Offerings
Get away from the crowds of busy tourist attractions on one of our half or full-day outings. Led by a passionate guide with 20 years of experience, our offerings paint an intimate portrait of the beauty, drama, and power of the Pacific Northwest. Whether you’re seeking a full-day journey or a mindful morning walk, our activities will connect you to the quieter, less crowded places all within an hour’s drive of Downtown Portland.
Guided Hikes
Descend into an ancient forest nestled in a volcanic crater. Bask in the shade grandfather oaks on a river island. Join us on one of our unique hikes, involving natural history and culturally-conscious storytelling. Activities range from half-day walks of 2–4 miles to full-day hikes of up to 7 mile.
Ecotherapy and Mindfulness Hikes
No matter how far removed you may feel, you are a part of nature! Ecotherapy invites you to join others in a practice of deep remembering. Through guided mindfulness activities, group sharing, and acts of reciprocity, these walks are a fun and safe way to reawaken your sense of kinship with more-than-human-world.
What we do
Osiyo (hello)! I’m so glad you arrived here. My name is Ryan, lead guide and owner of Atsina Outside. My hikes are for people who want something more than passive sightseeing, superficial facts and figures, and transactional experiences with nature.
As a lifelong nature lover and career environmental educator, my hikes incorporate storytelling, cultural sensitivity, and can be tailored to your curiosity and interests. As a citizen of Cherokee Nation and a council member, I draw from my cultural values and deep respect for nature. The Portland area is the ancestral homeland of the Multnomah People, whose descendants are still here and whose languages, stories, and songs remain woven into the fabric of the land. My hikes begin from an understanding that most of us here are guests to a place that people have called home since time immemorial.
I offer a range of experiences, from natural and cultural history walks to ecotherapy hikes that incorporate mindfulness, ritual, and practices of reciprocity. Whether you seek a half-day walk of 2–3 miles, or a full-day journey, my offerings invite you into a deeper relationship with the more-than-human world.
ATSINA ᎠᏥᎾ
“ah-chi-nah”
Atsina is the Cherokee word for “cedar.” It is written as ᎠᏥᎾ in our syllabary. I chose this name in honor of the eastern red cedar, a tree remembered by Cherokee people for their beauty and medicine. The smoke of the atsina is especially valued for its gift of purification. Atsina grows both in my ancestors’ homelands in the South East and in the lands to which we were displaced, in eastern Oklahoma. Since moving to the Pacific Northwest, western red cedar (Atsina’s cousin) has become a beloved friend and a reminder to maintain good relations with all of our plant relatives.
“Among the trees, atsina… stayed awake through the seventh night. To these trees, Creator gave the gift of green leaves through all seasons. They also became keepers of powerful medicine. To the other trees that fell asleep, Creator made them lose their leaves each winter. To this day, the evergreens remain admired for their beauty and medicine. The smoke of the atsina is especially valued for its gift of purification.”
Noyi Teuton
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Atsina Outside 