ULTIMATE OREGON ROAD TRIP ITINERARY

A National Park, volcanoes, waterfalls, epic coastlines… and while California typically gets all the hype on having the best wine, Oregon actually has a substantial wine country… and some of the best beer in the world. There’s not much more you could ask for in a state. We’ve been to over 40 of the U.S. States, and Oregon is easily in our top 10. So we’ve put together a list of all the places you should visit, and all the activities you should do on an epic Oregon road trip.

WHERE IS OREGON LOCATED?

If you aren’t familiar with, or don’t know a lot about Oregon, no worries! We can help with that. Oregon is located in the northwestern part of the United States, often referred to the Pacific Northwest. It’s directly below the state of Washington, above California, and to the left of Idaho. The entire western side of the state, or Oregon Coast, touches the Pacific Ocean.

Most of the western half of the state is in the heart of the Cascade Mountains, and is comprised of mountains, forests and rocky ocean coastlines. And this is exactly where our road trip itinerary will take you! The eastern half of the state, with the exception of the Blue Mountains, is drier and comprised more of desert-like landscapes. But we’re going to stick to the mountains, forests, waterfalls and epic landscapes!

MAP OF OREGON

PLACES TO VISIT IN OREGON & THINGS TO DO IN OREGON

If you like hiking, rock climbing, exploring, or just enjoying the outdoors, then Oregon is somewhere you NEED to visit. We spent roughly 3 weeks covering all of the places we’ll be outlining below. And while we feel like we covered a lot of ground, we wish we could have spend much more time in each place and taken it more slowly. So if you have the freedom of more time, take it.

We’re gonna touch on over 10 places to visit, all with unique activities to do. While this does not cover every single place, and every single thing you could do, we hope this at least gives you some inspiration and gives you some good reasons to prioritize a visit to this beautiful state.

CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK

If you aren’t familiar with Crater Lake National Park, and it wasn’t obvious, Crater Lake is most known for its giant lake inside the crater of a once fallen volcano. It’s located near the southern border with California. And while it might seem like there wouldn’t be much to do, other than see the lake, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

There is a lot you can do here, from driving the Rim Road all the way around the crater and stopping at 1 of the 30+ pullouts, hiking 1 of the many hiking trails, or even taking a dip in the lake itself! If this is something that catches your eye, and you’d love to learn more, we have a full write-up with all the info and details you need to make an epic visit to this unique National Park: ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK.

BEND

North of Crater Lake, about as close as you can be to being in the center of Oregon, is Bend Oregon. Having visited nearly every state in the country, we’ve been to A LOT of towns and cities. After visiting Bend Oregon, it quickly became one of our absolute favorite places in the country. One of the more special and unique things about this town, is how deeply connected the community is with taking “care of the places that take care of us” – The Bend Pledge. They truly want to preserve the place where they live, and to ensure those who are visiting, leave it better than they found it. We LOVE this, and wish more towns had this mindset. Head over to our BEND OREGON ON A CHILLY WEEKEND to read more about Bend!

But we also love that Bend has waterfalls, a State Park, a cute downtown area and more craft beer breweries than you could imagine. So much so, that they have an Ale Trail and Passport to get stamped for every location you visit. There is no doubt you’ll leave Bend with a full belly and heart.

Drake Park - Bend Oregon — Drake Park – Bend, Oregon

Here’s some of our recommendations:

Head to the Visit Bend Oregon website for more inspiration on spending time in Bend Oregon!

MT HOOD & TRILLIUM LAKE

Trillium Lake - Mt Hood Oregon — Trillium Lake – Mt Hood, Oregon

Continuing on north from Bend, right before reaching the Columbia River Gorge, which is also the border between Oregon and Washington, is Mt Hood. Mt Hood is one of the tallest peaks in the state at 11,000ft / 3,300m, and also a volcano. Whether you do one of the many hiking trails up or around the volcano, ski or snowboard at one of the resorts during the winter, or just simply bask in its beauty from down below, it truly is a site to see and a must visit location.

And just south of the volcano, near the town of Government Camp, is Trillium Lake. If you enjoy cloudy or moody vibes, when the fog is hanging low, and the light drizzle pitter patters along the surface of the lake, then this lake is a must visit. With some of the best views of Mt Hood, it is absolutely a place that should be added to your list.

COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE & HOOD RIVER

Ok, so we’d visited Columbia River Gorge once before, in 2018, and visited Multnomah Falls. It was crowded and near impossible to get a decent picture. This was also right after the Gorge had suffered bad fires, so much of the Gorge was closed. So we turned around, and headed back to our friends house and didn’t think much of the Gorge. Oh how we were wrong.

Rowena Crest - Columbia River Gorge, Oregon — Rowena Crest – Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

The Columbia River runs from the Pacific Ocean where Astoria is, all the way along the Oregon and Washington border for about 3/4 of the state. The section in the center of the state, is home to the Columbia River Gorge, where giant mountains and cliffs tower on either side of the river. The Washington side has a much slower drive along it, it’s mainly a two-lane road that winds along the river. The Oregon side however, is much more of a highway with pullouts every few miles leading you to waterfall after waterfall. It is SO much more than just Multnomah Falls, and it is a MUST visit.

Wahclella Falls - Columbia River Gorge, Oregon — Wahclella Falls – Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

We’d recommend starting at The Dalles and making your way to the Portland area. Make a stop in Hood River, maybe even stay a night, head to one of the breweries and enjoy some beer and food with Gorgeous views… See what we did there? Below are some of our recommendations, and check out our map to see all the stops along the Gorge that you should visit!

VANCOUVER WASHINGTON

We’re going to take you on a slight detour out of Oregon for a moment, to Vancouver Washington. If you’re spending any amount of time along the Columbia River Gorge, or Portland Oregon, then Vancouver Washington is just a hop skip and a jump on the other side of the river. Here you’ll find a nice downtown riverfront with shops, restaurants, breweries, wineries and more. And if you’re feeling adventurous, take a day trip up to Moulton Falls Regional Park to check out this absolutely magical scene.

PORTLAND OREGON

When people think of Oregon, Portland is likely the first place thought of. And although one might think Portland is the capital of Oregon, it is not, it’s Salem. But Portland is the biggest city in the state, with tons to do, so naturally it is a must on this list. Portland is known for many things: beer, great food, seafood, donuts, a cool downtown area and hipsters. But personally, we’ll focus on the former items. Here’s some recommendations!

ASTORIA

Have you ever seen the movie The Goonies? If you have, then you are very familiar with Astoria even if you didn’t realize it! Much of the movie took place in Astoria, which resides in the far northwestern corner of Oregon where the Pacific Ocean, Oregon and Washington all sort of meet together. Astoria is a typical seaside port and town. Here you’ll find restaurants, breweries, shops and more to walk around and explore. One of our absolute favorite breweries is located here: Fort George. Fort George has a massive two-story building that pretty much occupies an entire block. Delicious beer and full restaurant with ocean views… Makes for a perfect afternoon visit!

OREGON COAST

We could probably write an entire blog just on the Oregon Coast alone. I mean it is an entire coastline. That being said, we’re going to summarize and just list a few spots you should prioritize along the coast.

CANNON BEACH

Have you ever seen the movie The Goonies? Haha. If so, then you’ve seen Cannon Beach! Cannon Beach Oregon is where the final scene of the movie is filmed, where the ship comes sailing out. Cannon Beach is most known for Haystack Rock, which is a giant sea stack, or intertidal structure. Basically it’s a giant rock sticking up out of the ground where the ocean and beach comes together. It’s actually the third largest in the world! Make sure to spend some time at this beach at sunrise or sunset!

TILLAMOOK

Ever had Tillmook cheese? If so… I think you know where this is going. Tillamook is home of the Tillmook Creamery. If you like cheese or ice cream, then you should absolutely visit here. Get the grilled cheese, and cheesy tater tots. Trust us. Tillamook is also home to some delicious beer and wine. And with its close proximity Cape Lookout State Park, you should probably spend a day here.

HECETA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE & BEACH

Heceta Head Lighthouse - Oregon Coast — Heceta Head Lighthouse – Oregon Coast

As you’re heading along the coast, if you blink took quickly or aren’t paying close attention, you could easily pass up this lighthouse. There is a pullout that gives you a great perspective and view of the lighthouse. And if you look STRAIGHT DOWN from the pullout, you’ll likely see (and hear) sea lions bathing on the rocks. A little bit further down the road is Heceta Beach which is a large open (and dog friendly) beach. There’s a pullout on the side of the road and a path leading down to the beach. We wouldn’t recommend spending a full day there, but it’s a perfect pit stop for a couple of hours.

