Explore 18 write-ups tagged with Oregon State Parks

Jutting out from the coast of Oregon west of Portland, Cape Lookout is a prominent promontory with tall cliffs towering hundreds of feet above the Pacific Ocean. The campground in Cape Lookout State Park is not as soaring. Luckily for beach-lovers, the campground is tucked right behind a big, beautiful beach on the north side of the cape. Cape Lookout State Park Campground is a major destination, with over 200 campsites. ...Read more.

Maple Ridge Loop travels behind two breathtaking waterfalls and goes through miles of wonderful forest in Silver Falls State Park. This 2.8-mile loop (with 375 feet of elevation change) is a combination of two trails, Canyon Trail and Maple Ridge Trail. Canyon Trail goes down the trough carved by South Fork Silver Creek, taking hikers amazingly close to South Falls and Lower South Falls. ...Read more.

What is Whalen Island? It's not quite an island. It's not quite on Oregon's ocean shore. What it is... is a place that is unique, soothing, and beautiful. Wrapped be beaches and shaded by shore pines, Whalen Island sits at the heart of Sand Lake Estuary. Whalen Island – which only becomes an island during seasonal high tides - is just inland from the ocean (close enough to see the waves) on the Tillamook Coast between Cape Lookout and Pacific City. ...Read more.

Measuring 319 feet tall, Munson Creek Falls is no tiny trickler. In fact, this is Oregon's tallest waterfall west of the Willamette River. Munson Creek Falls has picturesque silky tiers framed by canyon greenery. The trek to the waterfall, Munson Creek Falls Trail, is just a quarter mile long (half a mile round trip) with 90 feet of elevation change. ...Read more.

If you find yourself in Oceanside, a small community on the Oregon coast west of Tillamook, you are bound to spend some of the day at Oceanside Beach. This inviting stretch of sand looks out at the wild and lovely islands known as the Three Arch Rocks. Beach goers can enjoy all the usual fun in the sand. Plus, Oceanside Beach State Recreation Site has something unique. ...Read more.

Deschutes River State Recreation Area is located east of The Dalles, Oregon (where spring arrives earlier than it does in areas west of the Columbia River Gorge). Bordering the Deschutes River beside its meeting with the Columbia River, the park's grassy and shaded campground is a relaxing place to stay. This 63-site campground (with 34 sites with electrical hookups, 25 more primitive sites, and 4 group sites) has river views, ample amenities, and hiking along the Deschutes River. ...Read more.

Right before spilling into the Columbia River, the Deschutes River flows down a canyon between grass and sagebrush-covered ridges with basalt outcroppings. Alongside the river, a pair of parallel trails allow hikers to enjoy a 3.1-mile loop with a variety of fine views. The level River Trail (also known as Blackberry Trail) hugs the riverbank, while the rolling Upper Trail (also known as Riverview Trail) crosses a grassy terrace with broader vistas up and down the Deschutes. ...Read more.

South Falls is the tallest waterfall in Silver Falls State Park, dropping a spectacular 177 feet off a basalt shelf. South Falls can be visited (along with nine other waterfalls) on the park's great loop, the Trail of Ten Falls. When this 7.9-mile loop is too much, a 1.1-mile lollipop loop can be hiked to visit South Falls on its own. The short hike has 200 feet of elevation change. ...Read more.

Silver Falls State Park has one of the most incredible waterfall hikes to be found in Oregon or anywhere else in North America. Trail of Ten Falls takes a tour of Silver Creek Canyon, passing ten beautiful waterfalls and a high number of cascades and other waterfalls that pop up in winter and spring. The 7.9-mile loop was built to deliver plenty of excitement along the way and actually takes hikers behind four of the waterfalls as they pour over basalt cliffs. ...Read more.

Vista House is a roadside viewpoint like no other. The beautifully designed and maintained building is an Oregon icon designated as a National Natural Landmark. The viewing deck that wraps around Vista House offers one of the greatest non-hike-dependent views in Oregon. Vista House resides on the inside of a bend in Historic Columbia River Highway on Crown Point, a lofty landing of basaltic rock at the west end of Columbia River Gorge. ...Read more.