Welcome to Oregon

Oregon is a land of contrasts. This is where fossil-packed deserts collide with raw coastline, where microbreweries serve beer alongside chic wineries, and where pioneer and indigenous history run deep. Locals are just as diverse, but they share one thing in common: the love for their state. You’re sure to feel the same way after exploring the Beaver State’s trendy cites, dramatic landscapes and mysterious ghost towns.

State Flower: Oregon Grape. Getty Images

City Slicking

Hip Portland has a robust population of aspiring artists, cutting-edge musicians and eccentric characters. The locals are known for bringing their unconventional approach to cuisine, which has given birth to a delicious and diverse food scene. Get ready to have your taste buds blown away at artisanal food shops, farm-to-table restaurants and more than 75 craft breweries. You can also sample mouthwatering culinary creations on North Park Blocks (formerly on Alder Street), the new home to the city’s most extensive collection of food trucks.

Sleeper Cities

Salem satisfies your history and culture craving with the Oregon State Capitol, the Hallie Ford Museum of Art and the Elsinore Theatre. In Eugene, catch a glimpse of future track and field stars at the newly renovated Hayward Field (set to open in 2020), and sip award-winning pinot noir at nearby wineries in the Willamette Valley.

Natural Gems of the Pacific Northwest

Crater Lake National Park sits within the Cascade Mountains in southern Oregon and is America’s deepest lake, plummeting 1,949 feet. Follow the trails around the banks to explore old-growth forests and ascend the nearby slopes to get a bird’s-eye view of the water. During winter, the best way to experience the frozen landscape is by skiing or snowshoeing along the 31-mile, three-day loop around the rim.

Native History

Native Americans called this area home long before the Oregon Trail was traversed. Gain insight into indigenous history at Pendleton’s Tamastslikt Cultural Institute or discover countless artifacts and cultural demonstrations at the Museum at Warm Springs.

Hit the Ground Running

Oregon trails give you easy access to some of the Pacific Northwest’s greatest treasures. Most famously trudged is the 382-mile Oregon Coast Trail, which weaves through Sahara-like dunes, old-growth forests and the famed Cannon Beach. The Trail of Ten Falls loop hike in Silver Falls State Park takes hikers to several cascading waterfalls, while the trek to the Gold Butte Lookout in the Willamette National Forest ends with 360-degree views of the Cascade Range. If you’d rather pedal past volcanic foothills and alpine lakes, head to Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood National Forest for miles upon miles of mountain biking trails.

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