What are the most stunning views in Oregon? Experience our top picks

This is part of a new USA TODAY network project showcasing breathtaking -- and perhaps, underappreciated -- views throughout the United States. These are some of the most beautiful landmarks, scenic vistas and hidden gems you can treasure in Oregon.

It’s not just the number of Oregon scenic vistas that take your breath away. It’s the diversity of those views.

The Beaver State is home to ocean and desert, ancient forest and painted hills, snow-capped volcanoes and the deepest lake in the United States.

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It’s a state with such a dizzying array of wonders a person can live here a lifetime and not see them all. Or even come close.

This list of treasured views will at least get you started, connecting the Oregon Coast, rainforest waterfalls, volcanic landscapes and high desert mountains on a tour that feels as though it’s spanning multiple states.

Crater Lake National Park: last call to dip into the deepest lake in United States

Somehow, Oregon is home to only one national park. But if we’re forced to pick just one place, an exploded volcano filled with some of the world’s purest water in the deepest lake in the United States makes a logical choice.  

Crater Lake National Park gets so much snow it’s only open to summer activities for a relatively short time. So if you want to drive the Rim Road, take a boat tour, hike mountaintops or swim the lake’s bone-chilling water, focus your trip between July to September.

Located in a remote part of southern Oregon, Crater Lake is an hour’s drive from Klamath Falls, 90 minutes from Medford or four hours from Portland.

It’s home to a large campground that often fills quickly, so consider lodging at locations just outside the park such as Union Creek, Diamond Lake, Prospect Hotel (if you’re feeling fancy and old-timey) or any number of cheaper U.S. Forest Service campgrounds.

Once you reach the top of Crater Lake and the Rim Road, travelers can stop at any number of viewpoints and trails. Two of the best hikes include the Watchman (easy) and Scott Mountain summit (tougher).

However, if you want to have one of the park’s best experiences — a boat tour, swim or hike to a cinder cone summit in the middle of the lake — you have to visit in 2025.

A major construction project beginning in 2026 will keep Cleetwood Cove Trail, the sole access to the lake’s shoreline and marina, closed until 2029.

Entry fee is $30 for cars during peak season.

Tour 10 waterfalls, including South Falls, at Silver Falls State Park

Home to 10 stunning waterfalls, including four that you can walk behind, Silver Falls State Park is a locally beloved but lesser-known destination in Oregon located 35 minutes east of Salem.   

The Trail of 10 Falls, the park’s signature pathway, showcases five waterfalls over 100 feet roaring into a canyon filled with old-growth forest. Of these, 177-foot South Falls is the gem, blasting into a rock-walled cathedral with a cave behind it that soaks and thrills adults and children.

A full hike to all 10 waterfalls is a challenging 8.7 miles, but multiple trailheads allow for far shorter treks as well.

The park features a campground (closed until July 1) and cabins to stay the night, in addition to the charming, touristy town of Silverton just 15 minutes away.

The park, established in 1933 and once considered for a national park, also features historic buildings like South Falls Lodge with a café and fireplace to relax and snack after a long day on the trail.

The park has a $10 parking fee.

Timberline Lodge, Mount Hood

Timberline Lodge, built in 1937 and perhaps the most iconic building in Oregon, offers singular views of the state’s tallest peak — 11,249 foot Mount Hood.

A historic landmark, ski resort, private hotel and base camp for adventure wrapped into one, Timberline, nestled at 6,000 feet, can be explored in a number of different ways.

From the parking lot in summer, hikers can follow trails to historic huts and wildflower meadows on fairly easy to challenging treks.

Those seeking more adventure can ski the longest-running season in the United States deep into summer on the Palmer Snowfield, or ride lift-assisted mountain bike trails.

Timberline is the primary spot to begin a climb of Mount Hood’s summit — though it’s a highly technical undertaking that requires planning and the right equipment.  

Those less interested in adventure can soak up the views and enjoy dining or stay overnight at the lodge. An easy summer activity is taking the Magic Mile Chair Lift to the mountain’s 7,000 level.

Timberline Lodge is a short drive from the small touristy town of Government Camp and a 90 minute drive from Portland. Its large parking lot is free in summer, but requires a sno-park permit in winter.

Fun fact: Timberline Lodge was filmed as the exterior of the Overlook Hotel in the 1980 movie "The Shining."

Oregon Coast: Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor

There are hundreds of views that could qualify, but if you have to pick the most scenic part of the 362-mile Oregon Coast, it’s hard to go wrong with the Boardman Corridor.

Named for the father of Oregon’s state park system, Boardman features multiple stunning views and easy hikes just off U.S. Highway 101.

At one point Boardman was a hidden gem, tucked away on the southern half of the coast that’s a long and ponderous drive from Portland.

Thanks to social media, people have started to discover this 12-mile stretch of forested cliffs and pocket beaches with names such as Thunder Rock Cove, Arch Rock and Indian Sands.

Boardman is nestled between Brookings and Gold Beach, two small to medium sized towns that still have everything you need for a base camp including hotels, restaurants and grocery stores. The closest camping can be had at Harris Beach State Park.

