Portland
This popular riverside park, which lines the west bank of the Willamette River, was finished in 1978 after four years of construction. It replaced an old…
Must-see attractions in Oregon
West Hills
Abutting the more manicured Washington Park to the south (to which it is linked by various trails) is the far wilder 5100-acre Forest Park, an urban…
West Hills
Often called the most authentic Japanese garden outside Japan, this tranquil escape recently underwent a $30-million expansion under the guidance of…
Portland
The heart of downtown Portland, at the heart of Portland’s retail district and the city’s transit system, is a multi-tiered brick plaza nicknamed Portland…
Southern Oregon
The ancient mountain whose remains now form Crater Lake was known to the the Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin Band of the Snake as Giiwas, or "sacred place."…
West Hills
West of the city, Washington Park is a lush destination with 410 acres of green space, well-manicured gardens and forested trails. Within the parkland are…
Northern Oregon Coast
Located 3 miles south of Yachats, this volcanic remnant was sighted and named by England's Captain James Cook in 1778. Famous for dramatic rock formations…
National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
Northeastern Oregon
This interpretive center is the nation's foremost memorial to the pioneers who crossed the West along the Oregon Trail. Lying atop a hill 7 miles east of…
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Northeastern Oregon
Because no cap rock protects them, the Painted Hills have eroded into low-slung, colorfully banded hills that were originally formed about 30 million…
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The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Oregon's largest state park, Silver Falls, 26 miles east of Salem on Hwy 214, is an easy day trip from Portland, Salem and Eugene. It offers camping,…
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Columbia Gorge Discovery Center
Columbia River Gorge
This excellent museum covers the history of the gorge, from its creation by cataclysmic floods to the hardships pioneers had traversing it, to early…
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Bend
Best known for its glorious rock climbing, Smith Rock State Park boasts rust-colored 800ft cliffs that tower over the pretty Crooked River. Nonclimbers…
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Thomas Condon Paleontology Center
Northeastern Oregon
This excellent paleontology center is 2 miles north of Hwy 26 at Sheep Rock Unit. The well-presented displays include a three-toed horse and petrified…
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Bend
This excellent museum, about 3 miles south of Bend, charts the exploration and settlement of the West, using reenactments of a Native American camp, a…
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Northern Oregon Coast
The region's top attraction, this cutting-edge aquarium is especially fun if you have kids along. Marine celebrities include seals, sea otters and a giant…
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Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center
Columbia River Gorge
Located just below Skamania Lodge, this museum weaves together the many threads that form the area's history – Native Americans, early explorers, pioneer…
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Columbia River Gorge
If you've ever wondered about that expression, 'What in Sam Hill?,' here's your answer: this museum in a hilltop mansion was founded by Sam Hill (1857…
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Bend
This beautiful 283,400-acre region spans the Cascade Range and is highlighted by the glaciered Three Sisters, three recent volcanic peaks each topping 10…
Northern Oregon Coast
Haystack Rock is Cannon Beach's iconic symbol, a beautiful hulking monolith that rises 235ft and has had cameos in several movies. It's part of the Oregon…
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Wallowa Mountains
Glacier-ripped valleys, high mountain lakes and marble peaks are some of the rewards that long-distance hikers find on overnight treks into the beautiful…
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Wallowa Mountains
Hells Canyon's most spectacular scenery is perhaps along Snake River, following 25 miles of paved road (Idaho's Rte 454) toward Hells Canyon Dam; here…
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Northern Oregon Coast
Located just north of town, Ecola State Park offers seclusion, various hikes and great picnicking. Short paths at Ecola Point lead over the headland to…
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Northeastern Oregon
Featuring the most walks and hikes of the three John Day fossil-bed units, Sheep Rock is also closest to the paleontology center. Above loom majestic,…
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Southern Oregon Coast
Beautiful rehabilitated gardens are the highlight of this unusual state park, 4 miles southwest of Charleston. Louis Simpson, a shipping and lumber…
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The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
At 4097ft, Marys Peak, in the Siuslaw National Forest, is the highest peak in the Coast Range. Several hikes are strewn around the summit, and on a clear…
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Southern Oregon
The cave – there's only one – contains about 3 miles of passages, explored via 90-minute walking tours that expose visitors to dripping chambers and 520…
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Southern Oregon
Whether you're just gazing at Wizard Island from the rim of Crater Lake, or visiting it by boat, it's definitely one of the most prominent features of…
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The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Plant-lovers shouldn't miss this garden, located 15 miles east of Salem outside Silverton. Over 20 specialty gardens are showcased on 80 acres, including…
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Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area
Northern Oregon Coast
Stretching a mile out to sea is the popular Yaquina Head, a grassy headland just north of Newport. Short trails lead to viewing areas for shorebirds,…
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Southern Oregon
Adjacent to Ashland's three splendid theaters lies what is arguably the loveliest city park in Oregon, the 93 acres of which wind along Ashland Creek…
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The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Peavy Arboretum is heaven on a hot day, with several interpretive trails that wind through 40 acres of shady forest. From here, you can continue into…
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Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site
Northeastern Oregon
Don't miss this site, located in an 1865 building that served primarily as an apothecary for the noted Chinese herbalist and doctor Ing Hay. It was also a…
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The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Next to the Oregon Garden in Silverton is the Gordon House, the only building in Oregon designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was built in 1964 and moved to…
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Southern Oregon
Twenty-one miles east of Steamboat is the stunning, two-tiered Toketee Falls, flowing over columnar basalt. To reach it, turn off on USFS Rd 34; the hike…
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The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Willamette University's Hallie Ford Museum of Art boasts the state's best collection of Pacific Northwest art, including an impressive Native American…
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Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge
Eastern Oregon
From the tiny town of Plush, Hart Mountain Rd crosses the Warner Lakes Basin, climbs into the spectacular, near-vertical Hart Mountain fault block (peak…
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Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Bend
About 13 miles south of Bend is this impressive area, a relatively recent volcanic region resulting from 400,000 years of volcanic activity. Newberry…
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Strawberry Mountain Wilderness
Northeastern Oregon
Named for the wild strawberries that thrive on its mountain slopes, the Strawberry Range is covered with ponderosa and lodgepole pines growing on glacier…
International Rose Test Garden
West Hills
These gardens practically gave Portland its 'Rose City' nickname. They sprawl across 4.5 acres of manicured lawns, fountains and flowerbeds, and on a…
West Hills
This beautiful zoo features a primate reserve, a 'penguinarium' and a large African animals area, among many other impressive exhibits and a train that…
