Top Things to do in Oregon
Top Hotels in Oregon
- 1. The Hotel Zags Portland
- 2. The Benson Portland, Curio Collection by Hilton
- 3. Inn at Cannon Beach
- 4. Hallmark Resort
- 5. Royal Sonesta Portland Downtown
- 6. Radisson Hotel Portland Airport
- 7. The Porter Portland, Curio Collection By Hilton
- 8. Bandon Inn
- 9. The Whaler
- 10. Best Western Plus Hood River Inn
Things to do in Oregon, United States: The Best Outdoor Activities
Discover the best top things to do in Oregon, United States including Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway, Mount Hood, Haystack Rock, Oregon Coast Highway 101, Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, Washington Park, Natural Bridge Loop, Cannon Beach, Mt. Bachelor Ski Area.
Restaurants in Oregon
1. Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 105 reviews
This route meanders past cascading waterfalls, parks and hiking trails while offering expansive views of the Gorge.
Reviewed By MandC0218 - Riverside, United States
Easy to drive while enjoying the scenic views of spectacular rivers, mountains, and waterfalls. This narrow and scenic drive is the beautiful highway above and parallel to the main highway that is next to Columbia River. Many scenic stops and lookout points along the way. Highly recommended.
2. Mount Hood
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 634 reviews
The tallest mountain in Oregon.
Reviewed By MarilynM1457
My birth place and such a beautiful drive any time of the year with lots of scenery, places to stop and taste the wonderful fruit and goodies along the way. Fruit Loop is a joy to go on. All the way from Hood River to Odell, to Parkdale, Dee and back to Hood River and seeing the majestic beauty of The Hood just about wherever you drive. Takes my breath away every time I see it.
3. Haystack Rock
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3,201 reviews
Haystack Rock is a unique 235 feet monolith that attracts wildlife and tourists alike and is part of the Oregon Coast’s geological history, formed millions of year ago by lava flows that created many of the dramatic capes and headlands along the coast. Haystack Rock is protected under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a seabird nesting colony and it is part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and is a State protected Marine Garden. The Rock is home to nesting seabirds in the summer and marine invertebrates all year. Tidepool seekers are beckoned by its wonders every day. The Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) is a stewardship and environmental educational program whose mission is to protect, through education, the intertidal and bird ecology of the Marine Garden and Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge at Haystack Rock. HRAP offers an extensive interpretive program on the beach during the spring and summer months around low tide.
Reviewed By CreateCourageAdvent - Salem, United States
Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach is a huge Oregon Coast attraction. At 235 feet tall, this basalt beauty is one of the best-known symbols of the Oregon Coast in general and an image you see on every Oregon Coast Travel Blog out there (including this one!) At low tide you can explore vast tidepools and walk all the way to the rock itself. Tufted Puffins, Bald Eagles, Brown Pelicans, Common Murres, and many other birds are abundantly present on and around Haystack Rock depending on the season making this location a Pacific Northwest birdwatchers dream come true.
4. Oregon Coast Highway 101
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 210 reviews
Scenic driving route along Oregon's Pacific coast and through the mountains.
Reviewed By embay - Texas, United States
This outfit runs a great trip out of Portland to the coast. We enjoyed a picturesque drive in a luxury van through pastures, valleys, to Ecola Park, along hwy 101 to Cannon Beach and beyond. Our guide was informative, energetic, and provided several stops to look at ocean views and beach strolls. A full day of fun, food, snacks, and 8 friendly passengers learning and enjoying this amazing area of the Northwest United States.
5. Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,161 reviews
Reviewed By YvonneP1979
My family and I are lucky enough to call this area home! Cape Perpetua is a regular stop for family or solo day trips. This area is majestic to say the least and there is so much to explore in just a few miles. Go to the top and view the most Amazing view from the historic look out or hike down to a giant spruce tree through a magical forest, check out the Spouting Horn on high tide or venture down to Thors Well on a low tide (high tide can be very dangerous to get close)! Walk along the trails and stand in awe of the Native American shell Middens leftover from hundreds of years of gathering from the ocean!
6. Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 237 reviews
Reviewed By TomBrody - Berkeley, United States
BOARDMAN CORRIDOR is located about 6 miles north of Harris Beach and about 10 miles south of Gold Beach. Harris Beach seems to be the starfish capital of the world, and the tourist will find plenty of photo-opportunities to pose near a pink-colored starfish. Gold Beach is a charming seaside community, where (depending on the restaurant) you can find excellent clam chowder and excellent oyster chowder and where, if you are lucky, you can see whales from your motel room balcony. The Boardman Corridor is free of any commercialization and, in this way, it is like the equally legendary and scenic segment of Route 1 that takes you through Salt Point State Park in northern California. Secret Beach is announced by a tiny sign located near a dirt turnout by Route 1. Secret Beach is abundantly photogenic, and the visitor might be under the impression that he or she has been magically converted into a dab of ink, and reincarnated as a component of a picture postcard. Yes, Secret Beach has picture postcard written all over it. A narrow trail takes you from the dirt turnout, past a few scenic spots, and ultimately to the beach itself. The entire trail can be walked in about 20 minutes. Children should be kept at close hand, because there are some spots along the trail where they might be tempted to go out and explore on their own, and by accident tumble down a steep embankment. Also, visitors need to be very aware of whether the tide is rising, since being trapped between the rising tide and a cliff would be a real bummer. Actually, I would prefer to let my photographs (attached) do all of the talking. Photogenic features of Secret Beach include clusters of mussels attached to boulders, many seastacks both near and far, and sea arches.
7. Washington Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,532 reviews
This popular park offers miles of trails, an extensive rose garden, a large Japanese garden and a zoo. For information on free shuttles, attraction admission hours and pricing within the park, and maps, visit our website.
Reviewed By PaulPapich - San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
My wife and I live immediately adjacent to Washington Park in Southwest Portland. In fact, being close to the Park was one of the major reasons we selected the property we bought. We visit it every week without fail. To start with, Washington Park is immense and gorgeous! It is home to the International Rose Test Garden, Japanese Garden, Holocaust Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, the city's zoo, arboretum and forestry museum, archery range, tennis courts, walking trails, and much, much more. It would be a world-class destination if it only had the Rose and Japanese Gardens, which are extraordinarily beautiful. But perhaps the greatest draw for me personally are the trees - my ancient, stately friends, covering the hilly terrain, providing shade to walkers like me, and peace to anyone seeking a haven in today's chaotic world.
8. Natural Bridge Loop
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 142 reviews
A two-mile hiking path along the Rogue River in Southern Oregon.
Reviewed By csarchibald - San Marcos, United States
A short hike from the parking lot takes you to view an incredible natural phenomenon, where the Rogue River drops into a Lava Tube and pops up about 20 yards down stream. This creates an area where you someone could walk across a "Natural Bridge" (actually fenced off so you can't actually walk on it).
9. Cannon Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,470 reviews
Reviewed By AeneasAtSea - Salt Lake City, United States
Cannon Beach is perhaps the most popular beach along the northern Oregon coast, because if its direct and easy access from Portland. And since it's fronted by numerous vacation hotels, condos, etc., it's also one of the most crowded. But if you're not looking for solitude (if you are, drive south a few miles to Arcadia or another nearby beach), the people can be a fun added ingredient. By its famous landmark haystack rock there are tide pools at low tide and puffins to see, so it's a fun beach for kids. And it stretches north and south for quite a ways, so you can walk in the sand and surf to your heart's content. There are several public restrooms at key beach access and parking lot points. Expect to spend a while searching for parking, so plan accordingly. Hemlock Street is the main drag, a block east of the beach, with lots of fun restaurants, stores, galleries, candy venues, a glass blowing studio/store, etc., so it's as much fun as the beach itself. Remember that the coast is typically about 20 degrees cooler than inland, so bring a hoodie or light jacket even on hot days.
