From its lush, green forests to its shimmering coast, to its richly-hued deserts, Oregon is chock-full of natural wonders. It’s easy to take these stunning places for granted, but we’re here to remind you to take time to appreciate them. If you’re longing to soak in Oregon’s beauty, put these 9 natural wonders on your outdoor bucket list for 2020.
- Devil’s Churn
libre de droit/iStock via Getty Images To really experience the power of the ocean, make the trip to Devil’s Churn. You’ll find it near Yachats, and the waves crashing into this narrow inlet are truly mesmerizing.
- Crater Lake
Brinley Clark/EyeEm via Getty Images With its pristine azure waters, Crater Lake is a true beauty to behold. America’s deepest lake is 1,949 feet deep.
- Multnomah Falls
Mark C Stevens/Moment Collection via Getty Images It’s hard to choose just one waterfall to include on this list, but if you’re only going to visit one, Multnomah Falls should be it. It plunges 620 feet from the cliffs above, cascading into two tiers.
- Smith Rock State Park
Anna Gorin/Moment Collection via Getty Images Smith Rock State Park looks like something straight out of a fairy tale. Here, natural beauty meets outdoor recreation - the towering cliffs bring climbers from all over the world.
- Lost Lake
vkbhat/iStock via Getty Images With Lost Lake, you get a two-fer. When the lake is calm, Mt. Hood (another of Oregon’s natural wonders) is beautifully reflected in its waters. This lake will take your breath away, and once you’re done gazing, you’ll enjoy fishing, canoeing, and hiking its boardwalk trail.
- Alvord Desert
Gary Weathers/Getty Images The Alvord Desert is an other-worldly, 84-square-mile dry lake bed in southeastern Oregon. People set land speed records here, but you might want to just explore it and take some photos.
- Forest Park
David F/Tripadvisor When you live in Oregon, forest trails abound, but to have a 5,100-acre park inside a metro area with more than 650,000 is a true testament to our state’s dedication to natural wonders.
- Oregon Dunes
Howard Grill/Moment Collection via Getty Images The Oregon Dunes cover 31,566 acres, and are the largest expanse of coastal dunes in all of North America. They’re a perfect sport for recreation, whether on foot or via OHV.
- Columbia River Gorge
David Gn Photography/Moment Collection via Getty Images The Columbia River Gorge is absolutely majestic. It’s up to 4,000 feet deep, and full of diverse beauty that includes dense forests and eastern grasslands.
This bucket list just scratches the surface of all the many wonderful natural wonders found in the Beaver State. What are some of your other favorites? Tell our readers in the comments!
libre de droit/iStock via Getty Images
To really experience the power of the ocean, make the trip to Devil’s Churn. You’ll find it near Yachats, and the waves crashing into this narrow inlet are truly mesmerizing.
Brinley Clark/EyeEm via Getty Images
With its pristine azure waters, Crater Lake is a true beauty to behold. America’s deepest lake is 1,949 feet deep.
Mark C Stevens/Moment Collection via Getty Images
It’s hard to choose just one waterfall to include on this list, but if you’re only going to visit one, Multnomah Falls should be it. It plunges 620 feet from the cliffs above, cascading into two tiers.
Anna Gorin/Moment Collection via Getty Images
Smith Rock State Park looks like something straight out of a fairy tale. Here, natural beauty meets outdoor recreation - the towering cliffs bring climbers from all over the world.
vkbhat/iStock via Getty Images
With Lost Lake, you get a two-fer. When the lake is calm, Mt. Hood (another of Oregon’s natural wonders) is beautifully reflected in its waters. This lake will take your breath away, and once you’re done gazing, you’ll enjoy fishing, canoeing, and hiking its boardwalk trail.
Gary Weathers/Getty Images
The Alvord Desert is an other-worldly, 84-square-mile dry lake bed in southeastern Oregon. People set land speed records here, but you might want to just explore it and take some photos.
David F/Tripadvisor
When you live in Oregon, forest trails abound, but to have a 5,100-acre park inside a metro area with more than 650,000 is a true testament to our state’s dedication to natural wonders.
Howard Grill/Moment Collection via Getty Images
The Oregon Dunes cover 31,566 acres, and are the largest expanse of coastal dunes in all of North America. They’re a perfect sport for recreation, whether on foot or via OHV.
David Gn Photography/Moment Collection via Getty Images
The Columbia River Gorge is absolutely majestic. It’s up to 4,000 feet deep, and full of diverse beauty that includes dense forests and eastern grasslands.
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Address: Oregon, USA
