Find out where all the best things to see in Oregon are! Oregon isn’t short of stunning sites. From snow-capped volcanoes to expensive deserts and lush forests lining a rugged coastline, The Beaver State is among the most diverse areas in the United States.
I’ve lived in Oregon for a long time now, but for some reason or another, I have never put together a list of the best places to see in Oregon. I finally sat down and put one together. Here are the best of the best in no particular order.
Crater Lake
Table of Contents
26 Amazing Thing To See in Oregon
The first three things on this list can all be seen on my Southern Oregon Road Trip Itinerary! This itinerary also includes the waterfall trail.
Crater Lake
Crater Lake National Park is in the Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon. It’s known for its namesake Crater Lake, formed by the now-collapsed volcano, Mount Mazama. Wizard Island is a cinder cone near the western edge of the lake. The Rim Drive, a road surrounding the lake, offers views of the park’s volcanic formations. The park’s numerous trails include Sun Notch, with views of the Phantom Ship, a small island.
Oregon Caves
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is a protected area in the northern Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon in the United States. The 4,554-acre park, including the marble cave, is 20 miles east of Cave Junction, on Oregon Route 46.
Out’n’About Treehouse Treesort
Out’n’About Treehouse Treesort
Set on 36 acres of countryside next to Siskiyou National Forest, this imaginative treehouse resort is 11.4 miles from Cave Junction and 26.8 miles from the Oregon Caves National Monument. Learn more.
Painted Hills – Photo from http://essentialexplorers.com
Painted Hills
The Painted Hills in eastern Oregon near the small town of Mitchell, is one of the three units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, located in Wheeler County, Oregon. It totals 3,132 acres and is located 9 miles northwest of Mitchell, Oregon.
The Painted Hills are a collection of hills that were created from a series of volcanic ash eruptions that formed approximately 32 million years ago. What makes them so special is fact that they’re colored in different tones of red, tan, orange, gold, and black that change during the year depending on the light levels.
Unlike most depictions of Oregon, this part of the state is a high dry desert, a sight you wouldn’t exactly expect to find here! The area is surrounded by hiking trails and other natural wonders like the Sheep Rock Unit, which will give you an insight into the area’s history through fossilized rocks.
Not far from the Painted Hills is a phenomenal working ranch that you can visit: Silvies Valley Ranch: A Luxury Dude Ranch in Eastern Oregon
Multnomah Falls covered in snow and ice
Multnomah Falls
Multnomah Falls is a waterfall located in the Scenic Columbia River Gorge area, east of Troutdale, between Corbett and Dodson, Oregon, United States. The 611-foot-tall waterfall is accessible from the Historic Columbia River Highway and Interstate 84. Consider having dessert at the lodge, they have excellent desserts.
Japanese Garden in Portland
Portland Japanese Garden
Located in downtown Portland, Oregon. The Portland Japanese Garden is a traditional Japanese garden occupying 9.1 acres, located within Washington Park.
Lava Tubes
The Oregon Garden
Silver Falls State Park
Ecola State Park https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OregonCoastEcola.jpg
Ecola State Park
This state park is located just north of Cannon Beach. Ecola State Park stretches along 9 miles of coastline. I consider this to be the most beautiful beach in Oregon.
Smith Rock State Park
Smith Rock State Park
Smith Rock State Park is an American state park located in central Oregon’s High Desert near the communities of Redmond and Terrebonne. Its sheer cliffs of tuff and basalt are ideal for rock climbing of all difficulty levels.
Sand Dunes
Whitewater rafting the Big Eddy near Bend, Oregon.
White water rafting on the Deschutes River
There are lots of places along the Deschutes to raft. We went Whitewater Rafting with Sun Country Tours
Willamette Valley Wine Country
Lighthouses in Newport
Portland International Test Rose Garden
International Test Rose Garden
The International Rose Test Garden is a rose garden in Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, United States. There are over 10,000 rose bushes of approximately 650 varieties. This is a free attraction.
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Formerly known as the Portland Classical Chinese Garden and titled the Garden of Awakening Orchids, is a walled Chinese garden enclosing a full city block, roughly 40,000 square feet. 239 NW Everett St, Portland, OR 97209
Hoyt Arboretum
Hoyt Arboretum is Portland’s museum of living trees where we grow and exhibit trees and plants from around the world while educating our community and conserving vitally important plant biodiversity. The arboretum is open free to the public and encompasses 189 ridge-top acres in Washington Park that are accessible by 12 miles of trails. Our collection nurtures 6,000 specimens from around the world, including over 2,000 species, 63 of which are vulnerable or endangered.
Jerry’s Rogue River Jet Boats
Go on a 104-Mile Wilderness Whitewater will travel into the ‘Wild’ section, an area only accessible by jet boating, rafting, and hiking. Jerry’s is the only commercial jet boat trip allowed to operate in this remote twelve-mile section.
Timberline Lodge
Timberline Lodge
Timberline Lodge is a mountain lodge on the south side of Mount Hood. Constructed from 1936 to 1938 by the Works Progress Administration, it was built and furnished by local artisans during the Great Depression.
Wind Surfing and Kite Surfing in Hood River – Hood River is the windsurfing capital of the world. People come from all of the world to windsurf and kitesurf here. It’s fun to watch.
8 Kid-Friendly Wineries in Hood River
McMenamins
McMenamins is a family-owned chain of brewpubs, breweries, music venues, historic hotels, and theater pubs in the Pacific Northwest.
Sahalie Falls
Powell Books
John Day Fossil Beds
Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway
Known for its magical landscapes, choosing where to go in Oregon isn’t exactly an easy task because there is just so much to see and do here! If you’re currently planning a trip to Oregon and wondering where to go, this list of 26 of the best destinations in the state you absolutely have to visit in order to get a pretty good picture of how diverse it actually is!
Do you see your favorite attraction on our list? Why is it your favorite? If you do not see your favorite attraction tell us what your favorite is!
Get Travel Insurance
Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that can go wrong on any trip. Be prepared for the worst with travel insurance. We use Travelex.
Book Flights
I use Skyscanner to find flights. I use it so much, I wrote an entire guide to finding cheap flights with Skyscanner! Momondo is also a great site for finding cheap flights.
Book a Place to Stay
I recommend using Expedia.com or Hotels.com for most hotel bookings. I prefer to book directly with Marriott when I stay there because of their excellent military discount.
If you prefer staying in a vacation rental instead, I recommend VRBO.
Choose Activities and Tours
To find great activities in any area I use Get Your Guide and Viator. If we are visiting a city with lots of popular attractions I always check CityPass and GoCard to see if they have discount cards available.
When I want to book a full-on multi-day tour I use TourRadar. They’ve got fantastic weekly deals.
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