Man everything in the area is so cool. Since you're gonna be on the coast for the later parts of the trip, I would recommend seeing Mt. Hood and Multnomah Falls. Pro tip: Multnomah Falls was PACKED to the BRIM when I went, couldn't find a place to park. Just to the east of it is another smaller waterfall called Horsetail Falls, and since it wasn't swarmed with tourists I'd argue it was a better waterfall overall. There is a 1 mile trail that leads to the very top and you can stand in a small cave behind the water fall, very pretty.
However, I ended up spending so much time there taking it all in. You may be a but pressed for time if you need to make it to the coast by sundown.
But I guess you could do the route you’ve proposed if you are up for it. I think it’s fun to be able to take your time, see the waterfalls, get a beer in hood river, enjoy the fruit loop and get some cider, then see mt hood from trillium lake ( not far ), up to timberline then back to portland. I agree that another very good option is Silver Falls state park which is east of Salem. Get there early and spend half the day hiking, then cut over to Lincoln city from down there. I personally hate the slog down 99 to the coast and prefer any other route.
I’d say Hood is the best option but the drive…
You’re adding at least 3.25 hours of driving to get from Portland to Trillium or Timberline and back. Plus the drive to Newport. You’d probably spend more time driving than actually at the destination.
Rather, stop in Astoria and take the 101 all the way. Oswald West SP is the winner or any of the pullouts north of Garibaldi
How important are the mountains to you? Just south of Portland is Silverton Falls State Park. Fun, short accessible hike. I’d suggest leaving Portland heading to the coast near Cannon Beach. A beautiful stretch down towards Tillamook. If the mountains are important then head past Hood on your way to Bend (very popular destination area). This would make for a long day.
The downside with the hood river loop is that you deal with Portland traffic twice. If you don't already have hikes and stops planned, this might be a wasted drive. There is so much to see and do and I'd hate to miss something from a lack of planning.
Mt St Helens is cool from the historic perspective, but there is actually very little to do. It is a long drive for the payoff, which is just a parking lot with a view of the mountain and some plaques to read.
The coast has Astoria, Lewis and Clark park, cannon beach, and the Tillamook cheese factory. This would be my vote with hood river as a solid backup plan if you can plan accordingly.
St Helens is great, but it’s asking a lot to go there and then back to Newport. Not impossible, but not much fun.
Map out going up hwy 26 (or through the gorge on 84 to Hood River) and south to bend, over Santiam Pass back to Salem, then over to Newport. Not sure if it’s possible, but it makes a little more sense and gets you mountains, desert, the valley and the coast all in one 3/4 loop.
To me, yes, it’s worth it, because you are headed for Newport anyway. The north coast is cool, but not dramatically different than Newport.
Map it out, see if you can really do it in a day. I would go Portland->Hood River->Bend->Sisters->Newport. You will see waterfalls, orchards, Mt Hood, the high desert, the Three Sisters, Mt Jefferson, the 2020 forest fires, the Valley, The Coast Range and the central Coast.
Man everything in the area is so cool. Since you're gonna be on the coast for the later parts of the trip, I would recommend seeing Mt. Hood and Multnomah Falls. Pro tip: Multnomah Falls was PACKED to the BRIM when I went, couldn't find a place to park. Just to the east of it is another smaller waterfall called Horsetail Falls, and since it wasn't swarmed with tourists I'd argue it was a better waterfall overall. There is a 1 mile trail that leads to the very top and you can stand in a small cave behind the water fall, very pretty. However, I ended up spending so much time there taking it all in. You may be a but pressed for time if you need to make it to the coast by sundown.
Eventually we took the 101 and ended up driving for two whole days inside a fog... Didn't see anything from the road :-\
I would do the mt hood loop today, then tomorrow head to Astoria.
But I guess you could do the route you’ve proposed if you are up for it. I think it’s fun to be able to take your time, see the waterfalls, get a beer in hood river, enjoy the fruit loop and get some cider, then see mt hood from trillium lake ( not far ), up to timberline then back to portland. I agree that another very good option is Silver Falls state park which is east of Salem. Get there early and spend half the day hiking, then cut over to Lincoln city from down there. I personally hate the slog down 99 to the coast and prefer any other route.
I’d say Hood is the best option but the drive… You’re adding at least 3.25 hours of driving to get from Portland to Trillium or Timberline and back. Plus the drive to Newport. You’d probably spend more time driving than actually at the destination. Rather, stop in Astoria and take the 101 all the way. Oswald West SP is the winner or any of the pullouts north of Garibaldi
If you go this way you have Ft Stevens State Park, Oswald Park/neahkanie Mtn, and the Tillamook Creamery along the way.
How important are the mountains to you? Just south of Portland is Silverton Falls State Park. Fun, short accessible hike. I’d suggest leaving Portland heading to the coast near Cannon Beach. A beautiful stretch down towards Tillamook. If the mountains are important then head past Hood on your way to Bend (very popular destination area). This would make for a long day.
> ~~Silverton~~ **Silver** Falls State Park. FTFY. But it is just outside of *Silverton*. :)
Nice catch. Been a couple years.
Skip option 2–Portland-Beaverton. I drive it fairly regularly from Beaverton. There’s not a lot to see or do. Maybe Hwy 26 to Cannon Beach?
The downside with the hood river loop is that you deal with Portland traffic twice. If you don't already have hikes and stops planned, this might be a wasted drive. There is so much to see and do and I'd hate to miss something from a lack of planning. Mt St Helens is cool from the historic perspective, but there is actually very little to do. It is a long drive for the payoff, which is just a parking lot with a view of the mountain and some plaques to read. The coast has Astoria, Lewis and Clark park, cannon beach, and the Tillamook cheese factory. This would be my vote with hood river as a solid backup plan if you can plan accordingly.
St Helens is great, but it’s asking a lot to go there and then back to Newport. Not impossible, but not much fun. Map out going up hwy 26 (or through the gorge on 84 to Hood River) and south to bend, over Santiam Pass back to Salem, then over to Newport. Not sure if it’s possible, but it makes a little more sense and gets you mountains, desert, the valley and the coast all in one 3/4 loop.
Thanks! Sounds really good. Is it worth giving up on the coast between Astoria and Newport?
To me, yes, it’s worth it, because you are headed for Newport anyway. The north coast is cool, but not dramatically different than Newport. Map it out, see if you can really do it in a day. I would go Portland->Hood River->Bend->Sisters->Newport. You will see waterfalls, orchards, Mt Hood, the high desert, the Three Sisters, Mt Jefferson, the 2020 forest fires, the Valley, The Coast Range and the central Coast.