Our 7 Day Oregon Road Trip Itinerary

Part of our heart with forever belong to the state of Oregon. Oregon is by far one of the perfect places to road trip. It is home to some of the most amazing mountains, hot springs, lakes, coastline, and waterfalls in the United States.

To help you explore this incredible state, we have put together a comprehensive 7 day Oregon road trip itinerary that includes must see places and camping tips!

Things to Know before you go!

Best Time to Visit Oregon: Summer and Early Fall is the best time to visit Oregon and is considered peak season. Spring, late Fall and Winter may hinder your ability to visit some areas due to snow!

Let’s get started!

Need accommodation ideas for your PNW Road Trip? Check out our blog post on the most amazing Airbnbs in the Pacific North West!

Our 7 Day Oregon Road Trip Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrive in Portland/ Cannon Beach/ South Beach State Park
• Day 2: Bandon Beach/ Samuel H Boardman Scenic Corridor/ Brookings
• Day 3: Crater Lake/ Toketee Falls
• Day 4: Umpqua Hot Springs/ Bend
• Day 5: Abiqua Falls/ Silver Falls State Park
• Day 6: Trillium Lake/ Mount Hood/ Lavender Field
• Day 7: Lost Lake/ Rowena Crest Viewpoint/ Multnomah Falls/ Portland

Oregon Road Trip Day 1

First Stop: Cannon Beach.

Cannon Beach is 90 minutes North West of Portland on the Coast of Oregon. This beach is famous for the Haystack Rock formation. The little town is filled with tons of quaint shops and family owned restaurants to explore! This is the perfect way to start your epic road trip!

This is a popular beach for Hollywood films. You might recognize it from Twilight and The Goonies.

Second Stop: Devil’s Punch Bowl.

During low tide in the summer you can follow the coastal trail and actually walk inside of it. However during the fall and winter months the water level rises and this isn’t possible. It was still incredible to see from an aerial view!

Day 1 Accommodation Options:

1. South Beach State Park: This incredible state park offers a range of camping options with clean washroom and shower facilities.
2. Rent a local Airbnb: We love staying in Airbnb’s when we travel! If you have never rented an Airbnb before, use our code to get $$ of your stay!

Oregon Road Trip Day Two

First Stop: Bandon Beach.

This is an incredible spot with some of the most unique rock formations that we have ever seen! We

Second Stop: Samuel H Boardman Scenic Corridor

This is a 12 mile stretch along the coastline and was one of our favorite parts of our entire trip. You could honestly spend a few days here and still have so much to explore.

Below we put together a list of the most popular stops in this corridor and the approximate mile markers associated with them!

Make sure to write these down before you head here. Some of the stops we listed aren’t mentioned on roadside signs!

Mile Markers for the Samuel H Boardman Corridor

• Arch Rock (Mile 344.8)
• Spruce Island (Mile 345.0)
• Thunder Rock Cove (Mile 345.8)
• Natural Bridges (Mile 346.0)
• North Island (Mile 347.4)
• Thomas Creek Bridge (Mile 347.8)
• Indian Sands (Mile 348.6)
• Whaleshead Viewpoint (Mile 349.3)
• House Rock Viewpoint (Mile 351.2)
• Cape Ferrelo Viewpoint (Mile 352)
• Lone Ranch Picnic Area (Mile 352.6)

Third Stop: Brookings

Brooking’s is a small town with a lot of mom and pop style shops and local restaurants. It was also a great place to stock up on some essential items at the Fred Myer (grocery store)!

We ate dinner at Oxenfre Public House in Brookings. Its currently rated the #2 restaurant in this little town and was the Trip Advisor’s Traveler’s Choice in 2020.

Day 2 Accommodation Options:

Harris State Beach Park: This campground was one of our favorites during our entire trip in Oregon. We watched once of the most incredible sunsets on the beach that this campground sits on. They have a wide variety of camping options and clean washrooms with showers. For more information on booking here, check out this link!

Oregon Road Trip Day 3

This day was the most action packed day of our entire trip!

Start by taking Highway 199 Scenic Byway which leads you through one of the most scenic drives in the USA.

This highway passes through the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. This is an incredible opportunity to see some of the most beautiful trees in the world.

First Stop: Crater Lake

Crater Lake National Park is a bucket list place for many. The water of the lake is an incredible color of blue. There are so many things to do here, we have listed some of our favorites below!

Things to do at Crater Lake:

• Hike to Watchman’s Peak
  • This hike is one of the most popular hikes in the park. It leads to a fire lookout. This trail takes about 1 hour round-trip and is the best place to catch the Sunset.
• Hike Discovery Point
  • This trail is 2 miles in length and traces the rim of Crater Lake. This trail is relatively easy to do and offers some incredible perspectives on the lake.
• Swim in Crater Lake
  • A hike down to Cleetwood Cove with lead you to the only spot at the lake that you can swim! The water temperature ranges from ranges from 0°C to 19°C so on a hot day it will be refreshing!

Stop Two: Toketee Falls.

There is a small parking lot at the trailhead. The 0.8 mile hike to the main lookout point was very easy and incredibly rewarding. To get to the viewpoint in our photo below, you have to climb down from the main path to the

Day 3 Accommodation Options:

1. Toketee Lake Campground: This is a rustic campground with very basic amenities. This campground does not have running drinking water, so make sure to bring plenty with you! They also only have outhouses and they do not have showers.
2. Luxury Glamping Tent: This Airbnb is a glamping resort located just a short drive away from Toketee Falls and Crater Lake. There are fire rings, washrooms and showers available here! Check out their link here!

