Museum · 29 min northeast
Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake
Exhibits on the eruption, plus a lakeside wetland trail.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Small admission fee (kids 6 and under free)
Day Trippin' › Washington › From Longview
Day trips from Longview
Longview sits on the Columbia River between Mount St. Helens and the coast, with Portland, the Gorge and Long Beach all an easy drive. The best day trips from Longview, by drive time.
111 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Longview
- Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake 29 min northeast
- Cathlamet and Puget Island 38 min west
- Vancouver Waterfront 55 min south
- Vista House and Crown Point 1 hr 26 min southeast
- Multnomah Falls 1 hr 33 min southeast
- Beacon Rock State Park 1 hr 44 min southeast
- Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock 1 hr 59 min west
- Ecola State Park 2 hr 6 min west
- Hood River and the Fruit Loop 2 hr 9 min southeast
- Timberline Lodge 2 hr 27 min southeast
Within an hour from Longview 4 spots
Town · 38 min west
Cathlamet and Puget Island
A quiet river town and a flat island loop, linked to Oregon by a tiny ferry.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Ferry fare
Park · 55 min south
Vancouver Waterfront
A riverfront park with a cable-stayed pier, restaurants and wine bars.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- None; paid parking
Historic site · 55 min south
Fort Vancouver
A rebuilt fur-trading fort with costumed staff and a garden.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- NPS fee for the rebuilt fort only (ages 16+); the rest is free
1 to 2 hours from Longview 39 spots
Waterfall · 1 hr 33 min southeast
Multnomah Falls
Oregon's tallest waterfall, 620 feet in two tiers, with a bridge across the middle.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- Timed-use permit for the I-84 lot in summer (2026: May 22-Sept 7, 9 am-6 pm)
State park · 1 hr 44 min southeast
Beacon Rock State Park
A switchback trail up a huge rock core over the Columbia River.
- 2 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round
- Discover Pass
Town · 1 hr 59 min west
Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock
A walkable beach town with the 235-foot Haystack Rock and tide pools at low tide.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Viewpoint · 1 hr 26 min southeast
Vista House and Crown Point
A stone observatory high above the Columbia River at the start of the waterfall road.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Viewpoint · 1 hr 37 min east
Coldwater Lake and Johnston Ridge
The west-side view straight into Mount St. Helens' blast zone.
- Half day · Easy
- Summer-fall
- NW Forest Pass
Wildlife refuge · 1 hr 9 min southeast
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
Drive or walk past wetlands full of ducks, cranes and herons.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Fall-spring
- Refuge entrance fee or America the Beautiful pass (Discover Pass not accepted)
History · 1 hr 24 min south
Oregon City and Willamette Falls
The end of the Oregon Trail, a free municipal elevator and a view of the big Willamette Falls.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Museum admission
State park · 1 hr 38 min west
Fort Stevens State Park
The Peter Iredale shipwreck on the beach, old gun batteries and miles of bike paths.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
2 to 3 hours from Longview 68 spots
State park · 2 hr 6 min west
Ecola State Park
Forested headland trails with big views of the coast and Haystack Rock, plus Indian Beach for surfers.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
Farm · 2 hr 9 min southeast
Hood River and the Fruit Loop
Orchards, farm stands, cideries and wineries with Mount Hood in view.
- Half day · Easy
- Spring blossoms through fall harvest
- No pass or fee needed
Historic lodge · 2 hr 27 min southeast
Timberline Lodge
A 1930s stone and timber lodge high on Mount Hood, with year-round snow above.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Sno-Park permit Nov 1-Apr 30
State park · 2 hr 35 min south
Silver Falls State Park
The Trail of Ten Falls, including a path behind 177-foot South Falls.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round
- Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
Historic site · 3 hr east
Maryhill Stonehenge
A full-size concrete Stonehenge built as a WWI memorial.
- 30 min · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Park · 2 hr 11 min north
Point Defiance Park
A huge Tacoma park with old forest, beaches, gardens, a zoo and an aquarium.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free park; zoo has a fee
Lake · 2 hr 25 min southeast
Trillium Lake
A small lake with the classic reflection of Mount Hood and an easy loop trail.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Summer-fall; snowshoe in winter
- Day-use fee May-Nov (annual NW Forest Pass accepted, other passes not); Sno-Park permit in winter
Viewpoint · 2 hr 46 min northeast
Paradise and the Skyline Trail
Wildflower meadows and glaciers on Mount Rainier's south side, with a visitor center.
- Half day · Easy to hard
- July-Sept flowers; winter snowplay
- NPS entrance fee
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 98632 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.