Road trips to make you fall in love with Oregon again
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There are worse places to spend a day or three than the Wallowa Mountains. Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
Sometimes it can be easy to forget how much natural beauty Oregon has to offer, so we pulled together our favorite in-state road trips to remind you why you live here.
Cape Perpetua
The highest viewpoint accessible by car on the Oregon coast, Cape Perpetua rises some 800 feet over the crashing waves of the Pacific just south of Yachats.
- While you're in the neighborhood, stop by Thor's Well — aka "the drainpipe of the pacific" — or grab a nice meal at Ona.
The Wallowa Mountains
Sometimes called the "Swiss Alps of Oregon," the Wallowa Mountains offer an isolated alternative to the Cascades.
- Home to the 360,000-acre Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa Lake (complete with tram) and alpine meadows that pop with wildflowers, this pocket of northeast Oregon is worth the trip.
Painted Hills
Distinguished by their stark stripes of red, yellow, orange and black, the Painted Hills give a glimpse into ancient times unlike anywhere else in Oregon, with some fossils dating back up to 30 million years.
The Alvord Desert
Deep in the southeast corner of the state lies the Alvord Desert, framed by the 9,000-foot peak of Steen Mountain and dotted with hot springs.
- Getting there is no easy feat, but once you arrive, you'll have the kind of solitude that is hard to find these days.