Silver Cove RV Resort

Once you're (finally) out of the water or have laid down your fishing rod, Silver Lake has a nature trail to follow, or you could hike the four miles or so from the visitor centre to the Seaquest State Park, where there are another eight waymarked miles to trek through the forest. Adventure of an aerial sort is at Treehouse Island Zipline Adventures two miles away, covering 50 acres of trees on an island under Mount St. Helens. Take the boat to the centre to explore the trees on six different cables, via ladders, bridges and decks up to a height of 75 feet: tours are guided and last about three hours. A 10-mile drive from the resort will take you to Castle Rock, between Mount St. Helens and the Willapa Hills. It's home to the Forest Learning Center, inside the blast zone of the 1980 eruption, and tells the story of that day and the efforts at reforestation afterwards. A short forest trail, elk viewing and a play area are also around to keep everyone amused. If you're after a city day, Portland is about an hour's drive south from Silver Lake. It's a lively city with a busy live music scene, several theatres, festivals, public parks, and museums including the Portland Children's Museum and the huge Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. To the west of the city, Washington Park is the site of Oregon Zoo, the World Forestry Center, and the Hoyt Arboretum.