GOLD BEACH

Now a beach that you could spend a day at, is Gold Beach. This also dog-friendly beach is a perfect place to go for a sunrise, to spend the day at, sunset, or all of the above. Our recommendation though, go for sunset. You won’t regret it.

SAMUEL H BOARDMAN SCENIC CORRIDOR

The last stop on this epic Oregon road trip, is Samuel H Boardman Scenic Corridor. This is located on the very southern part of the Oregon Coast right before you reach the California board. This rugged coastline has some of the best rocky and cliffside views you’ll find along the entire Pacific Coast. Our recommendation is to go to the Natural Bridges Viewpoint. There is a disclaimer though:

Natural Bridge - Samuel H Boardman Scenic Corridor, Oregon Coast — Natural Bridge – Samuel H Boardman Scenic Corridor, Oregon Coast

Disclaimer: You will see photos, videos and even full blog articles online of people standing on the Natural Bridge. DO NOT hike to the Natural Bridge. There are signs posted all over the area asking you not to hike down to the Natural Bridge due to the dangers of falling. Please follow the trails and posted signage. There are areas where you can get incredible views (like the photos we have here) without breaking the rules and putting yourself at risk.

No Entry Signs at Natural Bridge Trail - Samuel H Boardman Scenic Corridor, Oregon Coast — No Entry Signs at Natural Bridge Trail – Samuel H Boardman Scenic Corridor, Oregon Coast

OTHER PLACES TO VISIT & THINGS TO DO IN OREGON

Oregon is a state with A LOT to do and see in it. We would love to provide you with every single possible thing, but we’d probably need to write a book to do so. So we hope that what we’ve outlined above, has given you some inspiration, and some places to add to your bucket list. There are however some places we also didn’t get to visit on our trip, and would love to go back and revisit for. So in the event you have more time than we did, or would like to substitute some of the above places out for something else, here’s a list of some other places to visit and things to do in Oregon:

BEST TIME TO VISIT OREGON

The Three Sisters - Deschutes National Forest, Oregon — The Three Sisters – Deschutes National Forest, Oregon

Oregon is a relatively mild and temperate state, although there are certain places where it can get extremely cold and extremely hot depending on the time of year. That being said, we’ve put together the average temps below to give you an idea of when the best time might be for you to go.

Our recommendation would be to visit in the spring between late April and June, or fall between September and November.

SEASONS

SPRING

Avg Low temps: 42ºF / 6ºC
Avg High temps: 58ºF / 14ºC

SUMMER

Avg Low temps: 64ºF / 18ºC
Avg High temps: 80ºF / 27ºC

FALL

Avg Low temps: 22ºF / -6ºC
Avg High temps: 71ºF / 15ºC

WINTER

Avg Low temps: 28ºF / -2ºC
Avg High temps: 41ºF / 5ºC

HOW MUCH TIME IS NEEDED

How much time you need to plan for in a place, is one of the most important questions to answer when planning a trip. Oregon is a big state, and there’s a lot to do. Luckily, almost everything we’ve outlined above, is on the western side of the state, making it relatively easy to road trip around. Based on our visit and experience, we feel 14-21 days would be an ideal amount, but it would be entirely possible to do in 10-14 days if you didn’t take it slowly like we did.

PLACES TO STAY IN OREGON

Wall Street Suites - Bend, Oregon — Wall Street Suites – Bend, Oregon

Most of the places we mentioned above, have a number of options to choose from when it comes to accommodations. Whether it be a resort, hotel, motel, Airbnb, VRBO or something in between, there are an adequate amount of options. Here are a few of our recommended hotel stays:

Wall Street Suites – Bend
Hyatt House – Downtown Portland
Hyatt Centric – Downtown Portland

If you are someone who is going to be road tripping in a van, camper or RV, there are a number of different Harvest Host locations throughout the state. Below are a few of our recommended spots, but we’ve made note of the ones we stayed at in our map at the top of this page as well.

Red Oak Alpaca Farm – La Pine
Columbia River Gorge Discovery Center & Museum – The Dalles
Blue Heron French Cheese Co – Tillamook