Waterfall · 44 min east
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)
Day Trippin' › Oregon › From Portland
Day trips from Portland
From Portland the Columbia Gorge waterfalls start 30 minutes out, Mount Hood is an hour and a half away, and the beaches at Cannon Beach and Seaside are under two hours. Here are the best day trips from Portland by drive time.
97 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Portland
- Oregon City and Willamette Falls 31 min south
- Vista House and Crown Point 38 min east
- Multnomah Falls 44 min east
- Beacon Rock State Park 1 hr 7 min east
- Hood River and the Fruit Loop 1 hr 21 min east
- Silver Falls State Park 1 hr 34 min south
- Timberline Lodge 1 hr 39 min east
- Maryhill Stonehenge 2 hr 12 min east
- Cape Kiwanda and Pacific City 2 hr 19 min west
- Yaquina Head 2 hr 56 min southwest
Within an hour from Portland 18 spots
Viewpoint · 38 min east
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
History · 31 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
Town · 55 min south
Mount Angel
A Bavarian-style town with a hilltop abbey and the September Oktoberfest.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Wildlife refuge · 1 hr north
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)
Farm · 41 min north
Sauvie Island
Farms, U-pick berries, pumpkin patches and river beaches minutes from downtown.
- Half day · Easy
- Summer-fall
- ODFW Wildlife Area Parking Permit; a separate Sauvie Island Beaches Parking Permit is needed at Walton, Collins and North Unit beaches on summer weekends and holidays
Trail · 43 min east
Wahkeena and Multnomah loop
A loop climbing past several waterfalls between Wahkeena and Multnomah.
- 2-3 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
History · 40 min southwest
Champoeg State Heritage Area
Where Oregon's first government was voted in, with river trails and bike paths.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
1 to 2 hours from Portland 41 spots
State park · 1 hr 7 min east
Beacon Rock State Park
A switchback trail up a huge rock core over the Columbia River.
- 2 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round
- Discover Pass
Farm · 1 hr 21 min east
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
State park · 1 hr 34 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 lodge · 1 hr 39 min east
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
Town · 1 hr 48 min northwest
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
State park · 1 hr 55 min northwest
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
Lake · 1 hr 37 min east
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 · 1 hr 36 min east
Rowena Crest
A loop road and plateau with spring wildflowers above the eastern Gorge.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Spring wildflowers
- No pass or fee needed
2 to 3 hours from Portland 33 spots
Historic site · 2 hr 12 min east
Maryhill Stonehenge
A full-size concrete Stonehenge built as a WWI memorial.
- 30 min · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Viewpoint · 2 hr 19 min west
Cape Kiwanda and Pacific City
A giant sand dune above a sandstone cape, with dories launching off the beach.
- 2 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- Tillamook County parking pass
Viewpoint · 2 hr 56 min southwest
Yaquina Head
Oregon's tallest lighthouse, tide pools and seabird colonies.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- BLM site fee
Viewpoint · 2 hr 25 min north
Coldwater Lake and Johnston Ridge
The west-side view straight into Mount St. Helens' blast zone.
- Half day · Easy
- Summer-fall
- NW Forest Pass
Park · 2 hr 59 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
Town · 2 hr 1 min west
Manzanita
A quiet beach town with a long, uncrowded beach under Neahkahnie Mountain.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Wildlife refuge · 2 hr 22 min north
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
A boardwalk out over the delta with herons, eagles and huge flocks of ducks.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; birds best fall-spring
- Refuge entry fee or America the Beautiful pass (Discover Pass not accepted)
Waterfall · 2 hr 8 min north
Tumwater Falls Park
A short loop past a series of falls on the Deschutes River, with salmon in the fall.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round; salmon Sept-Oct
- No pass or fee needed
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 97205 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.