Between its Scenic Byways, All-American Roads, stunning natural phenomena and long, long Pacific coastline, there is nothing about an Oregon family road trip that isn’t irresistible.
Willamette River © Joey Hamilton
If you’re in road trip frame of mind, Oregon is the land of Scenic Byways, awe-inspiring nature, off-the-beaten-track secrets and mile-after-mile of wonders. There’s no need to concern yourself with bored kids in the car either, we can guarantee they’ll be too busy staring, awe-struck out of the window to ever ask, ‘are we there yet?’.
Just make sure you factor in plenty of time to stop and play, because Oregon is heaven for kids whether their tastes run to ziplines, kayaking, hiking and biking or they’re more up for stargazing, pioneering wildlife preserves, and immersive museums.
Painted Hills, Eastern Oregon
Why you want Scenic Byways in your Oregon family road trip
Oregon has 29 designated Scenic Byways; roads that have outstanding qualities in at least one of six categories, namely: archaeological; cultural; historic; natural; recreational or scenic. But then the state goes one better because, out of those 29 Byways, four are All-American Roads: that’s the highest nationwide accolade and only given to 37 roads in the entire US.
Even if you aren’t fully committed to the idea of road tripping your entire holiday, several Scenic Byways can be done in a day, and since they’re all defined by remarkable ‘qualities’, they’ll definitely let you tick off some of the state’s must-sees.
All the Seven Wonders of Oregon make appearances, and if you follow the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway in North Eastern Oregon and you can gaze at the Painted Hills and travel into the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument: an incredible experience for kids.
The Pacific Coast Scenic Byway covers the 363 mile long Oregon coastline from north to south and lets you marvel at legendary Cannon Beach as well as the Sea Lion Caves, the state’s tallest lighthouse, enormous sand dunes and one charming coastal town after another along the way.
Where to find the right Scenic Byway for your Oregon family road trip
Crater Lake National Park, Southern Oregon
Why Oregon road trips and camping are made for each other
Outdoorsy Oregon is almost as keen on camping as it is on road trips, so you’ll find campgrounds all over the state, most offer pitches for RVs and quite a few feature cabins, yurts and lodges you can book in advance.
Mazama Village Campground, just seven miles from the rim of Crater Lake, welcomes RVs and not only puts you practically within touching distance of America’s deepest lake, kids can sign up to be Junior Rangers, and Ranger-led evening programmes in summer are fun for the whole family.
If you like the freedom of camping, but wouldn’t mind some home comforts too, LaPine State Park in Central Oregon has the ideal solution: log cabins ranging from rustic to deluxe and available to rent all year round. Just remember to book in advance because these cute and cosy alternatives to canvas get snapped up fast, especially during summer.
Eastern Oregon’s Wallowa Lake State Park is another popular-with-good-reason campground where you can park up your RV or even book a yurt. Although you might want to plan a few days for this one as Wallowa Lake itself is a bit of a water sport legend and kids definitely won’t be in a hurry to leave.
Road tripping along the Oregon Coast is a real memory maker, especially if it includes camping within sight of the Pacific Ocean. Cape Lookout State Park delivers on immense skies, beaches and especially brilliant sunsets, and again, you can rent cabins or yurts here too.
Find more places to camp on your Oregon family road trip
Cannon Beach, Oregon Coast
The family road trip we think your kids will love
Half the fun of an Oregon family road trip is deciding where to go and what to see, and a bit of insider knowledge is always useful. So here’s what the experts at American & Worldwide Travel recommend.
Naito Parkway, Portland Waterfront
Make your first pitstop in Portland
Portland is Oregon’s largest city and has direct flights from the UK year round, so starting a road trip here would make sense, even if it wasn’t such a great destination in its own right. Two or three days gives you time to get acquainted with iconic food trucks and coffee shops; take in the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry; go for a walk round lovely Washington Park, and drop in on Powell’s City of Books: the largest independent book store in the world.
Head to the coast for legendary Cannon Beach
Then hit the road in earnest and head for the Northern Oregon Coast and the charming town of Astoria: the first European settlement in the Pacific Northwest. Take time to visit at least a couple of Oregon’s nine lighthouses – the haunted ones have biggest kid-appeal. And don’t be shy about time by the sea on legendary Cannon Beach, home to Haystack Rock: the world’s third largest monolith.
