Portland is blessed with a pretty prime geographic location – drive 2 hours in any direction and you might find yourself in the coast, on the snow-capped stratovolcano, in the heart of wine country, at a rock climbing crag, soaking in a hot spring or even closing in on other major cities like Seattle, Washington. If you're itching for a change of scenery, Portland includes a insightful day trip-worthy destinations in arm's reach. We narrowed it down to sixteen of the greatest, after some something for everybody from foodies to families to outdoor enthusiasts to oenophiles.
1. Waterfall Alley, Columbia River Gorge
Steep, evergreen-covered cliffs are striated because of so many high, lush waterfalls that it boggles the mind. Enter this temperate rainforest and you will find golden-red foliage in fall, snow sprinkles in the winter months, wildflowers in spring and flourishing mosses year-round. The lower edge is covered with the mighty, curving Columbia River. Adventures in Columbia River Gorge range from easy jaunts from the parking area to full days exploring the wilds.
How to get at the Gorge: I-84 East runs the size of the Gorge, and you may easily exit to prevent in numerous small towns and trail head parking lots on the way. Traffic can get backed up, though, so give yourself plenty of time. Alternately, you can get to the Gorge by public transit for public transit or light rail towards the Gateway/NE 99th Avenue Transit Center and transfer to the Columbia Gorge Express.
2. Willamette Valley Wine Country
The New World's answer to Burgundy, the bucolic Willamette Valley excels at producing complex pinot noirs. Small towns chock-full of gourmet restaurants and cute shops are separated by rolling hills covered in grapevines and flowers. Most wineries are family-owned and you're more prone to be met with a happy dog than an attitude. Beyond wine, take a look at distilleries, cheese factories, bike trails and more.
How to get at the Willamette Valley: Towns like Dundee at the north end of the Willamette Valley are only 40 minutes or so from downtown Portland, however the Willamette Valley extends for around a hundred miles to Eugene in the far southern end.
3. Sauvie Island
With pick-your-own fruit farms in summer, corn mazes and hay rides come autumn, and beaches, trails and waterways to explore year-round, Sauvie Island is a straightforward visit to pastoral bliss. Plus, it's as fun for kids as it is for adults. As the largest island in Columbia River, any land not dedicated to farming is a protected wildlife area. Anticipate seeing ospreys, herons, bald eagles and maybe even a beaver.
How to get to Sauvie Island: Sauvie Island is just 40min from Portland by car and could be reached by US-30 East, I-5 South, or US-26 East. There will be lots of parking at the farms and other destinations, in addition to at the public beaches – be sure that you get there early if it's a sunny summer day.
4. Silver Falls State Park
Silver Falls is quite possibly the most stunning park within the state. The 7.2-mile, not-to-miss Trail of Ten Falls does what it really says and much more because it winds up a basalt canyon through thick forests. Walk the full loop to determine all of the waterfalls – and even walk behind several – in their fern-draped, wildflowered splendor, or park at the Silver Falls Lodge from where it is a short walk right down to South Falls – here the trail leads underneath an unforgettable 177ft cascade curtain.
How to get at Silver Falls State Park: Silver Falls State Park is all about 26 miles east of Salem on Hwy 214 and 53 miles south of Portland via OR-214 N and I-5 N. It should only take an hour to reach from downtown, based on traffic.
5. Cannon Beach
The Oregon Coast holds some of the most beautifully grand but lesser-known beaches in the contiguous USA. Cannon Beach is the perfect, easy-to-reach introduction to the location, with miles of pristine, waterfalls tumbling towards the beach and also the hulking, 72m Haystack Rock which makes for any picture-perfect silhouette. In town, you will find art galleries, chic boutiques and incredible dining (hint: try the chowder).
How to get to Cannon Beach: Take US-26 East until it junctions with US 101 – a visit that should be only 1hr 30min by car.
6. Timberline Lodge
Stay, dine, hike, ski or gawk – this iconic Oregon lodge is really a destination by itself or a must-stop if you are exploring Mt Hood. The grand structure was built of local stone and timber to combine in with the nearby forest and the six-sided central tower is supposed to mimic the pyramid-like peak of their glorious mountain location. Timberline Lodge is a National Historic Landmark in addition to a hotel, an excellent restaurant, a pub, a ski resort and a trailhead for adventurous hiking. You may recognize the exterior from the 1980s horror film, The Shining.