The experience at Boardman is straightforward — follow 101 to the park’s multiple trailheads to up to eight easy hikes, or longer ones that can be combined on the Oregon Coast Trail.

Adventurous hikers often search for the park’s “pocket beaches” hidden between the cliffs. But be warned: there have been a number of fatal incidents and near-misses due to hikers following unofficial trails to cliff edges.

Dee Wright Observatory, McKenzie Pass Highway

Constructed from a lava flow that erupted 2,600 years ago, Dee Wright Observatory is a striking castle turret marking the summit of Oregon’s most dramatic mountain pass, among its most dramatic volcano views.

Dee Wright sits at 5,187 feet at the top of McKenzie Pass Highway 242, located between the small towns of Sisters and McKenzie Bridge smack in the middle of the geologically active Central Cascade Range.

The view from the lookout includes black volcanic rock sweeping across the landscape, interspersed with forested islands, while snow-capped volcanoes rise on every side — Mount Jefferson, Washington and the Three Sisters, to name a few.

Just the drive to Dee Wright is scenic, but there are numerous hikes beginning right at the observatory and nearby. A few favorites include an easy trek to Upper and Lower Proxy Falls, dropping 130 and 242 feet, respectively. Matthieu Lakes and Benson Lake make for pleasant and easy-to-moderate day hikes, while Black Crater and Scott Mountain require more challenging hikes but offer more rewarding views.

Parking at Dee Wright is free, but some hikes off Highway 242 require a special Central Cascades Wilderness permit, which can be obtained on Recreation.gov.

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls, Portland

It’s fairly rare that you can view one of the United States’ most beautiful waterfalls while driving an interstate highway, but such is the case with the Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls.

The 620-foot cascade is the most famous waterfall in a state full of them, and also among the most frequently visited.

Just 30 miles east of Portland, and right off Interstate 84, the waterfall offers easy access and is one of the state’s top tourists attractions.

Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in Oregon at 620 feet.

A special timed use permit is required from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from May 23 to Sept. 1 and can be reserved on Recreation.gov.

With a permit and a bit of time, you can do more than just gawk at the falls. Multnomah Falls Lodge serves food at the base of the waterfall. A trail takes you across a bridge in front of the falls, and then all the way to its top, where you can peer over its edge. Beyond, a loop hike of 5 miles takes you past five waterfalls and then back to your car.

Some of the forest here was burned by the Eagle Creek Fire — a terrifying and seminal wildfire that ripped through the Columbia Gorge in 2017.

After you’ve explored Multnomah, enjoy the rest of the Columbia Gorge. Follow the historic highway to places such as Ponytail Falls, stop for a brew and bite in Cascades Locks and cross the Bridge of the Gods into the Washington state side of the Gorge.

Painted Hills, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

Most people imagine Oregon solely as a land of rainforest, volcanoes and ocean coast. But the majority of the state is actually desert, in the rain-parched lands east of the Cascade Range.

While it doesn’t get the same attention, the east side has more than its share of wonders, with the most famous being the Painted Hills.

The most visited unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, the Painted Hills showcases hills with twisting waves of red, gold and black.

A half-mile hike explores the showcase hills, but there are other painted hills as well in the small unit, including hikes to Painted Cove and Red Scar Knoll. Overall, there are five hikes at the Painted Hills Unit, with the longest being just 1.6 miles.

The closest town is Mitchell, a small but vibrant town with a hotel, RV sites, antiques, restaurants and a small grocery store. Bend, the closest large city, is a 90 minute drive while the medium size town of Prineville is an hour’s drive.

The other units of the John Day Fossil Beds are also worth visiting. The Thomas Condon Visitor Center, a 55 minute drive from the Painted Hills, is an 11,000 square foot museum showcasing the monument’s collection of fossils and the scientific story behind them, in addition to more breathtaking desert hikes.

The best time to visit the Painted Hills or John Day monument is spring and fall, while it gets very hot in summer and very cold in winter.

Wallowa Mountains: Wild and mild in Oregon's most scenic peaks

They’re not Oregon’s tallest mountains, but there’s a good argument the jagged teeth of the Wallowa Range are the state’s most scenic collection of peaks.

Rising from the rolling farmland of northeast Oregon — the ancestral homeland of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce — the Wallowas feature rows of towering mountains above 9,000 feet that appeal to wild and mild experiences.

The mellower experience centers on the touristy towns of Joseph and Enterprise, along with Wallowa Lake State Park. The towns feature artwork, native history and excellent restaurants tucked below the mountains. Wallowa Lake offers boating and excellent kokanee fishing.

The Wallowa Lake Tramway takes passengers to the top of 8,000-foot Mount Howard for a stunning view in addition to Oregon’s highest restaurant, the aptly named Summit Grill.

The wilder experience centers on hiking and backpacking the Eagle Cap Wilderness, among a spectacular array of alpine lakes and wildflower meadows.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at [email protected] or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at oregonoutdoors.bsky.social.