With this one-day itinerary, you’ll head out on your drive from Portland on an Oregon Road Trip to see some of the most scenic sights like Mount Hood, Columbia River Gorge, Multnomah Falls, and much more...
Disclaimer: There are some links in this article that are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them, we receive a small commission. This is never an extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.
As I mentioned in my Oregon Coast road trip post the time that I was going to be spending in Oregon was very short, just a few days. So, I wanted to make the most of it and see all these beautiful and iconic places. We embarked on a scenic Oregon road trip from Portland to see some of these spots. Our Oregon road trip was basically a circle that takes you from Portland around to Mount Hood, then out towards the Columbia River Gorge with stops at Multnomah Falls (and more) then ending back in Portland. You could definitely make this longer than a one-day itinerary if you wanted to. Check out my Day Trips from Portland blog post to see all the excursions that are available at each of these locations.
Preparing for your Oregon Road Trip
Check out my Road Trip Checklist blog post (coming soon) for everything I recommend in order to prepare you for your upcoming road trip wherever your travels lead you.
Renting a Car
Obviously going on an Oregon road trip means driving which means renting a car especially if you are coming into the Portland area from anywhere else in the world. If you live in Portland or even the surrounding areas, you may want to think about renting a car anyways. We always did this growing up to get a larger vehicle in order to have more room. You are also not putting mileage or wear and tear on your own vehicle. Insurance coverage is typically the same (via your own car insurance). If you book with a credit card like American Express, they often provide rental car coverage to you also [read the fine print of your card to be sure this is offered]. Rental car companies will often provide roadside assistance if there is ever an issue with the car they provide. Click the banner below to book your rental car for your Oregon road trip today.
Packing for your Oregon Road Trip
I say this almost every time I talk about packing for any given trip and that is be prepared for any weather. The same goes for this Oregon road trip itinerary. We did this drive in July and as you’ll see in the pictures, there were times when bundling up was needed. So, I guess it also depends on the time of year that you go. In the winter, you won’t likely need any summer clothes, but in the summer, there is a possibility that you’ll need cold weather clothes. Check out my packing list for my personal checklist that I use when packing for any trip and my travel accessories post for some kid friendly things too. Here are some other necessities:
As usual, no road trip is complete without snacks. Especially this Oregon road trip, since many of these scenic stops are in more rural areas. There aren’t easily accessible grocery stores or pit stops. And if you have food allergies like me, even if there were, it likely wouldn’t have anything we could eat.
Oregon Road Trip Map
Disclaimer: These are all estimations based on Google maps and may be different depending on road closures, traffic, accidents, etc. Please refer to a map as you are starting on your journey to assess if there are any changes to these estimations. Thank you.
Distances
Portland to Mount Hood: 63 miles
Mount Hood to Hood River: 48 miles
Hood River to Cascade Locks: 20 miles
Cascade Locks to Multnomah Falls: 13 miles
Multnomah Falls to Bridal Veil Falls: 4 miles
Bridal Veil Falls to Vista House: 5 miles
Vista House back to Portland: 33 miles
Oregon Road Trip – 1st Stop - Mount Hood
Now that we’ve stocked up on our snacks and had our breakfast, we head to our first stop on our Oregon road trip itinerary, Mount Hood. This is basically the only location as to why you have to pack so many different types of clothing. Because while it may be summer at the base of the mountain, it may be winter at the top. So you need to be prepared for all temperatures and all degrees. The temperature may vary so you may see snow while you’re there or you may not it just all depends. While Mount Hood is a sight to behold from the bottom of the mountain, there is also an amazing view from the top of the mountain too. But that view can also vary depending on the time of year you are there.
Courtesy of Unsplash
Oregon Road Trip – 2nd Stop – Hood River Waterfront Park
As we make our way back down the mountain, we head to the next destination on our scenic Oregon road trip, which is to the Hood River Waterfront Park. Here is where the Hood River meets the Columbia River Gorge. The Colombia River runs along the second half of our Oregon road trip and boasts such beautiful scenery for the remainder of the trip. Here at the park, there is a playground for the kids and a beautiful, picturesque spot to see all the river activities that are available here.
Courtesy of Unsplash
Oregon Road Trip – 3rd Stop – Cascade Locks
Marine Park Playground
Oregon Pony
Cascade Locks Historical Museum ($)
Open Thursday through Monday from 10am to 5pm. Open from March to end of October.
Cost: Adult (18-59): $6, Seniors (60+): $5, Youth (6-17): $3, Children (5 and under): Free
$1 off admission (with ID) for veterans, active military, teachers, firefighters, social workers, and EMTs.
Here in the Cascade Locks area, you can stop at the Marine Park playground, visit the Cascade Locks Historical Museum, and see an original steam locomotive engine. There are also great views from Marine Park of the Bridge of the Gods as well as the Colombia Gorge riverboat that runs along the river.
Bridge of the Gods ($)
Cost: Toll if you want to cross the bridge
If you want to say that you visited two states on your Oregon road trip and not just one, then head over the Bridge of the Gods. This toll bridge connects Oregon to Washington, even if you just head right back over. You’ll also see amazing views from atop the bridge as well of the Colombia River Gorge below.
Courtesy of Unsplash
Bradford Island Visitor Center
[Bonneville Lock & Dam]
Hours: Open daily from 9am to 5pm
Closed Thanksgiving Day and December 24th - January 1st
Here you can learn about the history of the area, how the dam was constructed, see fish through an underwater observation area as well as see a rooftop view of the Colombia River Gorge and the Bonneville Dam. There are also rangers and volunteers around to answer any questions.
Oregon Road Trip – 4th Stop – Multnomah Falls
Next, we move on to my favorite stop along our scenic Oregon road trip, Multnomah Falls. You can appreciate the falls from a distance, like I did, since I’m not much of what you would call “outdoorsy.” But if you are outdoorsy then you can take the trails to the lower Falls and/or the upper Falls during different times of the years. The falls can look very different depending on the time of year you come as well. I went in the summertime, so obviously the water was flowing freely, and very beautiful. If you come in the winter, you may see that the Falls are frozen over so just be aware that the beauty of it is going to be different for different seasons.
Oregon Road Trip – 5th Stop – Bridal Veil Falls
Multnomah Falls may not be the only waterfall that you will want to visit along this scenic drive. We also have Bridal Veil Falls. Bridal Veil Falls also has trails available to see the falls as well as an overlook. You can honestly just make a whole Oregon road trip just visiting waterfalls if you wanted to, since there are so many even just along the Colombia River Gorge area.
Courtesy of Unsplash
Oregon Road Trip – 6th Stop – Vista House
Open Friday through Monday from 9am to 5pm
They may close dependent on staffing (since they operate by volunteers and when there are high wind speeds. You can check their website or call to find out if they are open.
Vista House is a great place for an overlook viewing of the Colombia River Gorge. Beyond that though the Vista House itself, is also insanely and beautifully built both inside and outside. Here you can learn about the history of the house, stop at the gift shops for some memorabilia to take home or get a coffee or snack at the café.
Courtesy of Unsplash
Courtesy of Unsplash
From here we head back to Portland after the most scenic Oregon Road Trip. If you want to know about all the different excursions that you can go on at each of these places, then be sure to read my Day Trips from Portland blog post.
Are there any free places that I missed along this route that I need to add? Let me know in the comments below.
Disclaimer: There are some links in this article that are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them, we receive a small commission. This is never an extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.