How to get at Timberline Lodge: Mount Hood is just an hour or so . 5 from Portland by US-26 East. Alternately, you are able to take riding on the bus to the Gresham Transit Center and transfer to the Sandy Local / Gresham Express to Sandy, Oregon. After that you transfer the Mount Hood Express before getting off in Timberline, but it will extend your trip to about three hours.
7. Johnston Ridge Observatory, Mt St Helens
Gaze into the awesome crater of Mt St Helens from the state-of-the-art Johnston Ridge Observatory. Whether here's your destination or you're get yourself ready for a longer hike with the National Volcanic Monument, you'll learn the science behind the 1500 atomic bomb-force eruption in 1980. Then go ahead and take 1-mile Eruption Trail walking loop for even more views, with explanations, from the volcanic destruction.
How to get at Johnston Ridge Observatory: Take I-5 N to WA-504 E/Mt St Helens Way NE in Castle Rock. The drive is about two hours long.
8. Smith Rock
Best noted for its glorious rock climbing, Smith Rock State Park boasts rust-colored 800ft cliffs that tower within the pretty Crooked River. Nonclimbers have several miles of fine trails, most of which involve just a little simple rock scrambling. Nearby Terrebonne includes a climbing store, along with some restaurants and supermarkets. The formations around the block are merely spectacular.
How to get to Smith Rock: It's a 3 hour drive to Smith Rock from Portland via US-26 East. Make sure to make it happen early – Smith Rock quickly fills up on a sunny day. There's camping right next to the park, or at Skull Hollow (no water; campsites $5), 8 miles east. The nearest motels are a few miles south in Redmond.
9. The Fruit Loop
Covering 35 miles along scenic fertile lands, the Hood River County Fruit Loop takes you by family fruit stands, U-pick orchards, lavender fields, alpaca farms and winery tasting rooms. You will find blossoms in spring, berries in summer, and apples and pears in fall – with plenty of festivals and celebrations through the seasons (except for winter). It's a good way to sample the area's agricultural bounties while appreciating the neighborhood scenery too. For more information and a listing of events, check www.hoodriverfruitloop.com.
How to get to the Fruit Loop: State Highway 35 runs from Government Camp around the slopes of Mount Hood and also the city of Hood River in the Columbia River Gorge. It's along this stretch that most of the farms and other destinations around the Fruit Loop are located. You can take either US-26 East or I-84 to achieve one end from the Loop or another, based on whether you'd like to drive it clockwise or counterclockwise.
10. Eugene, Oregon
Eugene provides a great art scene, exceptionally fine restaurants, buzzy breweries, boisterous festivals, miles of riverside paths and several lovely parks. Its location in the confluence of the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers, just west of the Cascades, means there's lots of activities available – especially around the McKenzie River region, the 3 Sisters Wilderness and Willamette Pass. Not only that, Eugene's in the southern end of the Willamette Valley, which boasts several world-class wineries.
How to get to Eugene: It's about a two hour drive on I-5 South from Portland to Eugene. Should you don't mind the potential for delays, or wish to extend your daytrip right into a weekend away, you can also take Amtrak's Coast Starlight or Cascades lines from Portland's Union Station to Eugene, an outing of approximately 2 hours and Half an hour if you don't need to wait on a freight train to pass.
11. Tillamook
Best noted for its huge cheese industry, Tillamook is really a fun destination for a excursion if you're planning to down some dairy. Cheese production began in Tillamook within the 1890s, when an English cheesemaker brought his cheddar-making techniques to the fledgling dairies along Tillamook Bay. Nearly millions of people stop here annually to visit the famed Tillamook Creamery, which produces 171,000 pounds of cheese every day. South of Tillamook, US 101 loses the beaches and headlands and follows the Nestucca River through pastureland and logged-off mountains. The slower but prettier Three Capes Scenic Drive begins in Tillamook and follows the coast.
How to get to Tillamook: US-26 West and OR-6 West will get you to Tillamook within an hour and a half. Alternately, you are able to go ahead and take 5 bus from Union and disembark at the Tillamook Transit Center, but that will give a 30 minutes or so to the trip.