Oregon Road Trip Day 4

First Stop: Umpqua Hot Springs

Located only a few minute drive from Toketee Campground, this is the perfect way to start the morning.

Tips for visiting Umpqua Hot Springs:

• Arrive early in the morning to avoid any crowds. We got there at 7:30 and we had to all to ourselves for over an hour!
• It is a 0.8 mile hike to the Hot Springs from the parking lot. Make sure to wear running shoes as it is a moderately difficult trail.
• There are bathrooms at the trailhead but there are none once you reach The Hot Springs themselves.
• Nudity is acceptable at Umpqua so be prepared and be respectful when taking photos.

Second Stop: Bend

The city of Bend is an outdoor lover’s paradise and a craft brewery mecca. There are over 22 breweries in Bend! Bend has a beautiful downtown filled with local shops and restaurants right along the river.

Some of our favorite places in Bend were:

• McKay’s Cottage Restaurant
  • Get here early as it fills up fast. This is possibly the best breakfast you will ever have.
• Bend Brewing Company
  • Located along the river, they have indoor and outdoor seating as well as lawn games!
• Cascade Lakes Brewery
• Dudley’s Bookstore and Cafe
• The Bend River Wave
• Mount Bachelor
  • People from around the world travel here for skiing in the winter and mountain biking in the summer!

Accommodation Options Bend:

1. Stay at the Loge: This hotel was completely renovated and is one of the most popular spots in Bend. All rooms come equipped with hiking and camping gear that is free to use during your stay! They also have free city bikes that we used to explore Bend, as well as fire tables and a cafe!
2. Dome Airbnb: This Airbnb is seriously so unique and is in a great location! Check out their link here!

Oregon Road Trip Day 5

First Stop: Abiqua Falls

We left Bend very early in the morning as it is approximately a 3 hour drive to the Abiqua Falls Trailhead. This trail is a 5.3 mile out and back from the trailhead itself.

Reaching the trailhead can be tricky as the road can be washed out at times, leaving large potholes that are difficult to navigate around. We drove as far as we could down the road (considering we were in a rented campervan) and then decided to walk the rest of the way.

This trail is rated as difficult as it is very muddy and requires the use of ropes to navigate in some sections. This hike was incredible and Abiqua Falls is unlike anything we have ever seen before. You HAVE to hike this.

Second Stop: Silver Falls State Park

We hiked the Trail of 10 Falls, which is a 7.6 mile loop trail that features 10 incredible waterfalls and is the most famous trail in the park.

Day 5 Accommodation:

Silver Falls State Park: The campground here is beautiful and the facilities are well kept. This was the perfect place to spend the night! It is also close to all of the hiking trails which makes exploring this State Park very easy.

Oregon Road Trip Day 6

First Stop: Mount Hood Area

Things to Do in the Mount Hood area:

• Trillium Lake
  • A beautiful lake with the stunning backdrop of Mount Hood
• Government Camp
  • If you are visiting Mount Hood in the winter time, this is an incredible and bustling Alpine Village.
• Timberline Lodge
  • This is the famous hotel featured in the movie The Shinning
• Hood River Lavender Farm
  • This Lavender Farm offers some of the most picturesque views of Mount Hood
  • Make sure to check their Facebook Page for their hours and operating months.

We then attempted to visit the Lavender Valley close by but unfortunately it was closed… so we took this photo across the street from the Lavender Field!

Day 6 Accommodations

Lost Lake Campground: This campground is set on the shores of Lost Lake, and offers some incredible adventures and beautiful views of Mount Hood. They have Yurts, Lodge Rooms and campsites available making this an experience for everyone! Check out their website here.

Oregon Road Trip Day 7

Stop One: Lost Lake Campground

We decided to rent a paddle boat right after sunrise and we took in some incredible views of Mount Hood from the lake.

After our morning on the lake, we decided to head back towards Portland where we stayed the night before flying back home!

Second Stop: Rowena Crest Viewpoint

This is one of the most photographed roads in the state of Oregon and offers incredible views of Columbia River and the State of Washington.

Third Stop: Multonomah Falls

This is one of the most photographed places in the State of Oregon. We recommend getting here early in the morning prior to the tour buses as this place can get busy quick.

Fourth Stop: Mississipi Ave, Portland

This street was SO MUCH FUN! Tons of local restaurants, outdoor and indoor bars and little locally owned shops. We spent the entire afternoon and evening exploring this street and all it had to offer. We highly recommend this spot if you are looking to stay out of downtown Portland.

Things To Add To Your Oregon Road Trip

As we said earlier, we only had 7 days to pack in as much activity as we possibly could. That being said, there are so many things left that we didn’t get to see. When we return we want to visit the Painted Hills, Smith Rock State Park, more amazing hot springs, more waterfalls and explore more of the Columbia River Gorge.

Final Thoughts

We love Oregon. We will be returning to continue exploring all of its incredible magic someday. If Oregon is not on your bucketlist, it needs to placed on there immediately. This state is unlike any place you will ever visit in your life. It has such a unique set of landscapes. From gorgeous coast lines, hundreds of powerful waterfalls, vast desert and tall mountains, this place really has it all!

We hope that you found this blog post helpful! Let us know in the comments below if you have been to Oregon and what your favorite places were!

Happy Travels 🙂

Jake and Kaylee

before you leave…

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