Where do I start, Oregon is amazing!

Onto the second State of our roadtrip. I’d be lying if I said our time in Washington went smoothly. The van’s ball joint was broken and we stayed in a ghetto area while it was getting fixed. My dog tragically died and I was mourning the loss of his sweet soul. It was freezing and we needed to drive south to warmer weather, but with a few complications we couldn’t get on the road. We were so happy to finally get on the road and enjoy our trip. Oregon for us was almost just that. The life problem’s stopped, but it was still freezing! Apologies on this unexciting beginning paragraph, but I had to be honest in telling how the story went.

There are so many beautiful places we visited, but also didn’t get a chance to visit. At the bottom of this blog post I’ll list the locations where we wish we would have got to see 😉

Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach

I’ve been here a few times and always love it! On this trip we did something a little bit different than most people. Usually, everyone walks along the beach and close to Haystack Rock, but we walked to the right of it for quite a while and hiked up some large hills. The hidden beach on the other side was so cool, as well as the view from the top of these hills. Also, if you get to walk around the town of Cannon Beach, it’s so cute and filled with delicious baked goods.

Viewpoint 10 Minutes South of Cannon Beach

As you know from seeing photos of Oregon, it’s beautiful, the height of the cliffs is stunning, the sunsets are amazing and the pnw vibes are so good. You can basically stop anywhere and have a good view. But this particular viewpoint about 10 minutes south of Cannon Beach was my absolute favorite. To wake up and have breakfast and enjoy the peaceful morning was the best.

We probably spent 3 nights at this spot. Whether we were driving away to explore the surrounding area, or staying put all day – this was our go-to spot for a few days. Which is why you can see so many beautiful photos from here. Now onto the next beautiful location in Oregon.

If you didn’t go to Multanomah Falls, did you really go to Oregon?

This is like the go-to spot in Oregon, and I totally understand why! The beauty of this bridge and waterfall is so symmetrical and perfect and beautiful – I can’t really explain it more than that! You NEED to visit this spot. We hiked up the trail to the top and it was quite a nice walk with beautiful views of the Columbia River. Multanomah Falls was definitely one of my favorite locations in Oregon.

Moving onwards to the Columbia Gorge & Mt Hood NF

Wow, so many beautiful spots to stop! Our eyes were glued to the window! Along with Multanomah Falls, there were many other beautiful spots to stop. We loved this view of Mt Hood from the side of the road – much caution was had when taking these photos 😉

Mt Hood National Forest

Surrounding so much area, this forest has so much to see and explore. Our favorite was Trillium Lake – It was so calm and peaceful and so lovely to photograph. While camping in this forest, we actually got a mouse in the van. I was woken up in the middle of night by a weird scratching sound and to my surprise, there was 1-2 mice in the van trying to get warm. At 3 am, quite alarmed, we got them out, patched up the holes where we beleive they came in and went to bed. The next morning we woke up to this beautiful calm lake sunrise. You’ll have to check out this beautiful lake if you get a chance!

If you’re doing the vanlife, you’ll want to know where to camp for free in your van! Good thing I’ve made a youtube video dedicated to just this. Find out where I find the best spots to camp for free!

Exploring the Southern Coast of Oregon

It’s hard to not stop every few minutes. The coastal views are so good – I know you’re probably sick of hearing me say this, but it’s true. Everywhere you go, there’s a postcard backdrop. There is a beautiful spot called Natural Bridges that I was determined to visit, but unfortunately the trail was closed so we didn’t have a chance to see it. I highly suggest you do, it’s absolutely stunning.

Samuel H Boardman Scenic Corridor

This corridor is insanely beautiful and I don’t really feel like I did it justice with the photos below. It was such an overcast day and landscape photography isn’t my strong point to start with. There are many spots to check out such as Natural Bridge, but unfortunately the path was closed during the time we were there. Natural Bridges is definitely a location I would reccomend to check out!

What else to see in Oregon Next Time…

This isn’t all these is to see in Oregon, there is so much more! During our roadtrip the weather was getting colder by the minute and we had to make our way South decently quickly. We visited a few spots in Oregon along the way, but there are so many spots we wish we could have visited this round. Below is a list of locations I would LOVE to visit one day!

Umpqua National Park
- Toketee Falls
- Umpqua Hot Springs
Painted Hills
Smith Rock State Park
Koosah Falls
Skylight Cave
Bend
Silver Falls Sate Park
Crater Lake
Mt Thielsen
Thor’s Well
Devil’s Punchbowl State Natural Area
Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area
Natural Bridges in Samuel H Boardman State Scenic Corridor
Alvord Desert
Oregon Dunes
Hell’s Canyon

Thank you so much for reading. I hope this article helps you plan your roadtrip through Oregon, and I hope you have a fabulous time! Feel free to DM me and let me know that you’re loving your trip 🙂 Happy Travels.

Vanlife in Oregon - Favorite locations & must-see spots!