12. Bend, Oregon
Not all Bend is really as pretty as nearby Smith Rock – Hight 97 (3rd St) is a long commercial strip of cheap motels, fast-food restaurants and run-of-the-mill services. But something has to support Bend's fast-growing population, that has skyrocketed with outdoor-lovers over the past decade approximately. You are able to ski fine powder in the morning, paddle a kayak in the afternoon and grab a beer in the evening at a crop of local watering holes. Or can you rather go biking, hiking, mountaineering, stand-up paddle boarding, fly-fishing or mountain climbing? All those are possible in the nearby Three Sisters Wilderness, Lava River Cave and Newberry National Volcanic Monument. You may also surf a river wave in the center of town. It's the perfect getaway from cloudy Portland, too, with nearly 300 days of sunshine each year.
How to get at Bend: US-26 East will get you to Bend from Portland in only over three hours, though traffic can sometimes tangle up in which you go through Smith Rock State Park. You can also take I-5 South to Salem and take OR-22 East over the Cascades to Bend – a drive of about 3 . 5 hours.
13. Bagby Hotsprings
A 90-mile drive east of Salem is that this rustic, clothing-optional hot spring with assorted wooden tubs in semi-private bathhouses. Bagby Hot Springs is obtainable via a lovely 1.5-mile hiking trail through lush forest. Be prepared to wait your turn on weekends. The admission fee is collected by an attendant near the trailhead.
How to get to Bagby Hotsprings: There's a couple different routes you are able to take south from Portland that all converge around Shady Dell. Whichever you are taking, you'll ultimately wind up driving 11 miles on forest service road NF-7010 before you reach the trailhead parking lot. From there it's a Half hour hike towards the springs.
14. Trillium Lake
If there's one thing Portlanders love, it's going to Trillium Lake during the day. This popular spot offers stunning vistas of Mt. Hood reflected in the lake's shimmering waters, a pleasant campground, and boardwalk hikes surrounded by wildflowers in season. During the spring and summer, there are opportunities for boating, swimming and fishing, too. The 63-acre lake sits at an elevation of 3,600 feet, though, so by the middle of autumn the access road is closed by the park service, and instead transforms into a cross country ski and snowshoe trail for that winter. A State of Oregon Sno-Park permit is needed November 1 through April 30.
How to get at Trillium Lake: US-26 East will get you to Trillium Lake in about an hour or so . 5. When you reach Government Camp, you'll use forest service road NF-2656 to achieve the campground.
15. Astoria
Named after America's first millionaire, John Jacob Astor, Astoria sits at the 5-mile-wide mouth from the Columbia River and was the first US settlement west from the Mississippi. The town includes a long seafaring background and has witnessed its old harbor, once the place to find poor artists and writers, attract fancy hotels and restaurants in recent years. Inland are many historical houses, including lovingly restored Victorians – several changed into romantic B&Bs. With a quantity of quirky festivals such as the Fisher Poets Gathering and also the Festival from the Dark Arts beer showcase, Astoria has plenty to keep day trippers coming back throughout the year.
How to get to Astoria: It requires just below two hours to get to Astoria from Portland on US-26 West. Alternately, you can take public transit to Union and transfer towards the CC bus to Astoria before getting off at the East Columbia River Highway stop. It requires just under three hours by bus from Portland.
16. Seattle
Just three hours away from Portland, its bigger, sleeker sibling sits on Puget Sound. Seattle's current reputation as the town that spawned Amazon and Starbucks won't give you the full picture of the city's oddball cultural heritage. Crisscross its urban grid and you will find all kinds of apparitions: a rocket protruding of a building; a museum created to resemble a smashed-up electric guitar; glass orbs in wooden canoes; a statue of Lenin; a mural made from used chewing gum; fish-tossing market traders; along with a museum focused on antique pinball machines (that you could still play). Need help acclimating? The city's still-booming legal weed market will help you embrace your personal weird side.
How to get at Seattle: It's under three hours to Seattle from Portland on I-5 North. You can also go ahead and take Bolt bus, which departs regularly from the Park Blocks in downtown Portland. Another option is to go ahead and take Amtrak Coast Starlight or Cascade train from Portland's Union Station directly into Seattle. The later two options will take anywhere from three and a half to four and a half hours, not counting possible delays.
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