Visit Central Oregon

July 2014

Q: Where to Go on the Oregon Coast without Crowds?

Dear TripFinder, Q: We feel dizzy looking at all the great little towns and parks along the Oregon Coast, but we’ve only got two nights to make a sidetrip there this September (we’ll be in Portland for a wedding). Can you recommend a small seaside town on the Oregon Coast where we can experience local beach culture without […]

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Quick Escape: Salt Spring Island

Between Vancouver Island and the mainland lies the Strait of Georgia, where a string of islands are strewn like emeralds. One of these gems is Salt Spring Island. Part of the beautiful and idyllic southern Gulf Islands, Salt Spring Island is placed perfectly within a sun-dappled rain shadow. British Columbia’s Gulf Islands are, geologically speaking, […]

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CAMP & HIKE: Beverly Beach and Yaquina Head

I love this year-round central Oregon Coast trip because it combines a really nice campground experience (with yurts!) and plenty of good beach exploring. Devil’s Punchbowl is just to the north of the state park campground, and Yaquina Head Natural Area with Oregon’s tallest lighthouse is just to the south. And it’s right by the town […]

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Quick Escape: Lake Crescent

People come to glacially-carved Lake Crescent to see its crystal clear waters ringed with fragrant conifers. They stay for an enchanting hike to a waterfall and a night at the historic lakeside lodge. Thousands of years ago, massive sheets of ice carved this long, deep lake through the Olympic mountains. And deep it is–the second deepest […]

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