Help with 2 week Oregon itinirary
 

Hello,
I am in the process of planning a 2 week trip to Oregon with 2 kiddos (4 and 7), and I need help with my itinerary. We would like to see as much as possible, but not move around every night.
We like nature, hiking, lakes, forests, waterfalls, beach. We come from Arizona, so seeing desert is not a priority.

Since the Gorge is the most convenient after landing at PDX, should we stay there? how many nights? Is the area super touristy and congested?

Where should move to next? I would like to end our trip at Arch Cape for 5 nights. And I think I would like to include a stop at Yachats beforehand.
Should we include Bend?
Should we include any other areas? I read in another trip report about someone staying at Steamboat on the Umqua River, and it looks fantastic, but I'm not sure that I have time to include it.

I would love to hear suggestions on which areas you think more nights should be spent, or other areas that can be skipped to make for less stops. Oregon has so many beautiful areas, which makes for very hard planning.

I appreciate all opinions and suggestion!

Thank you in advance!

Bend is a great area for family summer fun and Sunriver Resort is where I usually stay. It's a few miles from Bend but easy drive.

Sunriver has so much for family to do- hike, bike, raft, horseback riding. Sun country Tours is located there and offers many fun trips. The Big Eddy is a 1/2 day trip raft trip that is very fun- not sure if there is an age limit though.
There are lots of bike trails at the resort and several bike rental places.
It really is a fun family place!

<i>We would like to see as much as possible, but not move around every night.</i>

I can't reconcile these conflicting goals.

<i> Is the area super touristy and congested?</i>

The Columbia River gorge is a major destination for those who visit Oregon. The most congested area in the gorge is Multnomah Falls, but it is a major attraction you won't want to miss.

The Wallowa Mountains, in NE Oregon, is a beautiful area that is less congested than the coast and the gorge.

I rate Oregon attractions this way: (1) the coast, (2) the gorge, (3) the Wallowa Mountains, (4) Crater Lake, (5) Bend, (6) John Day.

Bend is a very hot place in July and August.

HTtY

The north entrance of Crater Lake NP is 90 miles from Bend.
The speed limit for most of US 97 has now been raised to 65MPH.
After seeing the Gorge and the waterfalls, come to Bend or Sunriver (cooler).
I've been in every one of the 36 counties of Oregon. I still rate the Cascades including Crater Lake higher than the Wallowa Mountains.
I would drop at least 1 night from Arch Cape in favor of seeing Crater Lake. If you can't get a night at the Crater lake Lodge, try for a night at the Diamond Lake resort instead of going all the way to the Steamboat.
In 2006 I walked through the Arch at low tide to go for a geocache. I haven't been back since.

When are you traveling?

You should definitely include the Gorge, but with kids the ages of yours, 2 nights would be enough. Hood River is well known for sail and kite-boarding, so it's quite "touristy", but still a fun town. The other "super touristy and congested" area in the Gorge is the 15-mile section that includes Multnomah and several other waterfalls and popular hiking trails. Summer weekends there are crazy busy.

From the Gorge I'd head to Bend (via Mt. Hood), which as mentioned is a great area for families. It's considered "high desert", but it's nothing like AZ desert.

Steamboat Inn would work well as an overnight between Bend and the coast, after spending the day at Crater Lake. Otherwise, it's not worth the detour. Crater Lake could also be done as a day trip from Bend.

Yachats and Arch Cape are both great choices, but with the Oregon Coast Aquarium and other kid-friendly attractions, Newport would work well too.

Hi,
My family did a week in Oregon (car camping) two summers ago in August with our kids who were then 11 and 9 and they still talk about Crater Lake as their favorite place ever. We stayed in the campground (but you could try for the lodge or the resort listed above) and made reservations for a boat ride on the lake, which required a 1 mile hike down to the dock (and back up afterwards). We also swam in the lake, which was freezing, but amazing!! It is well worth the visit.
Our overall itinerary was Portland (if your kids are readers of Beverly Cleary/Ramona books, there is a very cool "Ramona" tour from the public library) to the gorge to Mt. Hood to Bend to Newberry Caldera Volcanic National Monument (amazing unless you've visited something similar closer to home) to Crater Lake to the coast and then down to the Redwoods in CA. It was a fantastic trip!!