Don’t miss the world wonders in Florence
A few hours’ drive south, you’ll find another record breaker in the city of Florence: Sea Lion Caves, the largest sea cave on earth. At 12-storeys high and the width of a football pitch it’s a phenomenal sight, but what makes it really spectacular for kids is the enormous colony of Stellar sea lions that’s at home there. Once you’ve witnessed this marvel, the coastal preserve around the cave is also a good place to spot migrating gray whales in early winter, and from March until June.
Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area
Put dunes into your Oregon family road trip
Drive just a little further south and between Florence and Coos Bay you’ll find the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area: the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in the US. Awesome to see, but even better to play on, so put aside a couple of days in Coos Bay for exploring on foot, by dune buggy or even a sandboard.
Hit the Rogue River for rafting and caving
Hard as it is to leave the coast, heading inland to Southern Oregon rewards you with rafting on the Rogue River, hiking trails through ancient forests, and the underground adventure of Oregon Caves National Monument.
Spend a few days in Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park is where to gaze across the calm, blue waters of the deepest lake in North America. Once you’ve done looking, there’s plenty going on here to keep you busy for a couple of days, from walking tours to junior ranger activities. And if you’re still keen to drive, the 33 mile Scenic Rim Tour around Crater Lake is another legendary Oregon road trip.
Family hiking, Eugene © Joey Hamilton
Covered bridges and the home of Nike
Before going back to Portland, detour to the town of Eugene and you get the charm of Oregon’s covered bridges on-route. Eugene itself is a perfect pitstop for kids and we can highly recommend a visit to the Eugene Science Center. Although learning that Nike was founded here might be even more exciting, something you can test on a visit to the original store where history was made and they’re happy to tell you the whole story.
Pendleton Rodeo, Eastern Oregon
What to look out for when you’re road tripping in Oregon
Of course, you can plan your own Oregon family road trip too, and there’s no shortage of places to drive, and stop, all over the ninth largest state in the US.
Hit Eastern Oregon for history by the mile, from the fascinating National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, where you can hike out to see the early 19th century wagon ruts to haunting ghost towns like Sumpter in Baker County: it’s still legal to pan for gold here. The John Day Fossil Beds are a must-see for dinosaur-keen kids, and if you want an official route in this part of the state, try the Elkhorn Drive Scenic Byway.
Pendleton is another road trip find in Eastern Oregon. Set at the foot of the Blue Mountains it’s as outdoorsy as it gets whether you’re up for playing disc-golf or trekking the Pendleton Adventure Trails. If you want some eerie excitement, Pendleton Underground Tours are a great fun learning experience for older kids, and younger ones will like the Children’s Museum of Eastern Oregon.
Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport
Hop out of the car and stroll under the sea
There are endless reasons to point your Oregon family road trip in the direction of the coast, and Newport is definitely one of them. Sitting on Yaquina Bay, it’s where you can climb to the top of the 93 feet high Yaquina Lighthouse which has been gazing over the Pacific since 1873. The city is also prime whale spotting territory, at the right time of year. Although any time you visit is good for the Oregon Coast Aquarium which is famous for its ‘walking beneath the sea’ experience, as well as 3,500 plus aquatic creatures in permanent residence.
Swap four wheels for several with a trip on the historic Mount Hood Railroad, about an hour’s drive east of Portland. Riding a beautifully restored vintage train through the magnificent Columbia River Gorge is thrilling, but teenagers (or energetic parents) might prefer to go it alone on a rail-bike which travels behind the train, seats two and isn’t that much work, because it’s battery operated.
You’ll find some of earth’s darkest dark skies in Southern Oregon, but you can also do a spot of stargazing at the Evergreen and Aviation Space Museum in Willamette Valley. As well as having more than 200 historic aircraft in its vast collection, the museum also houses Oregon’s biggest large-format 3D cinema. Although the biggest star at home here has to be Spruce Goose, the world’s largest wooden flying boat.
Find out more about American & Worldwide Travel Oregon family road trips
