryon Creek State Park off Terwilliger Boulevard. This park is similar to Forest Park and is best known for its displays of trillium flowers in the spring. There are several miles of walking trails within the park, and a bike path to downtown Portland starts here.

You can buy or rent camping equipment from REI Co-Op, 1405 NW Johnson St. (tel. 503/221-1938; www.rei.com). This huge outdoor recreation supply store also sells books on hiking in the area.

Sea Kayaking

If you want to check out the Portland skyline from water level, arrange for a sea kayak tour through the Portland River Company, 0315 SW Montgomery St., Suite 330 (tel. 888/238-2059 or 503/229-0551; www.portlandrivercompany.com), which operates out of the RiverPlace Marina at the south end of Tom McCall Waterfront Park. A 2 1/2-hour tour that circles nearby Ross Island costs $43 to $47 per person. This company also rents sea kayaks (to experienced paddlers) for $10 to $20 per hour.

Day Spas -- If you prefer massages and facials to hikes in the woods, consider spending a few hours at a day spa. These facilities typically offer massages, facials, body wraps, and the like. Portland day spas include the Avalon Hotel & Spa, 0455 SW Hamilton Ct. (tel. 503/564-4663; www.avalonhotelandspa.com); and Salon Nyla -- The Day Spa, 327 SW Pine St. (tel. 503/228-0389; www.salonnyla.com), which is adjacent to the Embassy Suites hotel. However, the most unusual day spas in town are in the Pearl District. Nirvana Apothecary & Day Spa, 736 NW 11th Ave. (tel. 503/546-8155; www.nirvanadayspa.com), is done up sort of like a Moroccan palace, while Aequis, 419 SW 11th Ave. (tel. 503/223-7847; www.aequisspa.com), is an Asian-inspired retreat. Expect to pay about $85 or $130 for a 1-hour massage and $200 to more than $1,000 for a multi-treatment spa package.