Hike Oregon Turns a Love of Trails Into a Resource for Everyone
Franziska Weinheimer built Hike Oregon to share hiking and backpacking information across the state, and her reason for starting is as personal as it gets.
What Hike Oregon Is
Hike Oregon began as an online resource covering hiking and backpacking destinations across Oregon. Over time it grew into something larger, adding a YouTube channel and a line of hiking guidebooks to help people find their way onto the trail.
Why She Built It
Weinheimer is candid about what first pulled her toward hiking. She started going out in nature during a difficult stretch in her life, a time when she was struggling with depression, and found that it genuinely helped. That experience shapes everything she puts into Hike Oregon.
“Nature is so healing, and just being in the trees and seeing little things like the colors of the leaves changing, and little flowers, and just noticing the little things can kind of snap you out of sometimes spiraling in your head.”
Franziska Weinheimer, founder, Hike Oregon
What Makes This Corner of Oregon Worth Exploring
Weinheimer is open about what she loves about living in the Willamette Valley. The greenness of it comes up right away. For her, one of the most appealing things about the region is that nature is not something you have to plan a long trip to reach.