Oregon is a travel nursing destination worth discovering anytime of year… in fact the state is actually characterized by a diversity of climates almost unequaled in the U.S. But as true as this may be, picturing the state’s landscape, it’s hard not to favor the autumn season.
Carved by Ice Age floodwaters, the Columbia Gorge and Mt. Hood area offers a breathtaking 80-mi landscape, which includes mountains and waterfalls. In early fall look for maple, tamarack, and aspen trees bursting with brilliant red and gold color. While here, an even better way to see the fabulous display is to let someone else do the driving — take the Mount Hood Railroad.
The Mount Hood Railroad even offers fall foliage train rides during Autumn Fest, giving train riders full access to the season’s vivid leaves from the comfort of a rumbling locomotive. You’ll depart from Mt. Hood Railroad Depot in Hood River and head in the direction of Parkdale, where the train stops for a layover of “live music, fresh produce, fine art” and the foliage of surrounding orchards and hills.
If you want to experience an entirely different side of fall then you have to move to the coast. Autumn at the Oregon Coast means the best weather of the year, with warm sunny days and less wind, during the “Second Summer.” Visitors who are lucky enough to come to the Newport area during the first part of autumn are sure to find adventure and fun with less foliage and more nature. Visitors can explore tidepools, watch seabirds, seals and whales, hike around the head or climb to the top of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse, all in one location.
Visitors will find the tidepools at Cobble Beach accessible by a smooth paved path weaving its way into the area. Sea urchins, sea lemons, sea stars, anemones, barnacles, snails, crabs and small fish can be seen when viewing the tidepools. Visitors can also take the path around the natural area, stopping to view seals and sea lions at Seal Island. Harbor seals spend time on Seal Island, sunning themselves and resting. Seabirds can be seen at Colony Rock. During the annual whale migration along the Oregon Coast, gray whales are spotting traveling south in the winter and north in the spring. Watch for blows from the whales, towering from the water into the air. Yaquina Head is an excellent spot for whale watching.
Fall in Oregon’s big sky country features aspens in golden splendor, grand vistas, and a taste of the freedom of the open range. Take the Steens Mountain Loop Road as it gradually climbs up the less-steep west side, through grasslands and juniper forest. The road is gravel and rough in some places, so be careful and take your time enjoying the scenery.
Located east of Crater Lake National Park in Southern Oregon, the Fremont-Winema National Forests offer miles of scenic drives where the color is most spectacular in the lower, wetter areas of the forest.
The list of places to go to fall in love with Oregon during autumn could just keep going. Really the entire state offers something for everyone… it’s best to discover for yourself and find out what you like best.