Thank you for all the replies!

Yes, I know, wanting to see a lot but staying at one spot is contradictory. That's why I'm having such a hard time planning this trip. Some of us want to relax, some of us want to go go go... I need to find a happy medium. I'm just hoping somebody can help me pick a couple of spots that are worth a longer stay?

We want to stay on the coast for 5 nights just to relax, and it seems like there are enough parks and hiking around the area to keep us occupied.

If we pick a place between hood River and hood mountain (like Parkdale?) and stay for 3-4 nights, would that be a too long of a stay for that area? Can I find relaxing spots away from traffic and tons of crowds?

One of my kids is not ready to bike yet, would you still think Bend is a good base? We like trails that are shady and are probably no more than 4-5 miles round trip, with good scenery along the way. We are coming from HOT, so don't mind getting away from hot...

Should we spend a few nights around Yachats, knowing that we are also staying at arch cape? Or would it feel redundant?

I have to admit that I do not know where the Wallowa mtn are or how I will get to the coast from there. I will look it up.

Thanks again!

Hi teamwalsh,

Could you tell me know many nights you stayed at each location? And maybe

Thanks!

Oops, click too fast,
And where you stayed, if you remember.

Thanks!

Still think Bend is a good choice even with a non biker.
There is a nice playground at Sunriver, huge swimming pool with water slides. If you would decide to stay there, I would ask if a pool pass comes with it as I know it's fairly expensive to buy one.
There is an out door roller skating rink at Sunriver Village too.

I am quite sure there will still be snow at Mt Bachelor- could take gondola up to the top.
Other things to do would be visit a volcano- you can drive car to top and walk around the rim. You can hike the Deschutes River trail which is pretty flat but has a great waterfall view-Bentham Falls.

The Wallowas are beautiful but in my opinion, not as much variety of things to do for a young family.

<i>If we pick a place between hood River and hood mountain (like Parkdale?) and stay for 3-4 nights, would that be a too long of a stay for that area?</i>

It would be way too long for me, and I don't have two little kids to entertain. Parkdale is a farming community.

Yachats is a charming little town, and it would not be redundant to Arch Cape. Just south of Yachats is Cape Perpetua, one of the most scenic places on the Oregon coast, and south of that are the Sea Lion Caves which would fascinate your children if sea lions are in residence.

HYtY

I agree, 3-4 nights will little kids would be too long for me. I would stay a night or two in the gorge, and put any extra time towards Bend. Sunriver as mentioned is a perfect place for family vacations. We have been going there for years and never tire of it as there is so much to do right there at the resort as well as the surrounding area.

Personally I would skip the Sea Lion Caves and just see them in Newport instead, but that is just my personal preference.

We were a bit "ambitious" in our itinerary and that trip taught me that we need a minimum 2-night stay at each location on future trips. ;)
That said, here's what we did:

Portland - 2 nights in a non-descript Sheraton (thanks to travel points!)
Trillium Lake Campground - 1 night
Paulina Lake Campground - 1 night (35 degrees F in the morning in August, FYI)
Crater Lake NP Campground - 2 nights (FAVORITE PLACE!!)
Sunset Bay State Park - 2 nights - We did a beautiful and not too strenuous hike from here that took us to an overlook to see seals and sea lions, which was cool.

Then we headed south and did 2 nights in Redwoods in CA and finished with 3 nights at a nice hotel in San Francisco as our reward for 8 nights of sleeping in a tent. :)

What makes the sea lion caves a special experience for me is going down in the elevator to see them in a large and mysterious cave. The experience gives me a connection to the primordial similar to the one I had when I saw sea lions lolling on a great rock in the Strait of Magellan.

However, your children may not be ready for a transcendent experience. In that case, save your money. It isn't cheap.

