Places to visit in Oregon
Located in the Pacific Northwest, Oregon touts some of America's most gorgeous terrain with Crater Lake National Park, Multnomah Falls, and Canyon Beach. Beyond the beauty of Mother Nature, Oregon's cities of Portland, Newport, and Salem. Locals and visitors enjoy the endless outdoor and indoor activities off the Oregon Coast Trail, 360 miles of terrain on the state's western edge. While some explore Oregon from the outside by scenic byway tours, kayaking, hiking, fishing, camping, skiing, snowboarding, and more, others take in the Beaver State by way of cities up and down the coast, including Bend or Astoria, the backdrop of 80's pop culture film Goonies. Next time a trip to the dispensary is scheduled, carve out some extra time to stop at any of the best places below for some afternoon adventure with friends like the classic film.
Crater Lake National Park
The deep blue waters surrounding remnants of a volcano at Crater Lake National Park are stunning. The national park has up to 30 overlook views that can be accessed by foot, bike, boat or trolley tour. There are up to 90 miles of hiking trails to be explored at Crater Lake, with backcountry camping available for an overnight rest. Scenic rim drives are also available for those who prefer to see the sites by car. Adult and adolescent ranger programs have patrons exploring all parts of the park for some fun-filled education.
Portland
Oregon’s largest city, Portland, is most famous for Washington Park, which hosts a field of Japanese flowers and the International Rose Test Garden. Mansion. After enjoying the city's outdoors, visitors and locals alike love to stop by Powell’s City of Books, the famed three-story building big as a square block. Downtown galleries including the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and Portland Art Museum also make up city culture along with top-rated restaurants and bars.Crater Lake National Park sits in the Cascade Mountains of southwest Oregon, with a landscape like nowhere else. In fact, it is not a crater, but rather an ancient caldera of an extinct volcano, Mount Mazama, and its lava cliffs rise to altitudes of up to 2,000 feet around the intensely blue and extremely deep lake.
Rim Drive circles the lake in a clockwise direction just a short distance from the crater's bottom. It starts at Rim Village and is accessible only by vehicle during warm weather months. Snowshoers and cross-country skiers will use the unplowed highway for winter travel in the winter.
Crater Lake National Park is a popular weekend trip to Oregon, and camping is accessible on two established campgrounds, with most of the Mazama Campground sites being found. Extended hiking and backpacking opportunities can be found away from the rim in the national park, and spectacular trails such as Watchman Peak offer great views of the caldera. In the summer months, head to Cleetwood Cove to discover the lake itself, from where cruises depart for Wizard Island.
Newport
The revamped fishing village now a beach resort is home to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and award-winning marine world. Migrating whales pass by Newport, giving locals and visitors alike glimpses of of the giant sea creatures. Newport’s historic bayfront is also a site to see leading to the Oregon Pacific Coast Scenic Byway. Marine discovery tours in town show off local seals and sea lions along with whales. Theater, music, and art are also available in town at the Newport Performing Arts Center. Most end the day in town at the Nye Beach cafe, famous for its Pacfic Coast view and food.The majestic Multnomah Falls are a must-see attraction for those who are in Oregon's Mount Hood / Columbia Gorge area. The falls can be reached on Portland's I-84 in just 30 minutes.
Legend has it that the falls once provided a very private bathing spot for a princess, but everybody can enjoy the sight of this impressive natural masterpiece today. You can see part of the 611-foot falls from the highway, but you'll need to take a five-minute walk to the mist-shrouded base of the falls to get the full picture. A quick climb from there will take you to the Benson Bridge which offers a great viewpoint.