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
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…
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…
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
The state's first capitol building burned down in 1855, and a domed classic Roman edifice was built to replace it. Unfortunately, that building also…
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Columbia River Gorge
This dam was one of the largest New Deal projects of the Depression era. Completed in 1937, it was the first major dam on the Columbia River. Dam…
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Columbia Hills Historical State Park
Columbia River Gorge
Some of the most famous remaining pictographs (painted figures) along the Columbia River are at this Washington state park, site of a Native American…
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Portland
This controversial 15-story building (1982) was designed by Michael Graves and catapulted the postmodern architect to celebrity status. But the blocky,…
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The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
This interesting 5-acre complex houses grassy gardens, two gift shops, a clutch of pioneer buildings and two museums. The Mission Mill Museum, Jason Lee…
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The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
A state heritage area and popular family destination, Champoeg is 25 miles southwest of Portland. There are 615 acres of old-growth woodland, grassy…
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Portland
Along the tree-shaded South Park Blocks sits the state's primary history museum, which in 2019 unveiled a permanent 7000-sq-ft interactive exhibit that…
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Deschutes River State Recreation Area
Columbia River Gorge
The Deschutes River, Oregon's second largest, cuts through central Oregon and meets the Columbia at this fine state park, 15 miles east of The Dalles…
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The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Just south of the capitol, Willamette University was the first university in the western USA and is well respected for its liberal-arts undergraduate…
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Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
A mile east of McMinnville, this museum showcases Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, the world's largest wood-framed airplane. In 1947, with Hughes at the wheel…
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Northern Oregon Coast
Ten miles west of Astoria, this park holds the historic military installation that once guarded the mouth of the Columbia River. Near the Military Museum…
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Columbia River Gorge
Not one for small gestures, businessman Sam Hill built a full-scale replica of Salisbury Plain's Stonehenge on the cliffs above the Columbia River…
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The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Open to everyone, the Mt Angel Abbey is a delightful Benedictine monastery on grassy grounds set atop a hill that overlooks town. There's a modernist…
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Portland
The South Park Blocks, a 12-block-long greenway that runs through much of downtown, are a fine, leafy refuge from downtown's bustle. They host a farmers…
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Columbia River Maritime Museum
Northern Oregon Coast
Astoria's seafaring heritage is well interpreted at this wave-shaped museum. It's hard to miss the retired Coast Guard boat, frozen mid-rescue, through a…
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Columbia River Gorge
On top of Rowena Crest are spectacular views and vast meadows now preserved as a wildflower sanctuary. Governor Tom McCall Reserve, on Rowena Plateau, is…
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History Museum of Hood River County
Columbia River Gorge
This worthwhile museum depicts the history of Hood River County and the mid-Columbia River region, with displays on Native American artifacts and quirky…
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Columbia River Gorge
This museum was once part of an 1856 fort and is Oregon's oldest history museum. It's a fascinating place full of historical items; highlights include an…
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Northern Oregon Coast
Fifteen miles south of Yachats is an enormous sea grotto that's home to hundreds of Steller sea lions. An elevator descends 208ft to a dark interpretive…
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The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Oregon City was initially built at river level, but as it grew, it moved higher. In 1912 residents started talking about an elevator that would join the …
