Day Trippin' › Oregon › From Portland › Best beaches and lakes
Our picks for the best beaches and lakes within 3 hours of Portland: 37 places, 2 under an hour away, 19 between 1 and 2 hours and 16 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 97205.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Sauvie Island, 34 min north of Portland.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: Kelvin Kay -- Kkmd at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
#1 · State park · 1 hr 17 min south
The Trail of Ten Falls, including a path behind 177-foot South Falls.
Heads-up: Dogs aren't allowed on the Canyon Trail (the Trail of Ten Falls loop below the rim) or the Maple Ridge, Winter Falls and Twin Falls trails.
Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0
#2 · Town · 1 hr 28 min northwest
A walkable beach town with the 235-foot Haystack Rock and tide pools at low tide.
Heads-up: Tide pools around the rock are protected: look, don't climb or take anything. Parking fills on summer weekends.
Photo: Brmuchim (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
#3 · State park · 1 hr 34 min northwest
Forested headland trails with big views of the coast and Haystack Rock, plus Indian Beach for surfers.
Heads-up: Landslides have closed parts of the park before; the west section of the Clatsop Loop Trail has been closed since April 2026 by an active slide. Check the park page before you go.
Photo: Ennetws, Public domain
#4 · Viewpoint · 1 hr 52 min west
A giant sand dune above a sandstone cape, with dories launching off the beach.
Heads-up: Stay behind the fences on the cape; people have fallen from the edges. Sinkholes have opened on the dune, so keep out of fenced areas.
Photo: Dougtone, CC BY-SA 2.0
#5 · Viewpoint · 2 hr 22 min southwest
Oregon's tallest lighthouse, tide pools and seabird colonies.
Heads-up: Tide pool access depends on the tide. Dogs are allowed on leash on trails, but not near the lighthouse or in the tide pools. Lighthouse tours are limited while restoration work goes on.
Photo: Ennetws, Public domain
#6 · State park · 2 hr 52 min southeast
Towering rock walls above the Crooked River, a top climbing spot with river trails for everyone.
Heads-up: Misery Ridge is steep and exposed; the River Trail is easy. Construction closes some trails and parking Dec 2026-May 2027.
Photo: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0
#7 · Lake · 1 hr 18 min east
A small lake with the classic reflection of Mount Hood and an easy loop trail.
Heads-up: In winter the road isn't open to the lake. Park at Trillium Sno-Park on Hwy 26 and ski or snowshoe in (about 4.4 miles round trip).
Photo: Unknown, Public domain
#8 · Viewpoint · 1 hr 56 min north
The west-side view straight into Mount St. Helens' blast zone.
Heads-up: Coldwater Lake is open. SR 504 past milepost 45 and Johnston Ridge Observatory stay closed for bridge rebuilding after the 2023 landslide (target spring 2027).
Photo: Turtleey, CC BY-SA 4.0
#9 · Park · 2 hr 24 min north
A huge Tacoma park with old forest, beaches, gardens, a zoo and an aquarium.
Heads-up: Dogs not allowed in the zoo.
Photo: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 4.0
#10 · Viewpoint · 2 hr 54 min southwest
Thor's Well, the Spouting Horn and a stone shelter view from the highest point on the coast road.
Heads-up: Stay well back from Thor's Well; sneaker waves are deadly.
Photo: Jennifer Snoek-Brown, CC BY-SA 4.0
#11 · Waterfront · 2 hr 22 min north
Tacoma's waterfront promenade: a flat, paved path along Commencement Bay past little beaches, old pier pilings and Mount Rainier views, ending at Point Ruston's plaza of restaurants, ice cream and shops next to Point Defiance.
Heads-up: Free parking along Ruston Way fills fast on sunny weekends; at Point Ruston, check the posted parking rules (shops validate). Dogs on leash. In summer, give seal pups on the beaches plenty of room.
Photo: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
#12 · Museum · 1 hr 2 min north
Exhibits on the eruption, plus a lakeside wetland trail.
Heads-up: Open Wednesday-Sunday only from November to March.
Photo: Dieter F, CC BY-SA 3.0
#13 · Town · 1 hr 28 min northwest
A classic boardwalk town with the Prom, an aquarium and a wide sandy beach.
Heads-up: Busy on summer weekends and spring break.
Photo: Curt Smith from Bellevue, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
#14 · Beach · 1 hr 32 min west
A beach with a waterfall, sea caves and an old wagon road cut into the rock.
Heads-up: Only walk around the point at low tide; the tide comes in fast.
Photo: Collinserigne, CC BY-SA 4.0
#15 · State park · 1 hr 37 min west
A short forest walk to Short Sand Beach, a sheltered cove loved by surfers.
Heads-up: Parking along US 101 fills fast on sunny days.
Sauvie Island (34 min), Moulton Falls (44 min), Mirror Lake (Mount Hood) (1 hr 9 min), Trout Lake (1 hr 35 min), Cape Lookout State Park (1 hr 36 min), Manzanita (1 hr 38 min), Nehalem Bay State Park (1 hr 43 min), Lost Lake (Hood River County) (1 hr 45 min), Fort Stevens State Park (1 hr 49 min), Lincoln City (1 hr 50 min), Detroit Lake (1 hr 57 min), Long Beach Peninsula (2 hr 11 min), Cape Disappointment State Park (2 hr 18 min), Clear Lake (McKenzie River) (2 hr 28 min), Windy Ridge (2 hr 29 min), Seal Rock (2 hr 35 min), Cove Palisades State Park (2 hr 39 min), Vashon Island (2 hr 47 min), Reflection Lakes (2 hr 50 min), Westport (2 hr 54 min), Tipsoo Lake (2 hr 58 min), Discovery Park (3 hr)
Our top picks are Silver Falls State Park (1 hr 17 min), Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock (1 hr 28 min), Ecola State Park (1 hr 34 min), Cape Kiwanda and Pacific City (1 hr 52 min) and Yaquina Head (2 hr 22 min). The page lists 37 places in all.
37: 2 under an hour away, 19 between 1 and 2 hours and 16 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 97205.
Sauvie Island, about 34 min north of Portland.
13 need no pass or fee, including Long Beach Peninsula, Westport and Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock. Fees change, so check each place.
26 of the 37 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.