Things To Do In Oregon

There are a lot of things to do in Oregon that are various in nature and extremely interesting and beautiful.  You can enjoy many adventures and locations throughout Oregon and can have a variety of experiences along the way.

1. Multnomah Falls, a 30-minute drive east of Portland, is a magnificent natural beauty waterfall that is 611 feet tall.  You can see the top of the falls from the highway itself, but a five-minute walk from the parking area takes you right to the base where you can can have an awesome view.  If you want to walk a few hundred more feet, the Benson Bridge spans the falls.  The falls do not dry up because snow melt, an underground spring, and rain keep the falls a spectacular sight year round.
2. The International Rose Test Garden in Portland has approximately 7,000 rose plants on several well-maintained acres.  Admission is free to see the gorgeous varieties of roses, and parts of the garden are accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.
3. Jamison Square in Portland's Pearl District is one of the attractions that make up the statistic that Portland has more parks than any of the cities in the United States.  Jamison Square is a full city block of cascading water from a fountan that constantly recirculates disinfected and treated water.  Children and people of all ages enjoy being able to wade and play in the water on warm days.  Colorful totems are on the sidewalk as part of a public art feature, and live musicians also stroll around.  During Christmas the fountain (closed in the winter) has a tree in the middle of the square.
4. The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is 90 miles from Portland at the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge.  There are 77 waterfalls, camping, hiking, and beautiful scenery.
5. The Painted Hills are over 3,000 acres of unique scenery 9 miles northwest of Mitchell. The view of the golds, reds, yellows, and blacks in the late afternoon are breathtaking.  During the spring and summer, the gorgeous wildflowers are a popular attraction.
6. The Evergreen Aviation and Space Muiseum in McMinnville has planes, space ships, rockets, and the world's largest collection of machine guns.  However, the main feature is the Spruce Goose wooden airplane built by Howard Hughes during World War II. It had to be made out of wood because there wasn't enough metal to spare during wartime. The Spruce Goose is enormous because it was built to carry 750 troops and their gear.  It made only one flight and then was hidden and maintained by Hughes in a giant hanger for almost 30 years. 
7. Golden, Oregon, is among the ghost towns listed for the state.  This gold mining town was established in 1890 and was unusual because it had no saloons but did have two churches.  The founders invented the Ruble elevator, which was patented in 1890; and that increased the gold recovery. Golden is one of the few remaining towns where original buildings are still standing such as the church which was built in 1892 and a general store built in 1904. 
8. The Enchanted Forest is a twenty-acre amusement park just south of Salem.   There is an English Village, a Mining Town, Storybook Lane, a Haunted House, the Ice Mountain Bobsleds roller coaster, and more.  Its Big Timber Log Ride is the largest in the Pacific Northwest.  Check its seasonal schedule.
9. Covered bridges in Oregon comprise the largest collection in the West and one of the nation's largest with a current number of approximately 50 that are open for vehicular traffic (between 1905 and 1925 there were 450).  Dating back to the 1850s, these bridges were built from the abundant Douglas fir trees. 
10. Whale watching is a favorite pastime that make tourists flock to the Oregon beaches, especially at Yaquina Head on the central coast and Neahkahnie Mountain on the north coast.  The whale sightings vary from year to year but are most prominent in late March and late December.