Feature Image of Oregon

Road tripping oregon was never on my mind until this pandemic hit us. We had to look for a place which is offbeat and going to be less crowded yet beautiful enough for the summer vacation(4th July week). We spent a few evenings in curating this perfect 7 Day itinerary. And believe me, I started falling for this beautiful state long before I witnessed it in real.

Oregon is a magical place with beautiful coastline, snow-capped mountains, desert-like landscapes, Hot springs, forests as far as an eye can see, volcanoes and waterfalls, and even a wine-growing region. And in just 7 days you can experience a little bit of everything.

If you’re looking for a unique summer road trip this year, here’s my suggestion to you: go to Oregon!

Road trip to Oregon

So come with me as we go on a road trip to Oregon, USA! Certainly, I have a feeling that you’ll love it just as much as I did.

  • 1 state with all kind of landscapes from plains, mountains, desert and coastal region
  • 7 days amidst the nature
  • ∞ (infinite) memories

ITINERARY

Fasten your seat belt to enjoy the mesmerizing journey of this incredibly beautiful and diverse state in the United states.

Day 0: Arrival in Portland, Oregon .If you fly in and out of Portland International Airport (PDX), you’ll be able to make a big loop starting from portland to Hood River, down the central corridor towards Crater Lake and over to Coast.

Day 1: Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway. Highlights of visiting this area include driving the historic Columbia River Highway (which was the first planned scenic roadway in the United States), doing a couple of short hikes, and stopping to see the area’s famous vistas and spectacular waterfalls(plenty of them).

Multnomah Falls
Just a 5-minute walk is all that separates you from the exhilarating spray- the Multnomah Falls.

Day 2: Mt Hood Region. The first close look of the snow capped Mt Hood along with the pine trees and shimmering blue water of the Lost Lake literally took my breath away. I was dazzled looking at that beautiful setting of the nature. There are actually more than 150 lakes in the Mt Hood National Forest and you can pick a few for your day trip.

Mt Hood in the background at Lost lake
Mt Hood in the backdrop at Lost lake

Day 3: Crater Lake National Park. This is the Oregon’s one and only National Park and the show stealer of this trip. This is located a bit “in the middle of nowhere” and born out of a cataclysmic volcanic eruption. There are trails with amazing viewpoints along the rim of the lake and some trails will even lead you down to its deep, cerulean waters.  When my eyes met this spectacular marvel of nature, the words seemed to fall apart. Should I call it exquisite…sumptuous or a spiritual bliss but nothing justify the majesticity of this Lake

Crater Lake from Watchman Peak
Crater Lake from Watchman Peak

Day 4: Klamath falls to Brooking- We have not had planned anything for this day until we reach hotel on Day 3 and started looking at the places on the way to Brooking. We decided to visit Burney Falls in California and believe me, that was really a good decision made on the spur of the moment.

Burney Falls
Burney Falls, California

Day 5: Samuel H Boardman corridor to florence. Today it was time to head to the coast, because no Oregon road trip would be complete without a day or two spent driving up Oregon’s stunning coastline. This stretch of the highway features one turn off after another with jaw dropping views, sea stacks, secluded beaches and photo worthy sunsets.

Natural Bridge, oregon Coast
Natural Bridges

Day 6: Florence – Cannon beach Oregon Coast. This day we drove leisurely up the rest of the Oregon Coast, with plenty of time to stop at beaches and seaside towns with beautiful views of the ocean, forests, and mountains of the Oregon coast.

Haystack Rock at cannon beach
Haystack Rock at cannon beach

Day 7: Portland. End of our 7-day Oregon trip. We finished off our road trip in Oregon back in Portland. If there are attractions and places you didn’t get to see at the start, now’s the time to do it. 

Portland Streets
Portland Streets

COSTING SHEET 

Below is a breakdown of the average costs of a Oregon USA road trip. This is just a tentative idea as the cost may vary depending on one’s choices. The average daily budget for an Oregon road trip is between $150-$200 – this includes gas, a rental car, lodging, food, drink, and entry into certain attractions.

Item Total 
Flight from Indy to Vegas$400 per head(ph)
Car for an entire trip, starting from Portland including insurance and Fuel $800
Hotel Stay for an entire trip$800
National Park Entrance, parking and Tolls $60
Food – 3 meals$200 ph
Shopping and souvenir$60 ph
Total ~$1490 ph
Costing sheet for the Oregon 7 Day road trip

DIEXTR TIPS

  1. BEST SEASON: Oregon road trip itinerary is fully usable during the summer and fall months from May to the end of October. Some of the places recommended to visit are inaccessible in winter due to closed roads.
  2. CAR RENTAL: To get a better price on Rental cars, I would recommend booking well in advance.
  3. REFUELING: As the Fuel Prices are higher on the west coast. So, consider about getting your tank filled inside the cities to save dollars
  4. ACCOMMODATION: Hotels are quite expensive at some of the places. You can book on Airbnb website for better prices.
  5. CLOTHING: Temperature on the west coast is quite variable and changeable. Carry enough layers for places near the coastline
  6. ReFUEL: Oregon is a state where you refuel your car without leaving it. At the gas station, you are served by a gas station employee. Refueling by yourself in Oregon carries a fine of up to $500. 
  7. No sales tax in Oregon: Oregon is one of only five states (alongside New Hampshire, Montana, Delaware, and Alaska) where the price you see on the product is what you pay at the checkout. So, it’s worth shopping in Oregon. The best shopping in Portland.
  8. OFFLINE MAPS: Believe us, very often, there is no phone coverage, and you must use the traditional paper map or the offline map.
  9. 7 Wonders of Oregon: See for yourself why the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Hood, Smith Rock, Painted Hills, Wallowa Mountains, Crater Lake and the Oregon Coast made the list of seven Wonder. 

FINAL WORDS

There’s no question that Oregon is a state of beauty!

From the Columbia River Gorge with splendid waterfalls to Hood region with serene Lakes, to the Crater Lake with cerulean waters and the rugged coastline with stunning ocean views, there’s enough to wonder at.

This 7-day road trip has everything a good road trip should; ever-changing landscapes, picturesque pit stops, culture, and an abundance of history!

Would we go back? Most definitely. The next time we’d like to explore Seattle. In addition, we’d also like to do the sky gazing at Crater Lake.

I am going to write a separate post for each day we have spent in the Oregon. So, stay tuned for more interesting Travel stories.

Have you ever done a road trip in Oregon? If not, are you ready to plan one now? Please leave a comment below if you have any questions or want to share your experience.

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