HTtY

The best route from Hood River to Bend/Sunriver is up Rt. 35 on the east side of Mt. Hood to US 26 east to Madras.
In Madras you get on US 97 south to Bend or to Sunriver off Exit 153.
I like the Yachats (pronounced ya-HOTS) area better than Arch Cape.
I consider the Sea Lion Caves to be one of the smelliest tourist traps in Oregon.
If you visit a coastal State Park in Oregon you may want to use a yurt instead of a tent. The shower buildings in the campgrounds are good.

Hi everyone!
Thank you so much for so many great tips.
Could anyone recommend another place to stay that's not sunriver resort? It's maybe a little too 'resorty' for me. We are not really interested in pools or biking or skating or golfing, but more about being in nature and seeing the forests, mountains, lakes and waterfalls. Easy-medium hikes (we can do it,we just take longer) with great scenery is more our style. Within easy driving distance. And GREEN, because phoenix's green is a little on the brown side...

Any suggestions?

I'm thinking:
Fly into PDX from Phoenix
Gorge 2 nights
???
Yachats 2-3 nights?
Arch cape 5 nights
Portland 2-3 nights

Thanks again!

I think Sunriver sounds more resorty than it actually is There are lots of trees,, forested areas with easy access to the amenities that you have mentioned.

So are you interested in areas other than Bend?

One of my favorite areas is the Metolius River/camp Sherman area. Forested, hiking, there is a variety of places to stay from rustic cabins to some lovely log cabins. It's a very special place to me but may be farther than you want to drive- although really not that far from Bend.

The Metolius River/camp Sherman area looks really pretty. I actually contacted the Metolius River resort before, but didn't get a good feeling from the reservation process. No call backs, no email backs...
Any other cabins that you like?
Any days hikes from there that you can recommend?

Thank you!

Don't be dissuaded from considering Metolius River Resort; we've stayed there, and it's every bit as pretty as it appears in pictures, and then some. Still, unless you're into flying fishing, I'm not sure what your kids will do there that you couldn't better do at a place like Sunriver. If that seems too resort-ish, consider Black Butte Ranch, similar to Sunriver, but smaller and more laid back. Greener too.

As for the Gorge, the main reason to visit is for the waterfalls. Yes, there is good hiking in the area and other beautiful scenery, but that's true of almost anywhere in Oregon you'd choose to visit. And the Gorge, being so close to Portland, is very popular with locals and tourists alike, so more "crowded" than central Oregon, where you'll find more solitude. So if you're having trouble fitting stuff in, consider visiting the popular 15-mile waterfall section, on your way up the Gorge, maybe spend a night in Hood River, then continue on. Parkdale would be okay, but other than views of Mt. Hood, I think the best reason to stop there is Solera Brewery. Cooper Spur Mountain "Resort" would be another option.

The reason I like Arch Cape is because it's an entirely residential community, so gets practically no traffic other than from folks staying there. Yet, it's close to Cannon Beach and Manzanita, where you'll want to go to buy kites and rent skim-boards, and has beautiful state parks neighboring to the north and south.

In the Sea Lion Caves debate I side with those who suggest seeing them in Newport, where you can get up close and personal with them, and avoid the less than pleasant aroma.

Wow! Thanks everybody, this is exactly what I was hoping for!

BTW, we are going the last 2 weeks of July.

At the Hood river/mt. Is it worth doing the fruit loop drive? Is it picturesque? I think the kids would love to pick (and eat) fruit!
Is the fruit loop drive picturesque like the Willamette wine country? Or not at all? After seeing pictures of the W. Wine country, I was ready to go there...stay at a quaint b&b, relax with a glass of wine... but then I remembered the kids...
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What do you guys think of staying at Sisters? I found availability at 5 Pines, and it gets good reviews.
Could you suggest day trips from there?

Also, what would be the best way to get to Yachats from Sisters? Fast and super scenic? That's not asking for too much is it? ��

We will have to play it by ear on the sea lion cave.... But definitely yes to the aquarium!

Thanks again!