Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Oregon or Washington

Pretty overwhelming for most.

A week is not much time for sightseeing Oregon. I would pick a coastal town, maybe two, and take day trips from there. Oregon coast is spectacular scenery , lots of local little breweries for those who like such things, lots of rain this time of year for sure.

The drive is something else!.

Beautiful

Agree, Wallowa mountains in NE Oregon are a hidden gem. Lived there for 14 years, sure miss the place.

Born raised there.

Will you guys quit talking about the caps and the lake. There are already to many people there. Makes it tough on me when I want to go down there and stay. I remember as a child going down there and there were hardly any people there except the locals. My dad told me that when we were going down there in the 60's that my parents looked at buying 40ac on the back side of the lake that was not developed for $5,000. They talked about but it, ultimately decided not to buy it. My dad told me several times that was one of his major misses there.

Lived here in Oregon all my life and other than Portland going to hell in a hand basket, the state is still one of the most beautiful places on earth to spend time. About the best way I could think of to spend a week if that is all you have is to take Hwy 101 from Astoria all the way down the coast to Coos Bay. The scenery is absolutely spectacular along the way, lots of beaches you can wander around on, great places to eat and stay, and fishing if you are so inclined. Most of the harbor towns along the way offer fishing charters for pretty reasonable rates for salmon, bottom fish, and what watching. Unless you really are into the shopping and touristy nonsense, avoid Seaside and Lincoln City- they are over run with tourists most weekends .... the trip from Newport to Bend is a great drive and there is some amazing hiking along the way, including the Pacific Crest Trail if they are adventurous... the tree covered mountains are amazing and serene and when you top out at the town of Sisters, you can see snow capped mountains in all directions... I could go on all day- and I'm heading up to the Bend area but South for some coyote hunting and sage rat hunting in a week or so if my schedule works out....

Bob

Riding a good motorcycle up the west coast through all thoes little coast towns is just an adventure you have to do at least once.

The high desert of Washington and Oregon is beautiful all onto itself.

Turn the radio and tv off and leave the political crap behind and you will be in geographical heaven.

Fly into Seattle
Spend 2 days in the San Juans
Spend 2 days in Leavenworth
Depending on what they like, spend 2 days camping at La Wis Wis, or stay in Seattle, or VRBO an oceanfront house.
Hike to Camp Muir and hear the glaciers cracking, or Mount Si or Mount Eleanor or Snow Lake

338Rem: May is a beautiful month in Montana - would NOT waste my time in either taxington or portlandia.
No sales tax in Montana.
Best of luck to them what ever they choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I would have to agree with my almost neighbor here.

Are they both from your location, MN? Odds are they've never seen a redwood tree, a big one, as in a REALLY big one? Like flintlocke said, that area of the South Coast of OR, nice little towns like Port Orford and such, all the way down to the Cali coast is spectacular.

The good thing is, outside of getting wet, there are a lot of parks and stuff to hike in. Odds are places like Crater Lake, Mt Hood, Rainier, and other nice scenic parks for hiking further inland are mostly, if not entirely, closed due to snow. One time I tried to get into Crater Lake in July and they had it closed.

Jedediah Smith Park is just north of Crescent City, which is just a short drive from the Oregon border. It's almost like not being in Kommiefornia, and there's camping and hiking there they might enjoy.

I hope they have a nice trip, but if this might be the one time they get to the West coast, missing out on seeing a redwood grove of the "Old Growth" type would be a shame.

Of course, there are other big trees, cedars, Doug fir, spruce in OR and WA. If they prefer WA I might suggest a trip to Olympic NP, over on the coast side at Quinalt there are some nice trails that would be open for a ways until they hit snow line.

I wish them a happy vacation for sure. But tell them to go see a real tree............in the Redwoods!

If they had the entire summer, they could not possibly soak-up all of the natural beauty that can be enjoyed within a 100 miles of Bandon, Oregon. It is really special country, but do have them bring some light rain gear-it will come in handy from time to time in May.

If I had a week to spend in Oregon, I'd fly into Eugene and rent a car and head for Newport (less than 90 minutes drive from Eugene). I'd make that home for a few days and go to the lighthouses (Yaquina Head and Yaquina Bay), the aquarium, whale watching in Depoe Bay (18 miles north of Newport), and if they want to go hiking, head 26 miles north toward Lincoln City and hike Drift Creek Falls. If they're interested in fishing the ocean, Depoe Bay is a great place (Dockside Charters). There's several good breweries/tap houses and restaurants there as well. I'd then head south on Highway 101 and make stops at the Haceta Head Lighthouse and walk the bay front in Florence (Newport has a cool bay front too, but it's a working bay front and smells "fishy" at times, but is worth seeing). I'd then take Highway 38 from Reedsport over to I-5 and head south to Roseburg and then go to Crater Lake. Plenty of falls to hike to along the Diamond Lake Highway if they wanted. It's 90 minutes or so back to Eugene from Roseburg. Or if they have more time, head south and see the Redwoods and then back up the coast. One could easily kill a week making that loop and not run out of things to see and do.

Very easily kill a week Waputi.

I'd rather have a month or two.

Maybe they don't like green and wet? Perhaps a drive through the most remote (from a freeway and associated stuff perspective) areas of our Country is in order?

Drive South from whatever major airport they pick, Boise, Potlandia, Seattle. Get to somewhere in E OR. head to the SE corner of that state. LOTS of open space and in May it will still be pleasant. There's a spot down there, near FrenchGlen I think, that's the furthest from a freeway of any place in the lower forty eight.

Horse sale in Juntura? Might be in June though.

So much territory, most of it public lands, and so little time.

Hidden gem for sure. Born n raised there myself. Miss it daily. Look out after retirement.

I don't know Washington all that well. In May, the Cascades of Oregon are going to be pretty well snow-clogged and farther north into Washington it should be worse. My first choice, later in the year, would be Crater Lake NP. It's stunning. But there's about 7-1/2 feet of snow at the south entrance right now. I don't think the rim drive will be open in May .. maybe, could be wrong .. and the trails still should be snowed over.

Weather in May is variably variable, or maybe less predictable than that. If you get nice days, the coastline is incredible. It can rain / drizzle 'til mid/late June. You never know.

There's very cool, low elevation hiking along the Umpqua east of Roseburg. Mostly day hiking. The highway runs on the north side of the river. Every few miles there's a bridge over the river with parking and access to the trail that runs up the south side of the river. The Rogue River trail and Illinois River trail are both awesome that time of year: it's still pretty green and the wildflowers pop. Later, they get very dry and miserably hot.

Best chance for better weather would be east of the Cascades. One thought would be to check out the John Day fossil beds and Painted Hills. After a little rain to wash the dust off, the colors from the various bands of volcanic ash pop.

I'd consider the Columbia Gorge. Starts out close to Portland but the views of the cliffs along the river are great and there are a lot of trails on both sides of the river. If it is too wet to the west, go east up the river 'til it isn't.

If you get good / cooperative weather, or don't mind being wet, then the trail along the Oregon Coast has great views, big waves bashing rocky headlands, and small beaches. Same thing .. though I don't know about the trail situation .. around the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. (That remains an area I want to visit ... the Hoh rainforest, etc.)

You can spend your whole life here and not get to all the cool things that are available.

I hike fish and hunt there. But in May still too early to hike and explore

Mountains, deserts, ocean.. pick two at most. Otherwise they will be driving the entire time.

Geno, I agree on driving South into Cali and going to Redwood National Park or close bye.
If they were inland, I would say Lassen Volcanic National Park Mt Shasta area. I learned a whole bunch more about volcanoes on the West coast/Pacific Rim while visiting Lassen.