Places To Visit In Oregon – When you think of Oregon, you might picture the city of Portland, which is familiar with hipsters and craft beer. Or perhaps you think of loggers cutting down old-growth trees while wearing denim coveralls. Oregon has beautiful waterfalls, deserts, snow-capped mountains, rushing rivers, steaming hot springs, an attractive coastline, and the friendliest people.
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Bend
Bend is a town about three hours southeast of Portland that is a great places to visit in Oregon and to spend a weekend if you like to try new things. People here love the outdoors and enjoy kayaking in the river that flows through the city, hiking on one of the many trails nearby, or snowboarding on Mt. Bachelor, just outside town.
Bend has a lot of outdoor things to do, but it also has craft breweries, cute shops, delicious eateries, fancy mountain lodges, hot pools to relax in, and the list goes on and on. During your trip to Oregon, you should stop by this town. And it would help if you went to Smith Rock State Park while there. It’s another one of Oregon’s Seven Wonders!
Crater Lake
One of the most beautiful places to visit in Oregon
The US National Parks system includes Crater Lake in Central Oregon. After a huge eruption a few thousand years ago, Mount Mazama fell apart, leaving this volcanic caldera. The lake is about 2,000 feet deep, making it the deepest in the US and the third in the world. Though some people think it doesn’t end.
The lake is so clear you can’t believe how blue it is. It is a tree trunk bobbing up and down in the water for 100 years. Around Crater Lake, there are many hiking trails. You could even hike to the lake’s edge and swim in the cold water if the weather is right. The park has several places to camp and a beautiful lodge. All through your trip to Oregon, you have to go there.
Columbia River Gorge
The Cascade Mountains are cut through by the Columbia River, which now forms a natural border between Oregon and Washington. You can stop for short or long hikes or to look at the beautiful waterfalls. There are also a lot of great places to visit in Oregon and to see the scenery.
The Historic Columbia River Highway tracks the river, and you can enjoy the high cliffs, lush vegetation, and many waterfalls as you drive along. Multnomah Falls is busy, but you have to stop there on your way. It would help if you also stopped at Bridal Veil and Latourell Falls.
River Hood
Hood River is a cute little town in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Region, about an hour east of Portland. It gets a lot of kiteboarders from all over the country because it has the right amount of wind. It also draws people from Portland who wants to get away for the weekend. Locals know it’s one of the best places to visit in Oregon, particularly since it’s only a short drive from the city.
Hood River is a great place to spend a long weekend, even if you don’t kiteboard or windsurf. In the pedestrian-friendly downtown, you’ll find places to eat delicious brunch, lively breweries, industrial-style tasting rooms, cute shops, and art galleries. You’ll have plenty to do to fill your days. It’s a great place to stop on a road trip through the Pacific Northwest.
The Painted Hills
Top places to visit in Oregon Portland
When you go to the Painted Hills, you feel like you’re returning in time. The soil on the hills has layers of different colors, and the yellow, black, and red colors look like they were put on with long, horizontal brush strokes. In the late afternoon, the colors are at their most vivid. You’ll want to spend a few hours walking along the trails and seeing how the colors change with the sun.
If you want to stretch your legs, several well-kept trails are nearby. If you’d rather, you can view the hills from your car. The Journey Through Time Scenic Byway goes through a ghost town and the town of Fossil, which has some fun things for kids to do. The Painted Hills are one of Oregon’s Seven Wonders, so you should see them.
They are also components of the John Day Fossil Beds, so there are a lot of other beautiful places nearby to visit. We especially liked Blue Basin, where you can hike either the Islands in Time Trail or the Blue Basin Overlook Trail. Walking through the bright blue canyon feels like you’re on another planet.
The Wallowa Mountains
Best places to visit in Oregon
The beautiful Wallowa Mountains are in northeastern Oregon, near Hells Canyon. People who like the outdoors and want to hike and see the beauty of Oregon like to go there. You can still appreciate the Wallowa Mountains even if hiking isn’t your favorite thing to do. The Wallowa Lake Tramway will take you to Mount Howard, over 8,000 feet high.
From here, there are beautiful views of the whole area. At the top, you can hike along one of two easy trails. Make sure to stop by the cute town of Joseph nearby. They have a cute downtown area and a growing art, food, and beer scene. It’s the ideal place to stay as your home base before hiking in the wild.
Alvord Desert
Places to visit in Oregon
Most people don’t know there is a huge dry lakebed in southeastern Oregon’s shadow of the Steens Mountains. The play here is like Burning Man, held yearly in Black Rock City but much smaller and less crowded. This 127-mile desert wasteland is the best place to go if you want to camp in the middle of a huge playa or set a land speed record.
You can drive onto the lakebed and camp anywhere you want. You can also travel as quickly as you want. On the edge of the playa are private hot springs, a general store, a toilet, and a campground, including a few more facilities. When you obtain up in the morning, you can drive your car around the playa to see how far it can go. It’s our favorite place to spend a few nights camping in Oregon.