10. Mt. Bachelor Ski Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 668 reviews
Offers twelve ski trails and ski clinics to help novice to advanced skiers.
Reviewed By 617JamesM617 - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Our trip to Mt Bachelor was in late April 2021. My wife and I purchased the late-season pass, which was the best value we have ever found in over 40 years of skiing together. We had a great trip and we think that Mt Bachelor is probably about as good as it gets for a trip at this time of year. I If you are considering a trip to Mt Bachelor, you need to understand that this is not a typical destination ski resort. There is no lodging on or near the mountain. Most people who come from outside the area stay in Bend, Oregon, which is about 1/2 hour from the ski area. We did not find this to be a problem. We flew into Portland Oregon and rented a car and drove to Bend, where we stayed. The daily drive to the ski area was very pleasant. It is along a very scenic route. The road was bare and dry during our stay. The first thing you should do when planning a trip to Mt Bachelor is reserve your parking (easily done from Mt Bachelor's web site). Do not buy a resort pass, plane tickets or reserve a room until you have reserved parking. It is clear from other reviews that parking can be a major problem during the high season. However, during our trip, parking was no problem at all and we were always able to park within a 1-2 minute walk to the lifts. We skied from April 19-23, 2021. The first three days were wonderful, blue-sky days. The temperatures during the day were above freezing and we had great corn snow skiing, particularly on the side of the mountain with the most direct sun exposure. The third day was also a warm blue-sky day but it was a little windy. As a result, for much of the morning, they were only running two of the high speed chairs, the Sunrise lift near the parking lot and the Northwest lift, accessible only by hiking a considerable distance. We decided to stick with the Sunrise lift. It only has an 800-foot vertical rise. They slowed down the chair because of the wind. Also, because of the pandemic, most of the chairs were only loading two people. As a result, there was about a 10 minute line for most of the morning. A lot of people quit skiing because of this. Later in the day, however, they were able to open most of the other lifts. The afternoon was absolutely epic, with the best corn-snow skiing we have ever experienced. The final day was partly cloudy and colder and the runs were pretty icy, so we quit after only a few runs and went back to Bend. It was by no means a lost day, however. We used this opportunity to have lunch at one of the micro-breweries in Bend, and we also went on a nice hike along the Deschutes River. Despite the poor skiing conditions, we still had a great day. The vast majority of the mountain immediately accessible by the lifts consists of easy blue runs, and a few green runs. Most of the black runs below the summit chair are accessed from the Northwest chair lift. The resort does accurately state that there are runs off of 360 degrees of the summit (accessed by the Summit chair). Most of the black or double-black runs off of the summit are not groomed or regularly patrolled, so we did not ski any of these runs. There are several really nice blue runs off of the summit that are groomed. We usually skied these runs in the afternoon when the snow was softer. It was really fun to ski well-above the tree line on a dormant volcano! Everyone who worked on the mountain was very helpful and courteous. Also, they are taking all of the appropriate measures to protect their staff and guests during the pandemic, such as loading only families or groups traveling together on their quad chairs. To maximize your enjoyment on a ski trip to Mt Bachelor in the spring, you need to have realistic expectations and be flexible. Understand that you may be mostly skiing blue and green runs. Recognize that resort operations may be limited as a result of conditions, such as wind. Plan ahead for the possibility that some of your skiing days may not happen as planned. There are other activities in and around Bend to consider, such as hiking or fly fishing on the Deschutes or just walking around the charming downtown area and checking out their many fine restaurants. Our trip was not perfect, but it was still great fun, even on the day when we quit early due to icy conditions on the mountain. In the future, Mt Bachelor will be at or near the top of our list for a mid to late spring skiing vacation.
