Consider Yachats as your destination. I think it fits your description and desires better than any town on the Central Oregon Coast. It’s a popular destination, but it’s definitely quieter than North Coast destinations like Seaside or Cannon Beach in mid-September. It’s just outside of the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area where you will find more secluded beaches and some of the best hiking on all of the Oregon Coast.
You will find a reasonable gentle hike between Cook’s Chasm (Spouting Horn and Thor’s Well) and Devil’s Churn or you can just explore the paved trails that extend from either the Cook’s Chasm and Devil’s Churn waysides. There are also a variety of rainforest trails including some shorter interpretive nature trails. A visit to Heceta Head Lighthouse, a little further south in Florence, is also a must and the short walk from the State Park to the lighthouse is beautiful. You could easily explore as far south as Florence and the Oregon Dunes, where Honeyman State Park makes an easy stop and offers nature trails around Cleawox Lake.
Definitely check out the Green Lakes Trail on Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. It’s popular, but for a good reason — it’s a very scenic and a great trail. The more ambitious climb would be South Sister, an accessible but challenging hike. In Newberry, don’t miss the Obsidian Trail. There’s also a short hike to the Paulina Creek Waterfall. Have a great time!
There are several wineries south of Eugene that border each other — King Estate and Iris Vineyards are backdoor neighbors, and Chateau Lorane is also very close. I have heard anecdotally that you can walk from King Estate to Iris, and last year there was a 5K/10K trail run in the area that took the racers to all three wineries. However, I do not believe that it is an officially designated or marked trail. My suggestion would be to stop in at Iris or King Estate and ask the tasting room staff.
If you’re not looking for a hiking trail, per se, but just a beautiful route, you should definitely check out some of the routes in the Eugene area and South Willamette Valley. You can find maps and directions to guide you on scenic drives or bike rides that go from winery to winery. You could also walk these routes if you choose, but they are on roads, not hiking trails.
If you are really interested in the wine-hiking (aka “wiking!”) experience, here are a few vineyards in the Willamette Valley with hiking trails:
- Sokol Blosser, just outside Dundee: they have a guided vineyard hike you can sign up for.
- Winter’s Hill Vineyard, Dundee Hills: They’re an official stop on the Willamette Valley Birding Trail, and they have a native oak savannah you can hike through.
- Left Coast Cellars, Eola-Amity Hills, just west of Salem: They invented the term “wiking” and have a great map of trails through their property.
- Eola Hills Legacy Estate vineyard: this is just a few minutes from Left Coast and in a very pretty location.
- Tyee Wine Cellars, Corvallis: This small vineyard is on land that’s been owned by the same family for more than 100 years. Their hiking trail takes you through native wetlands, farmland, and hazelnut orchards all on their family property.
In general, most of Oregon’s beaches allow dogs. Some beaches within local enforcement areas may require that dogs be leashed and there are a few beaches that do not allow dogs or require leashes to protect wildlife. Inter-tidal areas designated as Marine Gardens by the State of Oregon require that dogs be leashed and a few beaches do not allow dogs during the Snowy Plover nesting season March 15 to September 15.
Generally speaking, off-leash dogs are tolerated on most beaches as long as under “direct control” of the owner. This means the dog’s handler must remain within sight of the dog and the dog must respond to voice commands. Other common sense rules apply to dogs on beaches according to state law. Handlers must prevent their animals from harassing people, wildlife and other domestic animals; and you are responsible for the removal of the animal’s waste while in the ocean shore state recreation area. Owners are required to carry a leash and leash their dog at the request of authorities, including Oregon State Parks personnel. If your dog is well behaved, does not approach other people or dogs, does not chase birds, approach wildlife or other domestic animals, you can enjoy most Oregon beaches off-leash with your dog.
I almost always travel the coast with my girl Gracie and we not only enjoy the beaches, but find many dog-friendly restaurants with outdoor dining areas and dog-related or dog-friendly businesses. There can’t be a better destination for dogs than the Oregon Coast.
Yes, you can RV camp below the rim at Crater Lake at Mazama Village Campground, the only RV camping in Crater Lake National Park. You can make reservations in advance online or by phone, but only for a limited number of RV sites. However, there are a number of first come, first served sites as well.
The city of La Grande is home to a lot of great hikes, including the Mount Emily Recreation Area (MERA). At 3,669 acres, MERA is one of the most elite trail systems in Eastern Oregon — plus it’s only two miles from downtown La Grande.
If you have a day to spare, I highly recommend traveling a little more east to Wallowa Lake, just four miles past the town of Joseph. It’s a beautiful part of Oregon that I encourage everyone to go check out. The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest has great day hiking areas.
You happened to ask a good person — I grew up near Foster Lake and my family used to walk on the shoreline trail every evening! The walking trails at Foster Lake are great, and there are lots of places where you can walk right up to the lake shore and dip your toes in the water. However, they do not extend all the way around the reservoir.
The north shore trail begins at Lewis Creek County Park, which is located off of North River Drive.
On the south shore, the walking trail begins at Shea Point (just off Highway 20, across from the spot where Riggs Hill Road intersects with Highway 20) and extends up to the far edge of the dam.
If you visit the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce website and scroll to the bottom of their list of local trails, you’ll find a good description of both the North Shore and South Shore trails.
If you visit Foster, stop and get a bite at the Point Restaurant. It’s right across from the South Shore trail and has good food plus beautiful lake views. It’s especially known for its homemade pies — yum!
Oregon State Parks offer access to some of the most remarkable scenic views and natural areas on the Oregon Coast. Many of the Oregon Coast’s State Parks do not require day-use fees and of those, my favorites are Cape Meares, Seal Rock and Cape Arago.
Those with day use fees that I would not hesitate to pay even for a brief visit include Ecola State Park, Heceta Head Lighthouse State Park and Shore Acres State Park. Likewise, the day use fee for entrance to the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is also well worth it. On a related note, the Oregon Pacific Coast Passport covers day use fees for all Oregon State Parks, BLM sites (Yaquina Head), Forest Service managed natural areas including the Oregon Dunes and Cape Perpetua; and National Park sites (Fort Clatsop near Astoria) on the Oregon Coast.
Of course, you’ll be deep in wine country there, and I should encourage you to stop in at one of the bajillion wineries for a drop of pinot — it is definitely worth a stop. As for beer, a couple to put on your list are Golden Valley (McMinnville), one of Oregon’s older breweries and a good one. The long-time brewer there, Mark Vickery, went off and started Grain Station (McMinnville), which should probably be your first stop. Great story, great place — and great beer. Another brewery I love is Heater Allen (also McMinnville), but they focus on lagers so you’ll have to decide whether that fits the bill. (Lagers have finally started to get popular in Oregon, and this brewery is one of the big reasons why.)
A couple other places to note. You might consider driving to Salem to check out Santiam, which is an interesting brewery that does mainly cask ales. It’s unusual and you might find it interesting. There’s also a new brewery in Dundee called Deception — and breweries open so fast in Oregon that I’m falling behind. I still haven’t made it out there. Perhaps you can go and tell me what it’s like.
You’re in luck. There are great rafting and water sports options around here. The Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway offers many lakes for flatwater kayaking and boating. The Deschutes River offers kayaking and slow-rafting right in town, or sign up for a white water raft trip with Sun Country Tours, on the river southwest of town. Also in town, try out the new Bend Whitewater Park, with standing waves and awesome floating, surfing and kayaking options.
No doubt, you’ll work up an appetite. Some of my favorite places to eat nearby are Jackson’s Corner, Spork, Hola!, Brother Jon’s, the Lot, Zydeco and Bend Brewing Co.
