#36 best destination in the world

Cleetwood Cove Trail, Crater Lake National Park

Best time to travel: June-early Oct
Walk difficulty: Moderate
Ease of travel: Hard
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Established in 1902, Crater Lake is the fifth-oldest national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon
  • The park encompasses the caldera of Crater Lake, a remnant of Mount Mazama, a destroyed volcano, and the surrounding hills and forests
  • The lake is 1,949 feet deep at its deepest point, which makes it the deepest lake in the United States, the second-deepest in North America and the ninth-deepest in the world
  • The impressive average depth of this volcanic lake is due to the nearly symmetrical 4,000-foot-deep caldera formed 7,700 years ago during the violent climactic eruptions and subsequent collapse of Mount Mazama and the relatively moist climate that is typical of the crest of the Cascade Range
  • The lake’s water commonly has a striking blue hue, and the lake is refilled entirely from direct precipitation in the form of snow and rain

Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach

Best time to travel: late July-early Sept
Walk difficulty: Easy
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$

  • Sea stack in Cannon Beach, and the third-tallest such intertidal structure in the world
  • The monolithic rock is adjacent to the beach and accessible by foot at low tide
  • The Haystack Rock tide pools are home to many intertidal animals, including starfish, sea anemone, crabs, chitons, limpets, and sea slugs
  • The rock is also a nesting site for many sea birds, including terns and puffins

Portland Art Museum

Best time to travel: June-Aug
Ease of travel: Easy
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Museum in Portland, founded in 1892, making it one of the oldest art museums on the West Coast and seventh oldest in the US
  • Upon completion of the most recent renovations, the Portland Art Museum became one of the 25 largest art museums in the US
  • The permanent collection has more than 42,000 works of art
  • Features of the museum include a center for Native American art, a center for Northwest art, a center for modern and contemporary art, permanent exhibitions of Asian art, and an outdoor public sculpture garden

Coquille River Light, Bandon

Best time to travel: early July-early Sept
Walk difficulty: Easy
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Lighthouse located near Bandon, and is part of Bullards Beach State Park
  • Coquille River Light was commissioned in 1895, and the light guided mariners past the dangerous shifting sandbars into the Coquille River and harbor at Bandon
  • In 1936, a large wildfire swept through the surrounding area, and destroyed most of Bandon
  • The town soon became bankrupt as a result of the decline in shipping
  • Coquille Light was shut down in 1939 and replaced by an automated light on the south jetty

Thor’s Well, Cape Perpetua

Best time to travel: early July-early Sept
Walk difficulty: Easy
Ease of travel: Easy
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Thor’s Well is a salt water fountain driven by the power of the ocean tide
  • It is best seen approximately an hour before high tide to an hour after high tide
  • How spectacular the sights are is a function of the height of the high tide and the direction and size of the swells

Tamanawas Falls Trail, Mount Hood National Forest

Best time to travel: late July-Aug
Walk difficulty: Moderate
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$

  • National Forest named after Mount Hood, a stratovolcano and the highest mountain in the state
  • Common recreational activities in the Mount Hood National Forest include fishing, boating, hiking, hunting, rafting, horseback riding, skiing, mountain biking, berry-picking, and mushroom collecting
  • A portion of the Pacific Crest Trail passes through the National Forest on the flanks of the mountain

Multnomah Falls Trail, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Best time to travel: April-June
Walk difficulty: Moderate
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Waterfall located in the Columbia River Gorge, spanning two tiers on basalt cliffs
  • It is the tallest waterfall in the state of Oregon at 620 ft in height
  • The Multnomah Creek Bridge, built in 1914, crosses below the falls
  • There is a switchback trail, 100 feet above the falls, that leads to an observation deck that overlooks the falls’ edge
  • The falls is the most-visited natural recreation site in the U.S. Pacific Northwest