Oregon Top Attractions
Cannon Beach
The nearest town on the dramatically rocky, windswept Oregon Coast from Portland also happens to be one of the most idyllic communities in the coastal Northwest. This town, anchored by 235-foot-tall Haystack Rock, is rife with beachside hiking trails, fine-art galleries, and cafés specializing in organic coffee, Oregon wines, and fresh-caught seafood. Nearby Oswald West and Ecola State Parks have some of the most stunning beaches and hiking trails in the state.
Columbia River Gorge
The 110-mile section of the breathtaking Columbia River provides some of the Pacific Northwest’s most spectacular vistas. Towering cliffs on both the Washington and Oregon sides of the river form a dramatic backdrop, and meandering highways line both banks. Water and wind sports abound, and a growing wine-making, craft-brewing, and culinary scene has flourished in recent years.
Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria
At this dazzling, contemporary facility in the steadily gentrifying town of Astoria, where the northern Oregon Coast meets the Columbia River, you can tour a fully operational U.S. Coast Guard lightship, and check out engaging exhibits on local shipwrecks, marine life, and how the mighty Columbia has driven the economic and cultural development of the Pacific Northwest.
Crater Lake National Park
The deepest lake in the United States is also the clearest, a fact readily grasped as soon as you behold this searing-blue body of water. It's closed much of the year due to snow, but in summer this 21-square-mile lake is southern Oregon's foremost attraction—the nearly century-old Crater Lake Lodge, perched on the southern shore, makes a memorable overnight and dinner venue.
High Desert Museum, Bend
Evocative and intricate walk-through dioramas and an indoor-outdoor zoo with creatures great and tiny convey the high desert's past and present in a delightfully airy and family-friendly space just south of Bend.
Mt. Hood
Just 60 miles east of Portland, the state's highest mountain is the only place in the Lower 48 where you can ski year-round. There are five different facilities, Timberline Lodge Ski Area being the most scenic.
Oregon Sand Dunes
The 41 miles of rolling bluffs that make up Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area bring out the kid in visitors of all ages. You can hike, ride horseback, and race on a dune buggy on these massive mountains of sand, some of them climbing nearly 500 feet higher than the surf. There's great boating and fishing (plus several excellent seafood restaurants) in the nearby town of Florence.
Powell's Bookstore, Portland
The Downtown Portland legend is the world's largest bookstore carrying both new and used titles, and with its coffeehouse, late hours, and endless aisles of reading, it's also a prime spot for literary-minded people-watching.
Willamette Valley Wine Country
Within easy day-tripping of Portland, this swath of fertile, hilly countryside is home to more than 500 wineries and has earned a reputation as one of the finest producers of Pinot Noir in the world—some say the best outside Burgundy. Winemakers in these parts also produce first-rate Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.
