Covered with gorgeous autumn leaves, stunning forests and the odd pumpkin patch, Fall is a truly beautiful time in Oregon. From rust colored vineyards to roosting swifts, here are the best things to do in the Fall in Oregon…
1. See the beautiful Oregon Fall Foliage
From douglas fir to red alder to bigleaf maple, Oregon boasts a massive variety of trees. Oregon is popular as an evergreen state that features the most lush foliage in the Pacific Northwest.
The verdure of Oregon becomes even more beautiful when the lush leaves of trees turn golden blush.
The best places to enjoy fall foliage in Oregon include Silver Falls State Park, Mt. Hood Scenic Loop, Deschutes River Trail, Upper Klamath Basin, Washington Park, Drake Park, and Wine country.
You can also enjoy fall foliage in city centers. Streets in Portland, Eugene, Salem, and other cities of Oregon are skirted with exquisite brown and red trees.
2. Roast marshmallows at Pfeiffer Vineyards
One of the most unique things that you can do in the fall in Oregon is roast a marshmallow by a cozy fire at Pfeiffer Vineyards. Located in Junction City, Pfeiffer Vineyards is a winery that offers fine wine to its visitors in an intimate setting.
The winery features a boutique tasting room where the owners, Robin and Danuta Pfeiffer pour their craft wines for visitors.
Pfeiffer Vineyards has an enclosed Fireplace Pavilion where people can roast marshmallows all year long. The wines of Pfeiffer Vineyards are not sold in restaurants or wine stores and are only available at the winery. Pfeiffer Vineyards is a dog-friendly facility featuring several beautiful gardens.
From picnicking to dog walking to birding, there are a wide range of activities you can enjoy here. The winery is open Mondays through Thursdays between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. On weekends, they stay open till 6 p.m.
Address: 25040 Jaeg Rd, Junction City, OR 97448, United States
Phone: +1 541-998-2828
3. Visit the corn Maize on Sauvie Island
Sauvie Island is one of the most prominent natural landmarks of Oregon. Located 10 miles northwest of downtown Portland, Sauvie Island adjoins the Columbia River to the east, the Willamette River to the south, and the Multnomah Channel to the west.
The Pumpkin Patch is a small seasonal family farm on the island. The farm has a cafe, produce market, corn maze, and hayrides. It features 5 acres of well-manicured corn maze.
If you are visiting with children, you must take them to this beautiful corn maze at the Pumpkin Patch.
Address: 16511 NW Gillihan Rd, Portland, OR 97231, United States
Phone: +1 503-621-3874
4. Go Apple Picking in Hood River
Hood River is a beautiful city located at the crossroads of the Columbia River Gorge and the Cascade Range. It is home to a massive variety of fruits, vegetables, wines, ciders, and flowers.
The Hood River Fruit loop trail is an amazing destination for apple picking. The trail features twenty-nine stands offering a broad array of fruits.
Regardless of what season you are visiting, you can go apple picking in Hood River. The Hood River Fruit loop trail features unique varieties of fruits in the fall. Apple picking in Hood River is one of the best things to do in the fall in Oregon.
5. Go stargazing below the Heceta Head Lighthouse
When it comes to outdoor recreation, there are not many places in the world that can outperform Oregon. From hiking to mountain climbing to stargazing, you can enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities in the state of Oregon.
Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most frequented spots in Eugene. Located inside a state park, Heceta Head Lighthouse is an ideal destination for stargazers.
Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint also features hiking trails, caves, a hotel, and beach.
6. Grand Prix of Portland
If you are into car racing, you must take part in the Grand Prix of Portland, an IndyCar Series race that takes place every year in the fall at the Portland International Raceway. It is one of the best things to do in the fall in Oregon for racing fans.
The Portland International Raceway Track has two configurations: a 9-turn course and a 12-turn course with an S-curve.
The 9-turn course has a lap length of 1.915 miles and the 12-turn course has a total length of 1.967 miles. Portland International Raceway also has a drag-racing strip and a dirt racing course for motocross bikes.
7. Visit McMenamins Kennedy School Soaking Pool
McMenamins Kennedy School is a 3-star hotel with an offbeat interior located a few miles from downtown Portland. Whether you are staying in the hotel or not, you must visit the McMenamins Kennedy School Soaking Pool, a hidden heated pool with an outlandish design.
McMenamins Kennedy School Soaking Pool has a great atmosphere and features a private fire pit. The pool is part of a courtyard restaurant offering an excellent selection of native American dishes and craft cocktails.
McMenamins Kennedy School Soaking Pool is open daily between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Address: Pool, 5736 NE 33rd Ave, Portland, OR 97211, United States
Phone: +1 503-249-3983
8. Swift Watch at Chapman Elementary
Swift Watch is an annual public viewing of Vaux’s Swifts at Chapman Elementary School. At the event, swifts dance through the sky together before they dart into the chimney after sunset.
Thousands of birds dance above the old smokestack chimney before spiralling into it. Swift Watch is an event that celebrates the migration of birds.
It shows how every September, birds migrate south from Canada to Central and South America. If you like birding, you will greatly enjoy seeing thousands of birds dance together through the sky.
9. Pick the perfect pumpkin at Sauvie Island
Sauvie Island is the largest island along the Columbia River that occupies more than 26,000 acres of natural land. It is a natural playground featuring unique wildlife, farms, and water bodies. It is home to a wide range of farms boasting unique varieties of pumpkins.
The Pumpkin Patch is the most famous farm boasting pumpkins on Sauvie Island. It is a casual family farm featuring a seasonal produce market, extensive corn maze, gift shop, cow train, and hayrides.
It is a great place to visit with children. With hundreds of pumpkins growing on the farm, you can pick the perfect one for you and your family.
10. Have a warming soup at Luc Lac or Elephant’s Deli in Portland
Oregon is home to hundreds of eateries offering exotic cuisine. Whether you like native American food or Italian meals, you can have it all in Oregon.
Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen is one of the most unique restaurants in Oregon specializing in Vietnamese cuisine.
Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen is a counter-serve restaurant with a lively ambience and rustic-chic interior. At Luc Lac, you can enjoy eclectic Vietnamese fare, including pho, banh mi, thit nuong, banh xeo, bun bo nam bo, cao lau, xoi ga, and bia hoi.
11. Go cabin camping
From Mt. Hood to Mt. St. Helens to the shores of the Columbia River, Oregon is home to some of the most amazing glamping terrains in the Pacific Northwest.
If you want to combine luxury with adventure, you must go camping in the snowy terrains of Mt. Hood while you are in Oregon. You can also enjoy a wonderful glamping night on the beach.
Camping cabins are the perfect place to stay for outdoorists. They give easy access to all outdoor activities. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on hotel rent to enjoy Oregon. The state offers some of the best camping retreats in the country.
12. Celebrate Mt Angel Oktoberfest
Mt Angel Oktoberfest is an annual family-focused festival that runs for 4 days in September. It is a music festival that gathers musicians from different states across the country, including Utah, New York, and many more. It also features bands from Germany and Canada.
Every year, over 400,000 people on Mt. Angel to celebrate this folk festival that has its roots in German and Bavarian traditions.
The festival features more than 50 non-profit food booths that serve German and Bavarian food along with local favorites.
Address: 5 N Garfield St, Mt Angel, OR 97362, United States
Phone: +1 855-899-6338
13. Watch a Blazers Game
Watching a Blazers game is the best thing basketball fans can do in Oregon. Many people visit Portland during the annual NBA series to see their favorite game played on their home ground. Portland Trail Blazers is a professional basketball team based in Portland.
If you are a basketball fan, you must watch an NBA game at Moda Center while you are in Portland. Almost all major sporting events of the city are held at Moda Center, an indoor sports complex configured for basketball.
It has a seating capacity of 19,393.
14. Watch a musical at Keller Auditorium
Keller Auditorium is a music theater in downtown Portland. It hosts dozens of performing art events and musicals every year.
Built in 1917, Keller Auditorium is a large theater with high ceilings, great acoustics, and warm ambience. From ballet to opera to plays, you can enjoy a wide range of musical performances at Keller Auditorium.
Address: 222 SW Clay St, Portland, OR 97201, United States
Phone: +1 503-248-4335
15. Go to a live storytelling show
You can attend a broad array of live story-telling shows in Oregon. Portland hosts many live storytelling events, including Mystery Box, he Moth, Back Fence PDX, and Urban Tellers.
Urban Tellers is an evening jazz event that occurs every year on Alberta Street.
You can go to Moth Story Slams, an event organized by Portland’s Holocene and The Secret Society that features five-minute stories on pre-announced themes.
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Gary is an award winning full time professional photographer and videographer with too much wanderlust for his own good. Fuelled by strong coffee, you’ll often find him wandering well off hiking trails in search of interesting photographic subjects or scenery to video. Self taught and with the use of pioneering digital techniques, he quickly built up a strong client base and has worked with many prestigious organisations, including GQ, BBC, London Fashion Week, Grazia, Sky, Metro, Vogue Italia. He specialising in evocative images of people, places and cinematic videography and his goal is to make the viewer look twice and engage. As well as a penchant for good design, the ketogenic diet and Hungarian Vizslas, he also has a huge affection for Chicago, Bucharest, Scandinavia, Croatia and absolutely everywhere in Italy. Find him on Instagram @garynansome, Twitter @garynansome and his website https://garynunn.co.uk/